Drive: A Look at Roadside Opposites

by Kellen Hatanaka

A road trip that takes readers into a big, wide world―and into a small, narrow one, too! With the same sophisticated, minimalist design that characterized An Occupational ABC , Drive is an exploration of opposites. Any child (or adult) who has stared out the window of their family’s car counting license plates and state lines will recognize the highs and lows of being on the road. Sit back, or front, if you’d prefer, and come along for the ride.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Storytime, Travel, Transport, Cars

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 12, 2015

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great 'on the road' book for the kids as you drive to your vacation destination - have a great vacation this summer (if you can take one) and take this book with you. Years from now the memories will come back to you as you read this book. The kind of book that you can pass down from generation to generation.

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concept: Opposites
Hatanaka, Kellen. Drive: A Look at Roadside Opposites. (2015).
Hatanaka takes us on a visually splendid road trip of opposites. With the station wagon fully packed, we begin the journey on the first two-page page spread with just the word “start” accompanying the city setting. As the car takes off, through cityscapes and beyond, we encounter the usual sets of opposites displayed on opposing sides of each two-page spread: “short” and “long”, “big” and “small”, “in” and “out”. However, Hatanaka also has the reader consider perspective with sets like “above” and “below”, “worm’s-eye view” and “bird’s-eye view”, and “near” and “far." It isn’t till we get to the last page and we see the car parked in front of a cabin in the woods that the trip is complete, signaled by word “finish” and providing the opposite to the first page read, both in setting and time. The images carry the story, since the sets of opposites are the only words provided. So, when we read the word "above" we see it on the top half of the page and hovering above the car crossing a bridge. Conversely, on the opposite page, we see the word "below" on the lower half of the page, below the bridge and hovering near a ship crossing below. The digital pictures are beautifully done in soothing, muted colors. They are simple, yet full of pattern and texture that invite the eyes to linger on the page. A truly visually spectacular book to explore the concept of opposites.
Target audience: ages 2-8

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book which really holds the interest of new readers and the very young alike. It would make an amazing board book.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple concept book with a sophisticated feel. The map at the end is a nice touch. Recommended for ages 2-4.

[Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this while roadtripping to Grandma's and the family cabin. Very fitting.

[Regina L · Rating 4 out of 5]

The car is packed, we’re strappedd in, and now off we go on a road trip! From start to finish, we’ll follow the paper road map from our home, over the river and through the woods, passing some great scenery and critters along the way. This book is a really creative and inventive way to teach opposites. We’ll learn our opposites from different realistic settings, for example, we learn “above” and “below” from driving our car on a bridge above the tugboat below. We learn “in” and “out” as we travel through a tunnel. We travel through “wet” and “dry” weather, during “nighttime” and “daytime”, passing “one” horse and “many” cows. You get the drift. I love the way this book is drawn as if it is an architectural rendering. It uses muted colors and stunning illustrations, and even includes a cool double foldout. Buckle up and come along for a great ride with “Drive” by author/illustrator Kellen Hatanaka! Read more at www.diapers-and-daydreams.com

[Elizabeth K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could not love the illustrations more, especially the use of the retro, wood paneled station wagon as the vehicle of choice for the road trip. Which would be awesome if I needed to brush up on my opposites. I was a little disappointed that with some exception, most of the opposite pairs were so basic (it felt like it should be in a board book) that it was hard to keep my 4 year old interested (plus she has no nostalgia for wood paneled station wagons). I think I was hoping for more interesting and thoughtful, maybe even unexpected, pairings throughout.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take a road trip into a big wide world, and a small narrow one too! "Drive will take you on a road trip into a big, wide world and into a small, narrow one, too. Any child (or adult) who has stared out the window of the family car counting license plates and state lines will recognize the highs and lows of being on the road. With stunning illustrations, including a double foldout, Drive is a show-stopping exploration of opposites. Sit back and come along for the ride!"-- From page [4] of cover.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learn about opposites while following a well-packed station wagon on a road trip. A few nonstandard pairs are added to the familiar short/long, big/tall, near/far, including winding/straight and my favorite worm’s-eye view and bird’s eye view. The first page, labeled Start is not completed until the Finish on the final spread. Great digital graphics.

Original post on http://www.mackinvia-connext.com/2015...

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concept and illustrations are both done really well. I especially enjoyed all the fun small details in the pictures like the fossils under the road. Lovely book design.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great concept book by the creator of Work: An Occupational ABC.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sparse text and cool, retro-looking illustrations. Perfect for one-on-one discovery and discussions.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful! Best shared one on one.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I checked out a large stack of opposite books for a project. This was by far my favorite. great for 3 and up.

[SBC · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 3 year old and I enjoyed reading this together. He loves cars and we recently went on a family road trip so it had a lot of context for him. I liked that in addition to the road trip story we had the teaching of opposites on each spread. My favourite part was the final spread which showed the route the car had taken. Downsides - I wasn't a big fan of the sparse illustrations, and no characters.

[Sha'Tisha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple opposites book with cute and modern illustrations

[Ariel Jensen · Rating 1 out of 5]

V disappointing. The examples used in this book of opposites can be confusing for children (i.e. using “Closed” and “Open” signs on doors that are both closed 🤦‍♀️).

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

A classic opposite storytime book.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book, with a pair of words on each page. One fold out page (worm's eye view vs bird's eye view).

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely book that gives children and adults a chance to discuss many concepts within a simple, stylish, retro-modern context.

[Tracy Mabry]

Pretty and modern!

[Abi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drive is a quick read, with each page having at most two words, which allows a lot of time to sit with the illustrations, where the story is really told. An unknown number of people are on a road trip, driving from what appears to be a townhouse in the city to a (very modern) cabin in the woods. As they make their way, we are shown a number of opposites the passengers might see as they look out the window–they are in the tunnel and then they are out, the car is above the water and the boat is below the bridge. With such simple text on each page–just the name of the opposite–there is a lot of opportunity to discuss with listeners if you are doing this as a read aloud, and, as I said, a lot of time to sit in the illustrations if you are reading alone... Read the full review here

[Lauren White · Rating 3 out of 5]

Opposites. Good for very young children. Nice illustrations

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't think any child is going to be much interested in these illustrations. That wood-paneled station wagon seems weirdly old even to me, and I'm 35.

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Summer Reading Day 36: Today was our first day of baby swim class (hence the awesome swim cover), but we still made time to get our book of the day in! Today’s pick was Drive: A Look At Roadside Opposites by Kellen Hatanaka. It’s a fairly standard opposites book with a few words on each page designating each opposite: big/small, far/near, etc. the real charm in this book is the mid-century modern style of illustration with simple blocks of muted yet pleasant colors to create each scene. It was a short read, but JJ liked it a lot.

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Christine Turner]

A road trip that takes readers into a big, wide world and into a small, narrow one, too! With the same sophisticated, minimalist design that characterized Work: An Occupational ABC , Drive is an exploration of opposites. Any child (or adult) who has stared out the window of their family's car counting license plates and state lines will recognize the highs and lows of being on the road. Sit back, or front, if you'd prefer, and come along for the ride.

Notes
Kellen Hatanaka is a designer and illustrator who lives in Toronto, Canada, with his wife, Kiersten. He is also the author and illustrator of Work: An Occupational ABC .



Subject: English language -- Synonyms and antonyms -- Juvenile literature