cover image The Hueys: What’s the Opposite

The Hueys: What’s the Opposite

Oliver Jeffers. Philomel, $17.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-399-25770-4

As he did in 2014’s None the Number, Jeffers uses his bean-shaped Hueys for more concretely instructive aims in this playful exploration of basic opposites including up/down, big/small, and happy/sad. Ample visual humor brings entertainment value to the learning—sawing down a tree is one way to get a stuck cat from “high” to “low,” and three pages follow the shifting fortunes of an “unlucky” Huey stranded on a hot desert island; an oscillating fan washes up, a “lucky” break, until the Huey notices the lack of electrical outlets. A board book edition is available simultaneously, befitting the concept-driven nature of this story. Ages 3–5. [em]Agent: Paul Moreton, Bell, Lomax, Moreton Agency. (Jan.) [/em]