A Box of Frogs

For something quirky, try A Box of Frogs by Steve Palin (£9.99). Idioms of birds and animals used in everyday life are explained, with fun illustrations gravity that can’t help but bring a smile to the face of the reader. Find out why we say ‘ants in your pants’, ‘kangaroo court’ or ‘let the cat out of the bag’ among other animal-related sayings.

-- Lorna Mayberry * Festive Bookshelf, Countryside Magazine (NFU) *

It had been in my mind to write and illustrate A Box of Frogs for a long time! I can’t remember exactly when I became interested in the idiosyncrasies of the English language, but I do remember being fascinated, aged eight, by collective nouns in my primary school when the class had to match up a list of animals with its corresponding “nouns of assembly”. I had to get those out of my system first in A Murmuration of Starlings, the sister volume to A Box of Frogs.

The combination of “quirky” language, wildlife and painting has always inspired me. A Box of Frogs is not intended to be an academic work about etymological niceties and is unlikely even to be an exhaustive list of animal idioms themselves. Rather, it is just meant to be a bit of fun. Indeed, the way in which the name of the illustrated idiom doesn’t appear until the next page is turned allows it to be used as a quiz or puzzle. I am hoping people will like it as much as I do!

 

-- Steve Palin * Evergreen Magazine (This England) *

From 'cat among the pigeons' and 'kangaroo court' to 'a big fish in a small pond', and attractively illustrated collection of favourite wildlife idioms. 

* The Bookseller, Language and Literature Boo