Double Take! A New Look at Opposites

by Susan Hood, Jay Fleck (Illustrator)

Overview

When it comes to opposites, it’s all a matter of perspective! Lively text and fun retro art engage kids in the finer points of a favorite concept.

Do you know opposites, yes or no? On. Off. Asleep. Awake. Opposites are a piece of cake . . . right? Not so fast! Time for a quick double take. Who knows what’s BIG unless there is SMALL? Does SHORT mean a thing except next to TALL? What is ABOVE and what is BELOW? The answer depends on who wants to know! Writer Susan Hood and illustrator Jay Fleck lead us on a topsy-turvy fun-house journey into the concept of opposites and takes it to the next level — with detours into relative terms and points of view (and a dollop of yin and yang for good measure).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763672911
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	06/13/2017
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,142,631
Product dimensions:	8.60(w) x 10.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Susan Hood is the author of more than two hundred children’s books, including Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport; Leaps and Bounce and Rooting for You, both illustrated by Matthew Cordell; and Spike, the Mixed-up Monster, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. She has worked as the children’s content director of Nick Jr. magazine and as an editor at Instructor magazine, Scholastic, and Sesame Workshop. Susan Hood lives with her family in coastal Connecticut.

Jay Fleck’s artwork has been featured everywhere from the Gap to the front page of Society6.com. Double Take is his picture-book debut. Jay Fleck lives with his family south of Chicago.

Editorial Reviews

…a stimulating book.

The New York Times Book Review - Jon Agee

Hood’s rhyming prose gradually builds to a scene of a wild roller coaster ride, where she asks the reader to ‘do a quick double take.’ Fleck’s picture shows the cat tied to a helium balloon, but the cat is above and the balloon is below — a clue that proves that the right-side-up book is now upside down. It’s a satisfying highlight to a stimulating book.
—The New York Times Book Review

Readers are encouraged not to take things at first glance: an abstract composition of colored circles turns into a huge painting of a butterfly when viewed from a distance...Ideal for the thoughtful, deliberative child.
—Kirkus Reviews

The brief rhyming text sets a playful tone, which is heightened by the cartoon-style digital illustrations...the simplicity and humorous touches make this engaging, useful, and fun—a winning combination.
—Booklist Online

Through rhyming text, this unassuming picture book clearly conveys the concept of perspective (“where you are can affect what you see”) and advises readers to “consider all sides”: a powerful and timely message. The classic sans serif black font injects some fun into the retro-style digital illustrations. Charming details make this book a pleasure to revisit.
—School Library Journal

It’s a thought-provoking book that will prompt questions for child readers about perspective and point of view.
—Kirkus Reviews (blog)

From the Publisher

06/01/2017
PreS-Gr 2—A clever young boy, his small black cat, and a gentle blue elephant set off on an adventure to explore opposites in this wonderful concept book with a twist. The trio begin with some basic pairs, such as "yes and no" and "asleep and awake," but then explain that "not every duo is so black and white." Readers are presented with opposites that may seem simple but whose meanings can change depending on the situation. We see how relative words such as near and far and big and small can be, and the team suggest that "who's strong and who's weak is hardly perplexing. But strong can look weak when a new champ is flexing." Through rhyming text, this unassuming picture book clearly conveys the concept of perspective ("where you are can affect what you see") and advises readers to "consider all sides": a powerful and timely message. The classic sans serif black font injects some fun into the retro-style digital illustrations. VERDICT Charming details make this book a pleasure to revisit. Highly recommended for school and classroom libraries.—Whitney LeBlanc, KIPP New Orleans Schools, LA

School Library Journal

2017-03-20
A white child, a black cat, and a friendly blue elephant give a fresh new twist to the concept of opposites. Humorous vignettes in a flat, limited color palette show the elephant "IN" the cart and falling "OUT!" of the cart; "ASLEEP" in the hammock, then suddenly "AWAKE!" when a balloon bursts; sitting with boy and cat during the color-saturated day, and, in a mirror image, their black-and-white silhouette at night. Type placement and illustrations are carefully coordinated to demonstrate relative points of view: a plane in the sky can appear to be below a car on a hill; the hare is only "FAST" in comparison with the tortoise, which is "S L O W ." The elephant appears to be the strongest in the picture—until readers realize it is standing on an enormous whale. Readers are encouraged not to take things at first glance: an abstract composition of colored circles turns into a huge painting of a butterfly when viewed from a distance. "What is ABOVE / and what is BELOW?"—it all depends on one's perspective. "Turn things around! Give them a twist. / FIND a new view / that you might have MISSED!" The elephant and the child in a boat turn to face the land and see a beautiful urban landscape lit by the setting sun. Ideal for the thoughtful, deliberative child. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews