OPPOSITE THINGS

Little Mouse introduces little ones to various opposites in this lift-the-flap offering.

On the left-hand page, the cartoon mouse sets up the scene with a simple query and image: “What time is it, Little Mouse?” On the recto, the blocky text, accompanied by an image of the sun shining on the outside of the flap, reads: “It is daytime. The opposite of daytime is….” Inside the flap, with a star-spangled dark-blue night sky, is the answer: “night-time!” This pattern repeats for a total of eight opposite pairs, such as small and big, up and down, happy and sad, etc. The companion title, Counting Things, utilizes the same russet mouse for an enumeration of various items (tigers, chickens, cars, and such) up to 10. Oddly, the words for each number are written out rather than showing the more recognizable numerals. The opening of the flap cleverly adds one more to the objects being counted. Kövecses’ graphically appealing art uses stripped-down shapes in muted blocks of color to construct toddler-friendly images. The flaps are relatively sturdy with nicely rounded corners.

Appealingly playful.