Opposites - Book Review

Sandra Boynton writes Opposites. The board book is for infants and toddlers. Opposites has the delightful cartoon animals for which Boynton is known. She uses the animals to teach the baby to preschool children the concepts of opposites.

On the board book pages, there are examples of opposites. There is the concept of big and small. Heavy and light are illustrated. Short and tall is shown. Plus, there are other opposites. There is a big elephant. A small bird perches on it. The tall giraffe stands beside a short pig.

Boynton writes the text in rhyme. Infants and toddlers love the rhyming verse. They enjoy the text’s humor and the sing-song quality of the words.

Opposites is a good book. Regular readers know I like books that work on many levels. Sandra Boynton’s book identifies and gives examples of opposites. The whimsical animals look realistic. Therefore, parents and care givers can teach the names of animals. The pictures are bold and colorful, so the baby and preschool children can learn primary colors. Opposites are three books in one.

A note to parents and care givers, expand the toddler’s vocabulary. After the child learns the antonyms (opposites), teach the toddler synonyms. For example, little and petite are synonyms of small. Large and giant are synonyms of big. Therefore, instead of using big and small with the elephant and bird change the words. A little bird sits on the large elephant.

Keep board books in an area accessible to infants and toddlers. Place them in a low box or a flat basket. Allow them to handle and look at the books on their own. Change the selection weekly or monthly. Don’t become upset if a baby chews on a book.



"There are no short cuts to any place worth going." - Beverly Sills

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Note: Opposites by Sandra Boynton is from the library.