This is a
peculiar picture book. Each double page is devoted to a word which is untranslatable
in the country from which it comes. For instance, in Finland there’s a word, ‘Poronkusema’
which means the distance a reindeer can walk before needing the toilet. A
Serbo-Croatian word widely used across the Balkans is ‘Promaja’, meaning the
much-hated draught created by wind blowing between two open windows. The
English word ‘whimsy’ means playfully quaint or fanciful behaviour or humour.
Under each page entry are columns of (very small) text which expands on the word meaning. Again,
these entries are odd. For instance, under ‘Whimsy’ there is a column about the
World Worm Charming Championships, started in 1980 in England, now an annual
event where competitors try to coax as many worms as possible from their 3 X 3m
patch of grass in twenty minutes. The other columns talk about other whimsical
annual events such as a cheese-rolling contest, a bog-snorkelling triathlon,
and underwater Ludo.
Opposite
each page of information about the wonderful word is a full-page illustration
which matches the text. For instance, opposite the whimsical entry is a page showing
contestants in the worm charming contest with a girl playing a violin, a man
playing a flute, and a boy playing a harmonica. Up you come, worms!
The book is
very informative and offers wide range of words from countries all around the
world. However, it is difficult to ascertain its market. It’s certainly not for
small children, and being a picture book, it’s not ideal for adults. Perhaps
the readership is likely to be children aged 12 years and older.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Buzz Words Books would love to hear what you think.