Black? White! Day? Night! - A Book of Opposites (Ala Notable Children's Books (Awards)) (Neal Porter Books)
Starred Review.PreSchool-Grade 3–Clever compositions, a question/answer format, and sturdy die-cuts distinguish this title from many other concept books. Seeger employs flat, vibrant colors and bold contrasts between the framing page that lifts up and the design underneath. While some of the word pairs are familiar, the images are nevertheless surprising: a black bat turns out to be the upturned mouth of a white ghost. An ordinary sheep becomes extraordinary when discovered in a cloudy sky with flying pigs and a cow jumping over the moon. Blue diamonds that look very much alike are actually quite different when they are discovered inside unique snowflakes. Younger children will delight in the magical effect of the transformation, while those a little older will have fun anticipating and analyzing the process itself, propelled by the pattern in which each question yields the unexpected. The title's creative approach offers a variety of possible paths for connection. Books such as Lois Ehlert'sColor Zoo(HarperCollins, 1989) or N. N. Charles'sWhat Am I?: Looking through Shapes at Apples and Grapes(Scholastic, 1994) would extend the visual gymnastics for preschoolers, while titles such as Roni Schotter'sThe Boy Who Loved Words(Random, 2006) would continue adding to a school-aged child's store of language. Opposites attract and expand in this playful celebration.–Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public LibraryCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.