Review by Booklist Review
Dog versus cat. It's the definition of opposites, and the stars of this humorous depiction are seriously at odds about everything. A contented gray cat cuddling a red ball of yarn is blissfully asleep in his blue chair when an obstreperous, smiling yellow dog barks him awake. Opposite-themed confrontations continue as the dog jumps over the chair, while the cat hides under it. Dog slobbers and licks Cat's face (wet), while Cat miserably rubs off the dribble with the window curtain (dry). From hide to seek, stop to go, and inside to outside, the basically one-sided game continues, as the friendly dog seeks some interactive play. A laugh-out-loud picture shows the silly dog wearing a lampshade and one polka-dotted slipper, while the serious cat frowns with ferocity. Along with generous white space, india ink, felt-tip pens, and watercolor make up the cartoonlike illustrations. Geisel Honor Book creator Twohy offers up clear, bold text, using only the single opposing words to help emerging readers increase their skills as they follow the characters' hilarious reactions.--Lolly Gepson Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-In this lighthearted offering, Geisel Honor winner Twohy uses a dog and cat to demonstrate opposites. There is a single word of text on most pages. Expressive and humorous cartoon illustrations clearly provide context on what each word means. For example, with the word wet, the illustration shows the dog giving the cat a sloppy kiss. For the word dry, the illustrations show the cat drying itself off with the curtain. The art lends itself to discussion because of its silliness. The dog is happy and goofy and the cat is definitely serious. Drawings are mainly in yellow, green, blue, and gray, making it a very clean presentation. This would work well in a preschool storytime. VERDICT This is a useful and fun title for teaching opposites. It can be used in a group setting and will also appeal to families.-Robin Sofge, Prince William Public Library System, VA © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
The playful and energetic yellow dog from Twohys Geisel Honorwinning, alphabet-themed picture book Oops, Pounce, Quick, Run! (rev. 1/16) is back to create some more mayhem in this concept book demonstrating opposites. The story opens with a double-page spread of a gray housecat curled up peacefully on a chair; the only text on the spread reads, Asleep. A page-turn quickly disrupts this quiet moment as the rowdy dog bursts through an open window, and the text now reads, Awake--and its placed jaggedly on the page, as startled-looking as the cat it describes. A steady rhythm of straightforward opposites pairings follows, as the cat does everything in its power to shake off the persistent dog, returning its Smile with a Frown, for instance, and reacting to the dogs Silly trying-to-be-entertaining antics with a Serious expression. Twohys cartoony ink, felt-tipped pen, and watercolor illustrations directly reinforce the text and are surrounded by ample white space. Additionally, the thoughtful placement of the books twenty-eight words supports meaning, such as High and Low being positioned at the top and bottom of their respective pages. As such, this silly picture book also functions as a seriously useful beginning reader. patrick gall (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A clever use of reverse vocabulary tells a story of the cohabitation and uneasy friendship of Dog and Cat.Cat is comfortably "Asleep" on top of a ball of yarn when suddenly Dog loudly leaps through an open window, startling Cat "Awake." As Dog jumps "Over" the chair Cat had been dozing on, Cat immediately retreats "Under" it. Contrasting single words, the sole text, are presented in, mostly, double-page illustrations that extend the story effortlessly through expressive black-outlined cartoon scenes. A happy, frolicking, lovable Dog wants to play but seems only to succeed in bothering housemate Cat, who becomes increasingly annoyed, clearly wishing to be left alone. As beleaguered Cat runs "Outside" and then back "Inside" to hide, an enthusiastic Dog pursues, first deeming Cat "Lost" and then "Found" after espying a large lump under the rug. (Readers old enough to recognize the lump as Cat will be in stitches at Dog's puzzlement.) In the end, while Cat wishes to be hidden and "Apart," Dog insists that they be "Together"; the final illustration finds smiling Dog with a leg wrapped around a reluctant Cat, whose eyes are rolled upward. Twohy's amusing, animated drawings perfectly reflect the divergent personalities of his characters and deliver a well-developed tale in just 28 words. Kids will snort at the antics of the simultaneously exasperating and endearing Dog while feeling sympathetic to Cat. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
