Opposites

by Dieter Schubert

Overview

From the first moment of seeing the terrier in The Umbrella, it was clear that the Schuberts have a knack for capturing expressive animals.  In Opposites, the Schuberts have a blast as they present contrasts far beyond big and small. Best of all, the Schuberts let their imaginations fly as high as a crocodile--or perhaps flying crocodiles only happen in Schubert books? A multitude of details will ensure requests for repeat readings. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781935954262
Publisher:	Lemniscaat USA
Publication date:	04/01/2013
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.90(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Ingrid (1953) and Dieter (1947) Schubert were born in Germany. After the Academy of Design in Münster and the Academy of Art in Düsseldorf, they went to the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. Their books for children are available in 21 languages and their work has been exhibited all over the world.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

About The Umbrella". . . a marvelous treat for the senses; masterful drafting and splendid color make every spread worth lingering over."—Publishers Weekly
" The paintings excel at showing the different landscapes and depicting movement. What a great journey!"—School Library Journal
A USBBY Outstanding International Book for Young People

Editorial Reviews

The team behind The Umbrella (2011) explores antonyms in busy scenes featuring a large cast of lively and personable animals. The only text that appears is the contrasting words: “Up” and “Down,” “Big” and “Small,” etc. In a spread divided by cold and hot, a turtle slides down an igloo on its shell, raccoons have a snowball fight, and pigs and alligators huddle to keep warm. The animals on the opposing page, meanwhile, perspire under a blazing sun in view of a spitting volcano. Mischief abounds, and children will enjoy seeing the animals’ mini-dramas, love stories, and adventures unfold. Ages 4–up. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

About The Umbrella
". . . a marvelous treat for the senses; masterful drafting and splendid color make every spread worth lingering over."--Publishers Weekly

" The paintings excel at showing the different landscapes and depicting movement. What a great journey!"--School Library Journal

A USBBY Outstanding International Book for Young People

From the Publisher

A wide assortment of active naturalistic animals cavorts across the double pages. The only text is a set of opposite words on opposing sides of the pages. Close examination is needed to see the many examples of these opposites that appear in the deftly drawn color illustrations. There’s fun for all in the pairings: the animals shiver in the falling snow on one side while they swelter under a hot sun on the other for “Cold/Hot;” a pig steps across alligators in a stream to bring a flower to another pig while across the page an elephant stands on one foot on a tree trunk frightened by a mouse in “Brave/Scared.” Other pairings include “Big/Small,” “Wet/Dry,” “Naughty/Nice,” and “Normal/Crazy.” The naturalistic animals and settings make the behaviors even more amusing. All the characters reappear on the end pages. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz AGERANGE: Ages 4 to 7.

Children's Literature - Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Disparate beasts frolic in a variety of landscapes, all to demonstrate myriad combinations of opposite pairs. A dozen two-page spreads illustrate simple antonyms: big and small, hide and seek, naughty and nice, and more. The pictures are full of mischief. In treating wet and dry, for example, the left-hand, "Wet" page features various animals coping with a rainstorm. One raccoon finds shelter under a giraffe, while another frolics on the riverbank. A small frog high-steps with a big umbrella, and a squirrel and mole huddle under large green leaves. On the "Dry," right-hand page, a panda suns on a beach towel, a family of ducks swim in a pond with a frog lazing on the mother's back, a rhino dozes under a tree, etc. "Up" and "Down" includes a seesaw, a tall tree and tall, broad rocks with a tightrope stretching from one to another. Oh, yes, and an elephant's trunk poking up like a periscope from a hole. Compositionally, these spreads are not for beginners; although the gutter clearly defines the division between opposites, the illustrations typically depict one landscape, and the many animals scattered across them require fairly sophisticated eyes. Good fun for older preschoolers and early-elementary children eager to flex their conceptual muscles. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews