Make Hay While the Sun Shines: A Book of Proverbs; Over the Moon: A Book of Sayings

The humour in these books derives from having some of the best known idioms and proverbs in the English language placed alongside black and white images which interpret them literally. When the images come from Hughes there is a guarantee that they will be characterised by an engaging attention to detail in the drawing and by a sense of mischief in the composition which never quite topples over into the malicious. See, for example, the hapless gentleman 'tied to his mother's apron strings' or the picture of DIY chaos which demonstrates that 'Jack of all trades is master of none'. The variety of levels on which such material operates ensures that these attractive publications will appeal to a range of age-groups, all of which can take Hughes's interpretations as starting points for their own imaginative forays. Who are those people 'looking for a needle in a haystack'? Who are the boy and girl gazing at the tawdry shop window display designed to remind them (and us) that 'All that glitters is not gold'?

Great fun - and endless opportunities for more of it!