Anyone who’s tried to explain to a preschooler what it means to be happy as a clam or snug as a bug in a rug will appreciate the wit and clarity of There’s a Frog in My Throat, by Pat Street ’62 and Loreen Leedy (Holiday House, 47 pages, $16.95, ). In this hilariously illustrated dictionary Leedy and Street define 440 (mostly) common English sayings about animals—pigs in pokes, eager beavers, Queen bees, social butterflies, and the like. Some of the expressions are clearly aimed at adults (“Big hat, no cattle,” and “Does a chicken have lips?” come to mind) but the definitions are clear enough to please the most demanding children. The mix of wordplay and whimsical illustration will delight kids and grown-ups alike. And for those of us whose heads are full of cobwebs, there’s an index. —Charlotte Bruce Harvey