ANTONYMS, SYNONYMS, & HOMONYMS

The Rayevskys take a freewheeling approach to three of spoken language’s quirky little features, crowding each spread with small demonstrative figures and tucking in a pair of extraterrestrial observers disguised in baggy street dress. Each of the three sections begins with a brief definition, then offers increasing numbers of complementary pairs with hand-lettered labels or, occasionally, lists (“Argue, Fight, Squabble, Quarrel, Complain, Dispute, Bicker”). The sequencing sometimes dissolves into a visual jumble, so that on the busiest pages some pairs (“Idol” and “Idle” for instance) are so far apart they’re hard to match—still, the art’s messy informality has an inviting look, and the examples are a challenging mix of concrete and abstract terms. Good practice for fledgling readers. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-8)