Interesting cat sayings from around the world with cute illustrations. This would be very giftable to any cat lover.

I enjoyed reading Cat Got Your Tongue? Curious Cat Phrases from Around the World by New York Times bestselling author Hannah Shaw, which features illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist Sophie Lucido Johnson.

60 Cat related proverbs and idioms from around the world are presented in their native language along with a translation of the phrase in english, a simple explanation of their use and meaning, and an interesting illustration by Johnson.

This cute little book could be a great gift for a cat-lover you know!

Publication Date July 1, 2025
Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press

Humor & Satire

#Catgotyourtongue #netgalley

Such a cute and interesting book!

Perfect for people who like to know fun facts to share with others (and those who love cats too, of course)

From the creator of Cats of the World comes a new multi-cultural cat-splosion.

This book of idioms and proverbs would be loved by anyone who loves cats, languages, and learning. Hannah Shaw includes the phrases from various countries, the origin country, and the language it is originally in. It was fascinating to find out that some of the phrases we see used in the U.S. have similar counterparts in different cultures.

I don’t know why I didn’t recognize the name of the author; I’ve been following Hannah Shaw on social media as the Kitten Lady for several years now. She and her husband have such big hearts and supreme love for all things meow. As it goes, any of her work is worth the support and worth the read.

#ThxNetGalley #HannahShaw #CatGotYourTongue

This was adorable! I've been a fan of Hannah Shaw's for a while now through Instagram, so I was so excited to get a chance to read this early. It's a quick read, but so much fun. The illustrations were adorable, and I might have to adopt some of these sayings from around the world. What I liked about this book is that the sayings weren't just translated into English, but also into their original language as well. This is, without a doubt, the perfect for cat lovers and a fun coffee table book. It would definitely start conversations, and one I'll need to add to my collections of fun cat books when it hits shelves in July!

"Who life the cat's tail if not the cat itself?" meaning to toot your own horn. well, I'll tell you that Hannah Shaw should be applying this phrase to herself!

This book is so cute. A short book about idioms and phrases surrounding cats and I adored it! I've always loved language and the ways we express ourselves (and cats, of course), so this book was right up my alley. I didn't realize there were SO many idioms and phrases surrounding cats. I got to connect with other cultures by getting an insight into the phrases they say. I can't wait to put them to use!

The illustrations??? So cute! The colors give a cozy feel and the art feels so whimsical and fun.

I would absolutely recommend this book to others and will be purchasing a copy when it comes out! I'll be talking about this book for weeks, trying to find fun ways to implement them in conversation so I can explain this newfound knowledge. I genuinely wish this was a series. I could breeze through a series of books on idioms like this, maybe surrounding other animals!

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is a very enjoyable and fun book on the various phrases around the world where cats play an important role. We all know that there are lots of expressions in English that revolve around cats, including the title of the book. But who knew there were so many from all sorts of different cultures and languages.

With adorable pictures to highlight the various expressions, cat lovers will enjoy this easy to read book.

Five purrs and two paws up.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. The opinions written are completely honest and my own.

I loved this book. The illustrations and sayings meshed nicely. Perfect for every cat lover.

This is a super cute book! I love the illustrations the best.
To me, it’s more of a gift book, than a book that teaches the reader (like there’s not much information regarding linguistics) but I think those with an interest in linguistics will find all the cat phrases fascinating.

Thank you for allowing me to read a copy on NetGalley!

This was such a cute book with cat phrases from other parts of the world. The art work was absolutely stunning and fun to look at. I will hopefully remember a few of these phrases to use at work!

One of my favorite phrases and art works in the book would be "Cat's Tongue." All of the cats slurping ramen was adorable. The term means a person who can't handle hot food or drinks.

Some other phrases I enjoyed are:

"May you turn into a blintz and be snatched by a cat"
"It's not always pancake week for the cat"
"I care like a cat cares that it's Wednesday"

Thank you to Netgalley, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, and Hannah Shaw for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

Pretty cute and informative Book about idioms with or about cats.
This would be a pretty good choice for any bookshop with a "Gift book" shelf!
Totally loved it

Oh, this is delightful! So many fun phrases from languages around the world, accompanied by humorous illustrations of cats. I'm thinking of all the people I know who might enjoy this as a gift, or as a conversation piece. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

What a clever idea this book is. Instead of collecting spoons or postcards to collect words and phrases about cats.

I particularly liked that most of the entries were likened to a more well-known (to me) English idiom.

The art style was ok, but wasn't really to my taste.

If you love cats or language or both, this is a must buy for children and adults! Hannah Shaw (AKA the Kitten Lady) traveled around the globe checking how cats were treated or cared for in different countries and cultures. While there, she would ask what colloquial expressions reference cats. And that's basis for this absolutely delightful illustrated book! Ranging from the Greek expression of a CAT WITH HORSESHOES "(meaning: A sharp, clever, quick-witted person)" to the Dutch TIE THE CAT TO THE BACON that's translates to "forbid something extremely tempting." And whenever possible, she has an English phrase with a similar meaning. Each phrase is highlighted on a spread with colorful and whimsical pictures. Just delightful!

As a cat lover and idiom connoisseur, this book was fun, silly (at times) and I loved the illustrations! I have new phrases for days!

Cat got your tongue? is a great book that contains cat idioms and phrases from around the world. The illustrations are fantastic. I find myself smiling while reading this book. I am positive you will read the book the book a couple of time just so you can absorb some of the great
Cat phrases.

Thanks NetGallery for sending me an ARC.

Cat got your tongue is a marvellous book that contains an impressive compliation of cat idioms and phrases from all over the world. Reading this book made me so happy and I can totally see the love and affection that the author has for the feline cuties. The idioms are accompanied by vivid illustrations which is absolutely interesting. One thing is guaranteed - you will be coming back to this book for a re-read just so you can remember and time your response with a brilliant cat saying.

I'd highly recommend this book to all the cat enthusiasts because we need cat idioms and phrases to express ourselves better.

I've found my new email sign off: "May you turn into a blintz and be snatched by a cat."

Cat Got Your Tongue? is a delightful book authored by Hannah Shaw (aka the Kitten Lady) and charmingly illustrated by Sophie Lucido Johnson. I absolutely loved reading this. Grab your favorite cat(s) and get ready to add a wealth of cat-related idioms and proverbs to your repertoire.

This was such a cute book. I loved reading about all the different idioms with the word cat in it around the world. It also made me realize there are actually so many idioms in Dutch/Flemish that contain the word cat (not all mentioned in the book though, but I didn’t expect that as including ALL cat idioms around the world would make the book waaaay longer). This was really enjoyable to read!

Thank you for the ARC! As someone who is both obsessed with language and cats, I LOVE this book! The illustrations make flipping through the pages so fun, and I really enjoyed learning these different phrases.