Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews

My book of Opposites

My book of Opposites

Illustrator:  Britta Teckentrup 
Board Book
For infants to age 3
Tiger Tales, 2013   ISBN: 978-1589255869

Many children love learning their opposites. Figuring out which pairs of words go together becomes a puzzle that they have to figure out, a challenge that they want to be able to complete.

   In this board book wonderful animal characters help children learn ten pairs of opposites. The only words that appear on the pages are the names of the opposites that we are learning about. For example, on one spread we see a picture of a purple jeep. The interior of the jeep is stuffed with cats of all colors. The word “In” is written on the outside of the jeep. In front the truck there is a lion, and all around the lion the word “Out” is written in very large, bold letters. Thus we understand that the cats are “In” and the lion is “Out.”

   On another page we learn about the words and concepts “High” and “Low.” The word “High” fills the page and at the very top, resting on the letter H, is a cat. Not surprisingly the cat is stuck and so some penguin firemen have come to rescue it. A very long ladder from the penguin fire truck reaches all the way up to where the cat lies, and one of the brave penguin firemen is trying to get the cat to join him in the ladder’s bucket. At the very bottom of the page, where the last H in the word “High” rests on the ground, there is another little penguin. Next to it, written in small letters, is the word “Low.”

   Full of wonderful illustrations and clever comparisons, this book is sure to be a favorite with young children.