• Age: 6 to 11
• Grade: 1 to 6

From the acclaimed Wallace Edwards comes his second collection of idioms, a companion to the award-winning Monkey Business.

The Cat's Pajamas depicts 26 idioms, bringing new meaning to familiar sayings and tickling your funny bone with a surreal illustration on each page. To ensure you get the hang of it, each expression is used in a sentence and explained at the back of the book. And if you look closely you'll discover a cat hidden in every painting; some cats are a piece of cake to find, others may require you to use your noodle.

A gorgeously illustrated eye-spy book and a unique introduction to idioms, this book is truly the cat's meow.

WALLACE EDWARDS, diplômé de l’École d’art et de design de l’Ontario, était un auteur-illustrateur primé. Ses peintures et ses illustrations se retrouvent dans des collections privées et publiques, des livres, des magazines et des expositions au Canada et aux États-Unis. Il est le créateur de Sur ma route…, Qu’est-ce que la paix?, Tombé du ciel et Alphabeasts. Ce dernier a remporté le Prix littéraire du Gouverneur général en 2002. Depuis, il continue à recevoir des nominations et des récompenses prestigieuses soulignant son approche géniale des albums illustrés. Il est malheureusement décédé en 2022.

 

WALLACE EDWARDS was a beloved children’s book writer and illustrator, known for his richly imaginative paintings, and the sense of wonder and humour in his work. His picture books were nominated for three Governor General’s Literary Awards; he won the award for Alphabeasts. Other honours include the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award, two Independent Publisher Book Awards, a CLA Honour Book and two OLA Best Bets, among many others; and his work is on the International Youth Library White Ravens list. Edwards completed work on his final picture book, Pigs Can’t Fly, before his sad passing in December 2022.

 

 

Wallace Edwards' profile page

• Short-listed, Alberta Children's Choice Rocky Mountain Book Award
• Winner, Best Children's Books of the Year, Bank Street Children's Book Committee
• Winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre
• Winner, Best Bets Picture Book, Ontario Library Association

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.

Kirkus Reviews

This grouping illustrates figures of speech with outlandish sentences that use and (usually) define them, as well as richly worked paintings.

Publishers Weekly

Many young readers are (rightly) allergic to anything that can be described as "exquisite", but there is no better word for The Cat's Pajamas.

Quill & Quire, Starred Review

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.

School Library Journal

The Cat’s Pajamas

This luscious book is hard to define, just like an idiom. There is no story here, but who needs one? There are rich, witty, sometimes absurd illustrations that encourage readers to make up a story to fit the picture. Each of the 26 idioms depicted is used in a sentence and is defined at the end of the book. The great appeal is the layers of meaning and the depth of ideas seen in each illustration, including a hidden cat on every page. This is a book that both adults and children can return to repeatedly, finding something new in an illustration or simply enjoying the abundant humour on every page.

In this follow up to Monkey Business, Wallace Edwards has created another gem. Using watercolour, coloured pencil and gouache, each illustration is a literal representation of the idiom on the page. Of course a literal expression does not define the meaning of the idiom. On one page Beryl has a “bee in her bonnet.” Beryl is a bear, drawn very realistically. She also has a lifelike bee on her hat and readers will find several other insects (grasshopper, lady bug and butterflies) on her costume even before they search for the cat. This opens the door to discussing the meaning with a child. The text is undemanding, a necessity when dealing with subtle meaning as in an idiom, while the illustrations are complex and outrageous.

The definitions given at the beginning and end of the book are unlikely to be of interest to children, but are perfect for an adult sharing the book with a child. How often is an educational book this much fun? This is an outstanding book for readers of all ages.

The Cat’s Pajamas

From the acclaimed Wallace Edwards comes his second gorgeously illustrated collection of idioms — a companion to the award-winning Monkey Business. This edition brings new meaning to familiar sayings and will tickle the funny bone of readers of all ages. Look closely and you’ll discover a cat hidden in every painting. An explanation of each idiom is found at the back of the book.