Gathered here are gems galore, which, while revealing much as to the Chinese national psyche, highlight particular traits and characteristics that span the globe. We all know Chairman Mau's infamous 'It doesn't matter what colour the cat, as long as it catches mice', but most of us would only recognize an approximate English equivalent of 'A mighty dragon cannot crush a local snake' or, 'A Phoenix might come out of a crow's nest'. The beasts and birds of legend and folklore provide the inimitable Kathryn Lamb's pen with a feast of hilarious subjects, not least a certain revolution at one ill-fated dinner party...

Inspired by the success of The Son of a Duck is a Floater, Apricots Tomorrow and Unload your own Donkey, this gathering of Italian proverbs is intended to bring to its readers a smile of recognition from the discovery of a pooled aphoristic wit. Each proverb is given a literal translation and an English equivalent. These are sometimes identical, perhaps because of their Biblical or Latin origin, sometimes they are bizarrely askance as the title illustrates. Illustrated by Kathryn Lamb throughout.