Contrary Creatures: Unique Animal Opposites

by James Weinberg

Overview

This vibrantly illustrated nonfiction picture book goes beyond expected animal opposite pairings by comparing and contrasting behaviors like migration habits (or lack thereof) and sleeping schedules.

Featuring snow monkeys, sea dragons, peacocks, and more, this is an eye-catching and thought-provoking concept book. It will appeal to nature-loving readers, making them think about opposites in new ways.

“Some animals live only in stories and legends, while others are real but seem make-believe.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781624145803
Publisher:	Page Street Publishing
Publication date:	10/16/2018
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	647,371
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

James Weinberg is an illustrator and designer creating everything from murals to silkscreened posters to this, his debut picture book. He fills some of his spare time by riding his bike around Somerville, MA, where he lives.

Editorial Reviews

"A simple introduction and a solid addition to elementary-age collections." - Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2018-07-24

Graphic artist Weinberg's debut picture book introduces readers to different animal traits.

"Look closely!" On the verso, a green chameleon and a leaflike katydid blend in with the surrounding leafy trees: "Some animals blend into the background"; on the recto, a peacock stands with tail fully spread against a white background: "while others want to be seen by all." In this book's simple text and eye-catching illustrations, young readers can compare and contrast different animals and their traits: a small ladybug and an enormous blue whale, water-bathing Japanese macaques and mud-bathing hippos. The text is occasionally playful ("Some animals eat plants. / And some plants eat animals!") and even surprising. "Some animals exist only in stories and legends" (a winged unicorn and jackalope, among other mythical creatures), "while others are real / but seem make believe" (a leafy sea dragon and a pangolin). Ben-Day-style digital illustrations portray many of the animals with a posed quality that occasionally veers into a flat affect, but the bright colors are engaging, and the images work effectively in tandem with the text. The final spread, featuring a beige-skinned child asleep in a room full of animal artifacts, asks the question "Which animal do you like best?" and invites readers to flip back to favorite spreads or move forward to the backmatter, which offers further facts about the animals portrayed.

A simple introduction and a solid addition to elementary-age collections. (Informational picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews

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