Skin Like Milk, Hair of Silk: What Are Similes and Metaphors? (Words Are Categorical)

by Brian P. Cleary illustrated by Brian Gable

Are you as clever as a fox? Or perhaps you’re as sharp as any spike? If so, this book will be a piece of cake! Clever rhymes from Brian P. Cleary and humorous illustrations from Brian Gable present similes and metaphors. When it comes to grammar, this team is not as slow as thick molasses. Oh no, they’re as bright as polished pennies! Each simile and metaphor is printed in color for easy identification in this gem of a book. Read it aloud and share in the delight of the sense—and nonsense—of words.

Ages 7-11

Reinforced binding

For Jimmy —B.P.C.

Simile: ween on bet hat s i r a p m o c a things t e k i l n u o tw as r o e k i l s e s u Metaphosrc:ribing e a way ofbdy calling it somethingthing else some

by Brian P. Cleary illustrations by Brian Gable J Millbrook Press / Minneapolis

t a h t

A 4

ar e p h r as s e l i es Si m

two u nl ike t e r a p h in com

, n h i er s

ha

i r i s so

gs .

is l k. s a ft

r s e e t a h c a e t . s r O l ike ki ng

Just like these,

all similes contain an as or like .

6

r e e ’ s h j u st o n d n A e

e xampl e :

Sh e’s as sharp as any spike!

7

Sm

o ot h

,

a s jaz z

8

i l k, m e k i l n i k s r o s an s a e s. d e d ch r e e ks a s

Si

l i m

a r p e th i n g m o c s e s

,

like, “My

dad’s as old as Moses.” 9

Similes can help you say

that someone in your class is

as b r ig

ht

10

as

p ol i sh

s e i e d p e nn

or a

ss low

as

ick

th

s ola m se s

11

.

l i u n f p l d e e s h c e r i bi ng r ’ y e h T a n , s d g eve n pl a c n i h t , e l es, peop

like,

12

fresh as folded laundry

or

l l a

ja

g g

l ik , d e

e

m

b y r

ac

e s.

13

y o u p l e p a h int a p y e h T i c tu r e n a s c e e u o i n y s id e y o ur bra in—

14

like, he’s

clever as a fox,

or h

e r t e a r s r an

i a r l i ke

. n 15

Once you learn about them, n c h a ng e a c y e h t y o u r w r iti n g h a b it s .

16

You’ll write one, two,

and then a few—

t

r ab bit s

!

y e h

’ ll

y l p i l ik e t l u m

17

Metaphors are similar

to si m i l e s, b ut y et ,

18

they DON’T use like or as

wh e

n

e r ’ c omp y e h t a

r in

g— do

n’ t f e t ! or g 19

Metaphors

will often use an “is” or “has” or “are.”

un

r e my s a u

yo

As in,

sh ine .

Or t h

is sin

ge r i s a s t a r !

21

He’s so sour. o s w ee s s ’ e t Sh

.

22

m s i H e m o r y is fogg y.

All of these are

metaphors,

just like,

his voice is froggy.

23

u o t l l o i r b h c e c o ol n e v

E

ah 24

e at e d

c onv e r s

,

. n a t io

An

i cy g l a r e ,

a very warm

a frozen stare ,

ovation .

25

At times, a sense of touch

is at the root of such a phrase:

a

oi c e , v t e v l e v

a

r s y p p l o t k en f o s e

. e s ai

s

om

coarse reply ,

27

So write!

Ge

tb

u sy a s a bee!

Yo u k r o r w

s l i s i m d metapho

e

wi

e t r o bloss u s om is

th

r s— an no doubt it will be awesome! 29

So what are similes? What are metaphors?

30

Do you know?

About the Author & Illustrator BRIAN P. CLEARY is the author of the best-selling Words Are Categorical® series, the Math Is Categorical® series, the Adventures in Memory™ series, and the Sounds Like Reading™ series. He is also the author of The Laugh Stand: Adventures in Humor, Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book, and two poetry books. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio. BRIAN GABLE is the illustrator of several Words Are Categorical® books, as well as the Math Is Categorical® series. Mr. Gable also works as a political cartoonist for the Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto, Canada, where he lives with his children. Text copyright © 2009 by Brian P. Cleary Illustrations copyright © 2009 by Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review. Millbrook Press A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc. 241 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 U.S.A. Website address: www.lernerbooks.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cleary, Brian P., 1959–  Skin like milk, hair of silk : what are similes and metaphors? / by Brian P. Cleary ; illustrated by Brian Gable. p. cm. — (Words are CATegorical) ISBN: 978–0–8225–9151–1 (lib. bdg. : alk. paper)  1. Simile—Juvenile literature. 2. Metaphor—Juvenile literature. 3. Figures of speech—Juvenile literature. I. Gable, Brian, 1949– ill. II. Title. PE1445.F5.C54 2009 808—dc22 2008049643 Manufactured in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 – JR – 14 13 12 11 10 09

eISBN: 978-0-7613-5742-1

Brian P. Cleary is the author of

the Words Are CATegorical®, Math Is CATegorical®, Adventures in Memory™, and Sounds Like Reading™ series. He has also written The Laugh Stand: Adventures in Humor, Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book, and two poetry books. Mr. Cleary lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

Brian Gable is the illustrator of several

Words Are CATegorical® books, as well as the Math Is CATegorical® series. Mr. Gable also works as a political cartoonist for the Globe and Mail newspaper in Toronto, Canada, where he lives with his children.

Jacket illustrations by Brian Gable

A

j Millbrook Press DIVISION OF

LERNER PUBLISHING GROUP

241 First Avenue North • Minneapolis, MN 55401 www.lernerbooks.com Printed and bound in U.S.A.

WDearly, ords Are CATegorical ® books Nearly, Insincerely: What Is an Adverb?

Hairy, Scary, Ordinary: What Is an Adjective? How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear?: What Are Homonyms and Homophones? I and You and Don’t Forget Who: What Is a Pronoun? Lazily, Crazily, Just a Bit Nasally: More about Adverbs A Lime, a Mime, a Pool of Slime: More about Nouns A Mink, a Fink, a Skating Rink: What Is a Noun? Pitch and Throw, Grasp and Know: What Is a Synonym? Quirky, Jerky, Extra Perky: More about Adjectives Skin Like Milk, Hair of Silk: What Are Similes and Metaphors? Slide and Slurp, Scratch and Burp: More about Verbs Stop and Go, Yes and No: What Is an Antonym? Straight and Curvy, Meek and Nervy: More about Antonyms Stroll and Walk, Babble and Talk: More about Synonyms To Root, to Toot, to Parachute: What Is a Verb? Under, Over, By the Clover: What Is a Preposition?

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