I THINK WE'RE UPSIDE DOWN!

Cutler proves he’s an absolute picture-book baller in this playful title.

The first few pages establish the title’s premise, as an anthropomorphic raccoon and rabbit appear to be suspended by their feet from the top of the page, with a directional sign standing upright at the bottom of the page. After the pair open a box at their feet, the basketball within falls and bounces over to the sign. Next, they drop a banana peel that lands on the ground, too. The characters then deduce what readers will have realized all along. “I THINK WE’RE UPSIDE DOWN!” they declare on the title page, their joint exclamation cleverly doubling as display type for the title. The rabbit soon bravely decides to descend to the bottom of the page, turning upright to stand by the sign. The raccoon, though eager to do the same, remains suspended, batlike, from the top. “‘Could you please give us a hand?’” the rabbit asks, breaking the fourth wall to speak directly to readers, who are then prompted to “turn the book UPSIDE DOWN” at the page turn. Text and art on ensuing pages prompt continual book manipulation to view illustrations right-side up while holding the physical book at varying positions, culminating with a slam-dunk of a visual punchline. Cutler relies on a subdued palette with plenty of white space and color-coded speech bubbles, making for an efficient, clever reading experience.

Picture-book metafiction for the win!