THE CAT'S PAJAMAS
by Wallace Edwards & illustrated by Wallace Edwards
Who hasn't used a phrase like "cool your heels" or "it's a piece of cake"? This book cleverly interprets 26 idioms with meticulous paintings (akin in detail to Graeme Base's). "As judge of the Tiny Tot Talent Contest, Leon had to face the music," is depicted with an image of a chipmunk tooting a horn at point-blank range in a lion's face, blowing his mane violently back. For "using your noodle," a panda plays a violin with a strand of spaghetti instead of a bow. In a moment of pure genius, Hammy the pig whoops with delight in the front seat of the Happy Hurler roller coaster, clearly having much more fun than the barrel of monkeys in the seat behind. All of the images use animals and birds to illustrate the phrases, and a page of definitions appears in the back. Each scene has multiple references, double entendres and a hidden cat (but no legend). Language and art teachers should have a field day with this. Though some expressions are more successful than others, it is indeed the cat's pajamas. (Picture book. 5 & up)