Published by Candlewick Studio

Summary:  A boy, a black cat, and a blue elephant explore the concept of opposites with rhyming text.  At first it seems easy.  Yes, no, stop, go, in, out, asleep, awake.  But then a new idea is introduced.  There can’t be a big unless there is a small.  Who knows what’s fast if there’s no slow?  And there’s relativity: “Who’s strong and who’s weak is hardly perplexing/But strong can look weak when a new champ is flexing.”  Ahead and behind are different for each person in a line.  Point of view can be everything, and readers are encouraged to look closely to recognize their own perspective in a situation.  32 pages; grades K-4.

Pros:  Kids will be flexing their critical thinking muscles in this intriguing look at opposites and how they’re not always concrete.  The somewhat retro-looking illustrations and font are fun; readers will enjoy watching what the cat and elephant do on each page.

Cons:  Some of the more abstract concepts may be difficult for younger readers to grasp.