Other-Wordly: Words Both Strange and Lovely from Around the World

In a project born out of a blog of the same name, Mak introduces 64 words from more than a dozen languages that describe emotions, situations, and aspects of being that aren’t always easily translated. Garrity-Riley’s dainty mixed-media illustrations, dominated by muted browns and blues, echo the moody tone of several words, as well as the cross-cultural juxtapositions that arise. The elegance of soigné, the mixed messages described by the Turkish word nazlanmak, and the Scots word tartle (for stumbling over someone’s name) are neatly reflected in a semi-awkward cocktail party scene. The Swedish word smultronställe (a “personal idyll free from stress or sadness”) translates literally to a “place of wild strawberries,” which is where Garrity-Riley shows a blonde girl reclining in wavy grasses, eyes closed in delight. Brief definitions, parts of speech, and language of origin accompany each word; the lack of phonetic pronunciations might disappoint readers looking to add these words to their lexicons immediately, but it’s nothing a little Googling can’t fix. Author’s agent: Scott Treimel, Scott Treimel NY. Illustrator’s agency: Christina A. Tugeau Artist Agency. (Oct.)