ALA Booklist (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Young readers get a handy introduction to idioms in this board book, which uses the riddle format to keep the pages turning. On each double-page spread, a lightly defined close-up of an animal's face, plus a few cutouts, is paired with a rhyming couplet and the start of an idiom ("Quick and cheeky, / smart and sneaky. / I'm as sly as a . . ."). The next spread shows the animal in its full-colored glory and reveals the answer (a fox!). This is a solid resource for developing early language skills, and the guess-and-reveal format adds fun.

Kirkus Reviews

Little readers learn some animal idioms.Caregivers know the phrases "sly as a fox" and "blind as a bat," and this board book tries its best to introduce these and other animal idioms to little readers. The resulting read is a disjointed affair: an extreme close-up of a minimally detailed, black-and-white animal's face takes up one full page on recto, while the opposite page offers simple, rhyming clues to the animal idiom. When readers turn the page they are greeted with a full, detailed, full-color view of the animal. Although the facial features from the previous page are printed on its verso, the relationship between minimalist and full-color versions will be hazy at best to a board-book audience. The initial views purposely give little clue to the creature's identity, and given the audience's limited experience, the textual clues aren't much help either. "Quick and cheeky, / smart and sneaky. / I'm sly as a… / Fox." While the book succeeds in introducing new vocabulary, it does so in such a decontextualized way that toddlers are unlikely to be able to make use of it. Die-cut peek-through holes (an ox's nostrils; the joint of a clam's shell) provide some continuity but seem more gimmick than anything else. A misfire. (Board book. 1-3)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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. Agent: Jamie Weiss Chilton, Andrea Brown Literary. (Jan.)

School Library Journal (Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2018)

Toddler-PreS Urban explores animal-related idioms through a fun guessing game that pairs bouncy rhymes with close-ups of different faces. A whiskered, sharp-faced creature describes itself as "Quick and cheeky, smart and sneaky. I'm as sly as a." A page turn reveals the answer: a fox. Vibrant images fill each page, accompanied by large text. Strategically placed die-cut holes and flashy, fun details (a red bandana for the ox, a pair of sunglasses for the bat) add to the charm. Mahnaz Dar, School Library Journal