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Cat's Pajamas, The

by Wallace Edwards
32p. 978-1-55453-308-4.
COPY ISBN
Gr 4—7—Edwards begins this picture book with a definition of "idiom," and English teachers will thrill to find a book that deals with this elusive idea. The expectation will be that the pictures will get to the true meaning of the expressions, but readers will be surprised. In fact, Edwards's illustrations show the literal meaning, which is effective in its own way. When he depicts a pelican swallowing a frog to illustrate "having a frog in one's throat," it's clear that the meaning could not be literal. It is patently ridiculous. A list of the real meanings is provided at the end of the book. The illustrations are handsome and detailed, which adds to the ridiculous nature of the literal interpretations. This is a useful book to introduce this figure of speech to older kids; it will make them laugh as they tease out what each entry actually means.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
In this entertaining book, Edwards presents a gallery of elaborate animal paintings with sly one-sentence captions. Each picture offers a humorously literal interpretation of idioms such as "cool your heels," "hold your tongue," or "frog in your throat." As a bonus, readers can enjoy searching for the cat hidden in every mixed-media illustration. Explanations of the twenty-six expressions are appended.
Each of Wallace Edwards’s twenty-six tableaux depicts a different idiom, while an accompanying sentence uses the expression in a way that is simultaneously literal and figurative. For example, in one scene, a crab is knotting a giraffe’s bow tie. The text reads, “Gerrard was terrible at tying bows, but Claudia could always be counted on in a pinch.” Imaginative, detailed illustrations encourage close study. Readers are invited to search for a hidden cat (some are easier to find than others!) in every scene. A playful and clever approach to language that will appeal to fans of puzzles and brainteasers.

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