THERE’S A FROG IN MY THROAT!

As the subtitle indicates, this is a compendium of familiar and not-so-familiar sayings that have to do with animals, from “we’re off like a herd of turtles” to “the tail end.” The design is purposely busy, packing all 440 sayings into 48 meager pages by allowing them to spill onto the title page, index, and colophon, although most are confined to the body of the book and organized thematically, from “Around the House” to “Under the Waves.” The sayings are illustrated by bright vignettes that differ in style to provide both variety and to suit the saying, and frequently interact. So, “as crazy as a cuckoo” is illustrated by a wacky-looking bird popping out of a classically Swiss clock; this contrasts with “Watch it like a hawk,” which features a proud raptor with gaze fixed, X-ray vision–like, on a “nest egg” filled with C-notes. Each saying is glossed—“Don’t cast your pearls before swine” becomes “Don’t waste something good on people who can’t appreciate it”—and these paraphrases very rarely rely themselves on idiomatic expressions, making them clear and easy to understand. An authors’ note at the beginning explains the different types of sayings, from simile and metaphor to idiom and proverb. The serious philologist might wish for origins to the expressions contained herein, but there’s only so much this perky little volume can do; as it is, it will provide substantial browsing pleasure to both animal lovers and children curious about language. The cat’s pajamas! (Nonfiction. 6-10)