Muddy as a Duck Puddle and Other American Similes (review)

Are you "independent as a hog on ice?" Do you sometimes feel "zany as a chigger chased around a stump"? You'll find these and other usefully phrased characteristics laid out in Lawlor's tribute to colorful American language, which lays out twenty-six similes in A-to-Z format. The idea has obvious potential for the language arts curriculum, and kids will particularly appreciate the predominance of animals in these lively phrases. Unfortunately, the concepts aren't very well conveyed by either the illustrations or the closing explanatory notes (which provide a regional citation as well as a gloss for each entry); the explanations are often unclear, unhelpful, or simply uncomprehending—"happy as a clam at high water" doesn't actually mean "safe and secure," for instance, and the "fine as frog hair" note never explains which meaning of "fine" is being employed. Long's digitally created illustrations are loud and cartoonish, with plenty of humorous exaggeration in their dramatization of the concepts; the compositions sometimes lack focus, though, a drawback emphasized by the fatness of the figures. Despite the flaws here, the title's easygoing format and colorful flair make it enjoyable as a quick read as well as a readaloud, and it could add some linguistic brio to the classroom.