STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH... AND OTHER ANIMAL EXPRESSIONS Teri Degler Illustrated by Tina Holdcroft. Saskatoon, Western Producer Prairie Books, 1989. 109pp, paper, $9.95 ISBN 0-88833-289-0. CIP Grades 7 and up/Ages 12 and up Reviewed by Lynne McAvoy. Volume 17 Number 5 1989 September It looks like I'll have to let the cat out of the bag-this book is a delightful collection of etymological snippets combined with just enough animal folklore to hold the reader's interest and provide a theme for the book. The author takes such everyday ex­pressions as the one used above and places them in the context in which they were originally used. If more than one theory on the origin of an expres­sion exists, Degler provides each varia­tion and points out which interpretation is the most likely. The book is arranged, more or less, by type of animal. Each expression appears in boldface type with its matching description below it. The descriptions are clearly and concisely written and the type makes it easy to read. The illustrator of the book, Tina Holdcroft, was able to capture the spirit of fun that the author was obviously in­terested in creating with this book. Her illustrations are a good complement to he book's contents. Straight from the Horse's Mouth will appeal to a large audience. It would be most appropriate in a public library, but it could certainly fit into a school library based on its etymological content. It is the type of book that, in my opinion, would encourage young people to read more non-fiction. It is entertaining and informative. Lynne McAvoy, Ottawa, Ont.