cover image Opposites

Opposites

Xavier Deneux. Chronicle/Handprint, $14.99 (20p) ISBN 978-1-4521-1725-6

Deneux brings a pared-down aesthetic and a subtle tactile dimension to this stylish exploration of opposites. Glued-on cardboard pieces on the left-hand pages dovetail neatly with recessed shapes on the right. “High” is represented by a cat atop a ladder, while “Low” uses the ladder’s skinny rectangular shape to show a mole peering up from the bottom of a hole. A “Caged” lion weeps but becomes “Free” on the next page after the bars of his cage are lifted, while a “Heavy” (and cute) gray elephant echoes the shape of the “Light” cloud opposite. Fun for fingers, eyes, and minds. Available simultaneously: Colors. Ages 3–up. (Aug.)