cover image Quiet as a Mouse: And Other Animal Idioms

Quiet as a Mouse: And Other Animal Idioms

Chiêu Anh Urban. Sterling, $7.95 (22p) ISBN 978-1-4549-2505-7

Urban uses similes to highlight five animals. Each creature initially stares out at readers in a black-and-white close-up, accompanied by a rhyme: “Quick and cheeky,/ smart and sneaky, I’m sly as a...” A page turn reveals the answer (in this case, a fox), along with a bold geometric portrait of the animal in blazing color. Small die-cuts offer pops of color, a hint of what’s to come.” It’s a visually dramatic and playful exploration of animals and language—especially the final scene featuring a very happy clam with mirrored sunglasses. Ages 1–3. [em]Agent: Jamie Weiss Chilton, Andrea Brown Literary. (Jan.) [/em]