Fast Cheetah, Slow Tortoise: Poems of Animal Opposites

by Bette Westera, Mies van Hout (Illustrator), David Colmer (Translator)

Overview

A whimsical portrait of animals—and antonyms—in action.

​How do you contrast creatures as different as cheetahs and tortoises, or as similar as butterflies and moths? In this lively book of poetry, antonym pairs introduce thirty-two members of the animal kingdom. Each spread presents the voices of two unique creatures: are you more like an obedient sheep or a rebellious goat? What about a tidy pig or a messy warthog? A bossy gorilla or a meek monkey? 

With bold, vibrant art and amusing free verse, this collection is a memorable way to explore vocabulary, opposites, and animal traits with young readers. Every flip of the page brings a new set of faces—and another chance to laugh.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802856357
Publisher:	Eerdmans, William B. Publishing Company
Publication date:	09/17/2024
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	11.38(w) x 8.88(h) x (d)
Lexile:	480L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Bette Westera is the author of the Mildred L. Batchelder Honor Book Later, When I’m Big (Eerdmans) and over fifty other books for children. She has also translated books by Dr. Seuss, Astrid Lindgren, and Julia Donaldson into the Dutch language. Bette lives in the Netherlands, where her books have received two Golden Pencil awards and six Silver Pencil honors. Visit her website at bettewestera.nl.

Mies van Hout is a Dutch illustrator and author whose work has been published in over twenty countries. Her books in English include Happy, From One to Ten, This Is My Daddy!, and What Cats Think (all Pajama Press). Mies lives in the Drenthe province of the Netherlands. Visit her website at miesvanhout.nl or follow her on Instagram @miesvanhout.

David Colmer is an Australian writer and translator of Dutch and Flemish literature. He has translated over eighty books throughout his career, including Little Fox (Levine Querido), I’ll Root for You, and A Pond Full of Ink (both Eerdmans). His translations have won several prestigious awards, such as the PEN Translation Prize and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize. David lives in Amsterdam.

Editorial Reviews

The Horn Book Magazine
"The combination of bold, dynamic art and lively first-person poems makes this a great choice to read aloud and dramatize with young readers or listeners."

Kirkus Reviews
"A lighthearted lesson in antonyms . . . breezy, colorful, and fun."

School Library Journal
"Rich vocabulary, unexpected animal qualities, and clever poetry make this book an engaging selection for young readers and their families. "

From the Publisher

07/01/2024

PreS-Gr 1—A clever picture book that connects children with a plethora of vocabulary detailing opposites found in nature. Each spread features two animals that contrast in a specific way, and the words describing these differences are highlighted in bold. Beneath these words are corresponding poems as spoken by the animals they reference. The poems themselves are delightful in their design, particularly because they do not rhyme, which is contrary to what is found most frequently in children's literature. Instead, the poems directly reflect the characteristics defined by the vocabulary words featured on each page. Translated from its original Dutch, this book adheres well to the original while being accessible to an English-speaking audience. However, the text is occasionally difficult to read against the background images due to the color choices used, but the book is otherwise enjoyable. On each spread, the featured animals are shown in relation to one another and are depicted using illustration methods that are true to van Hout's iconic style. These visuals allow children to better understand the creatures in this book, especially any animals with which they may be less familiar. Rich vocabulary, unexpected animal qualities, and clever poetry make this book an engaging selection for young readers and their families. VERDICT A unique book of opposites for children who enjoy learning about animals and being exposed to unfamiliar words.—Mary Lanni

School Library Journal

2024-07-04
In this Dutch import, Westera, author of the Batchelder Honor bookLater, When I’m Big (2023), offers a lighthearted lesson in antonyms.

Sixteen pairs of animal opposites are portrayed in poems titled according to their primary characteristics. Like the titular duo, some pairs intrinsically embody their traits: A butterfly’s “Dazzling” appearance diverges from a moth's “Plain” coloration, which also augments its ability to camouflage itself. A “Patient” spider awaiting prey in its web contrasts with a “Restless” blowfly as it debates where to land. A snake of unspecified species garners a “Dangerous” designation, while a facing earthworm, similarly sized in the accompanying illustration, is “Harmless.” “No need to be afraid of me. / I wouldn’t hurt a fly. / I don’t eat bugs / or caterpillars. / Just autumn leaves.” A preening turkey is “Fancy” while a self-effacing chicken is “Everyday.” Often, the contravening traits are anthropomorphized: The nonmigratory house sparrow is “Contented,” while the swallow’s migratory behavior earns it an “Adventurous” label. Westera even bucks convention by assigning a pig the quality of “Tidy,” reserving “Messy” for the warthog. The short, free-verse poems rely on first-person, matter-of-fact personification, dabbling in qualities such as braggadocio and self-effacement. Van Hout’s cheerful illustrations (reminiscent of Douglas Florian’s) alternate full-bleed double spreads with separately composed facing pictures, one with a colored background and the other set against white space. Her palette emphasizes butternut-gold and blue-green hues. A well-designed layout presents the facing poems with respective left- and right-justified margins.

Breezy, colorful, and fun.(Picture book/poetry. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews