OPPOSITES WITH OWL AND BIRD

Owl and Bird return in a well-designed and whimsical look at a complex concept.

With the help of some buddies, Owl and Bird demonstrate the meanings of 14 opposing words. Each page is divided into two similarly tinted halves, with a word and its opposite receiving equal treatment. Most of the predictable pairs (wet/dry, up/down) are easily illustrated with changes in Bird’s position. Less-concrete ideas require abstract reasoning based on details provided in the uncluttered illustrations. For example, to show the meaning of fast/slow, Owl zooms in from the left on pink roller skates while Bird sedately rides atop a tortoise. The bemused-looking Owl is featured on every spread, often appearing in multiple illustrations. To demonstrate up/down, Owl balances on the fulcrum of a teeter-totter while a jay perches on the upper handhold and Bird on the lower. The only text is the concept word printed in a large, clean black type at the top of each panel, directly above the illustration used to define that word. With repeated shared readings children will begin to recognize these words. Older preschoolers may find they are actually reading them. And yes, for fans of the duo’s previous outing, Hey Owl, What’s in the Box? (2020), there are donuts—one for less and four for more.

Sweet! A clear and charming introduction to a standard preschool curriculum concept.