Black? White! Day? Night!: A Book of Opposites

by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Having explored the alphabet (The Hidden Alphabet), colors (Lemons Are Not Red), and emotions (Walter Was Worried), Laura Vaccaro Seeger turns her extraordinary talents to opposites in this bright, colorful and imaginative book. Through a series of ingenious die-cut pages, the reader discovers things that are the opposite of what they seem: A black bat transformed into a white ghost, a sunny day that becomes a starry night. Posed as a series of 18 questions and answers, Black? White! Day? Night! is sure to be a big success with small children everywhere.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Nonfiction, Art

20 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2006

About the author

Laura Vaccaro Seeger is a New York Times best-selling author and illustrator and the recipient of a 2008 Caldecott Honor, Theodor Seuss Geisel Honors for both 2009 and 2008, a 2007 New York Times Best Illustrated Book Award, and the 2007 Boston Globe/Horn Book Award for Best Picture Book. Her books include First the Egg, The Hidden Alphabet, and Dog and Bear, among others.

Raised on Long Island, New York, Seeger began drawing at two years old and never stopped. For as long as she remembers, she wanted to write picture books. She received her B.F.A. degree at the School of Fine Art and Design at SUNY Purchase in Westchester, New York, and then moved to Manhattan, where she worked as an animator, artist, and editor in the network television business.

Seeger lives in Rockville Centre, Long Island, with her husband, Chris, their two sons, Drew and Dylan, and their dog, Copper. She loves painting, surfing, tennis, playing the piano, and spending time with her family. She takes long walks at the beach every day and paints in her studio every night.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/laurav...

Reviews

[Jodysegal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a sophisticated and very cool concept book. Want to know the opposite of sad? Peek through a cut-out and see two little eyes above a sad frown. Lift the flap and the features magically transform into the larger image of the freckles above a nose on a girl’s smiling face. The concept will absolutely appeal to small children, and the engaging art and humor, as well as some of the clever opposites (for example, a bat is the image for black; lift the flap and it’s suddenly the mouth of a big white ghost) make this a good choice even for 1st and 2nd graders.

Kirkus calls it a successful pairing of strikingly simple design with quietly humorous concepts.

Booklist starred review: From “front” to “back” and “beginning” to “end” this is a winner.

CIP: none summary: synonyms and antonyms are magically brought to life in a series of surprising peek through/lift the flap pages.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture book
Concept - opposites
Intended audience or age - preschool/early elementary

Each die-cut page features a word, shown in the illustration. Lift the flap, and it's opposite is shown. The original view through the die-cut area becomes part of the antonym's illustration.

This lift-the-flap book is a perfect introduction to the concept of opposites or antonyms, and it could work for children on a variety of levels. Younger children would enjoy the bold illustrations and the reveal as the flap is lifted. The book also works as a guessing game for children learning opposites, or for beginning readers who would appreciate the high ratio of graphics to text.

The focus is really on the illustrations and the concept, rather than the text or any story. If the the illustrations weren't so clever, the concept-heavy format might be a little dull for children. As it is, lifting the flap, guessing the opposite, and identifying how the two illustrations use the same elements is so stimulating that the story wouldn't be missed. The flaps are reasonably sturdy, and hinged across the top, but it requires some dexterity to manipulate the pages.

Also reviewed by School Library Journal and Booklist, both starred reviews. Both describe and praise the format and provide a clear picture of the books strengths.

[Jason Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fun book about opposites, but really shines as a book about multiple perspectives. Lifting up the flaps changes the way we look at the pictures in some really fun ways. One picture may be of flea (small) and lifting the flap reveals that it is the eye of an elephant (big), another picture of a bat (black) is a ghost's crooked smile (white).

This could be paired with other books on opposites, a guessing game on what comes next or a book about perspectives.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great opposites book!

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using sparse words, vibrant colors, and cut-outs, this book shows opposites by changing the viewer's perspective. The lift-the-flap feature on each page is sure to appeal to young children.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

CIP: "The author uses die-cut pages to present opposites, such as near and far, few and many, follow and lead, and others."

Maggie: Cute, coloful, clever...this book is one that is sure to delight the preschool crowd over and again. The flaps on each page that lead to the opposites are large and sturdy enough for smaller hands to manipulate. Recommended for storytimes or one-on-one reading for ages 3 to 6.

SLJ: "Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 3–Clever compositions, a question/answer format, and sturdy die-cuts distinguish this title from many other concept books. Seeger employs flat, vibrant colors and bold contrasts between the framing page that lifts up and the design underneath. While some of the word pairs are familiar, the images are nevertheless surprising: a black bat turns out to be the upturned mouth of a white ghost. An ordinary sheep becomes extraordinary when discovered in a cloudy sky with flying pigs and a cow jumping over the moon. Blue diamonds that look very much alike are actually quite different when they are discovered inside unique snowflakes. Younger children will delight in the magical effect of the transformation, while those a little older will have fun anticipating and analyzing the process itself, propelled by the pattern in which each question yields the unexpected. The title's creative approach offers a variety of possible paths for connection. Books such as Lois Ehlert's Color Zoo (HarperCollins, 1989) or N. N. Charles's What Am I?: Looking through Shapes at Apples and Grapes (Scholastic, 1994) would extend the visual gymnastics for preschoolers, while titles such as Roni Schotter's The Boy Who Loved Words (Random, 2006) would continue adding to a school-aged child's store of language. Opposites attract and expand in this playful celebration."

BL: "*Starred Review* Bold colors, carefully placed cutouts, and full-page lift-the-flaps make this much more than just another concept book about opposites. Children will be captivated from the very first page: a large black flap with a cutout revealing a black bat set against a pure white background. The single word black? printed in white, stands out clearly on the page. When kids lift the flap, they'll see the word white! (in white type) and discover that what appeared to be a bat is really the mouth of a ghost. Each of 18 opposites is similarly conveyed using only one word and the lift of a flap: a “follower” becomes a “leader”; a “tiny” bug becomes the eye of a “huge” elephant. Each flap is a different bold color, ensuring that the child won't miss the word or the figure representing the concept, and the scenes under the flaps are in keeping with the simple yet sophisticated graphic design of the book. Thick, shiny pages add to the sense of richness. From “front” to “back” and “beginning” to “end,” this is a winner."

[Alyssa Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot Summary/Personal Response: This book is a concept book that deals with opposites through the use of interactive flipbook pages. The author captures the use of opposites through the use of vibrant colors and images that seem quite different. The book is organized in a manner that asks a one word question that is then responded to by it’s opposite. For example a narrow box compared to a wide box, a tiny bug compared to a large elephant, and an addition problem compared to a subtraction problem.

I really enjoyed the interactive qualities of this book. The book intrigues the reader to discover what the opposite of whatever is being asked on the page. It also brings awareness to the question and answer format through the use of question marks and exclamation points. I also like the use of multiple perspectives that students can also be introduced to through the use of this book. Although I am already aware of opposites I found myself very curious as to what was going to be depicted to show the contrasting concept.

Literary Merit: This book would be a great way to incorporate the technical part of concepts of print through the identification of question marks and periods. The repetitive nature of asking a question and then a stated response will allow for children to have multiple chances to identify and gain an understanding of different punctuation. Identification of opposites is also another element that should be furthered after the book is completed. Students should identify more than what are listed in the book in order to assess students understanding of the concept of opposites.
Genre Considerations: Black? White! Day? Night! A Book of Opposites would be considered a concept, interactive board book. This book’s main objective is to have children recognize opposites and be able to do so in a way that they can interact with the text. The pages are made durably and will allow students to gain firsthand experience of opposites through the text. It also allows for students to discover opposites on their own.

Reader Response/Classroom Connections: I think that this would be a great book to read to the students and then have them retell on their own. After reading it to the class once they will be able to understand the gist of opposites and recognize what the pictures are trying to represent. I think that it would be great to further the interactive qualities of this book by playing a game focused on opposites. For example, say something and have the class respond with its opposite. I have used this in the past at the child care center I work at and have found that it is a fun transitional game that capitalizes the use of time by using this learning and concept focused game to transition to the next activity planned. Students could also be asked to draw a picture of an opposite pair that was not listed in the text.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Citation: Black? White! Day? Night!: A Book of Opposites, by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. (Roaring Book Press, 2006). 24 pages. Concept Picture Book.

Summary: This book identifies opposites through the use of page flaps. Each word is first presented as a question, as if asking, “What is the opposite of …?” and the answer given as an exclamation with a representative picture when the flap is opened.

Critique: a) In this very artistic book, each illustration draws readers in through the framing of the opposite word. After the first page or two, the reader finds themselves wondering, “How will Seeger create the opposite illustration when I lift the flap?”

b) By giving a window frame to each opposite illustration, Seeger draws the reader’s interest not only to the picture under the flap, but to the next set of opposites with the reader’s growing excitement to see what the next page holds. With frames of different size rectangles, Seeger invites the reader to speculate with anticipation how she will include the image from the small rectangle into a larger picture of the opposite. This method truly entices the reader, and gives a vibrant illustration for the concept of opposites.

c) Seeger’s use of tiny windows opening to a bigger picture excite readers and makes them laugh, like in the example of “sad?” showing a tiny line-drawn sad face, opening to “happy!” in which the sad face has become a nose and freckles on the large happy face of a girl. A truly unusual example is in the use of the word “ordinary?” with a picture of a sheep, opening to “extraordinary!” in which the sheep has become one of many flying animals, cows and pigs among them. Each frame invites the opening to reveal the excitement beneath.

Curriculum connection: This is a perfect hook book for a study on antonyms for middle grades. Because of the use of some unique, and difficult, opposites such as “mountain? valley!” and “simple? complicated!” the language is ideal for older students and the illustrations are exciting enough to maintain their interest.

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: Concept

Summary: This book provides a collection of pictures and words representing opposites such as over & under, day & night, clean & dirty, etc.

Critique: A. Illustration layout
B. This book has a very unique illustration layout. Each page has a word and a section of a picture representing that word. Then each page lifts up and the opposite word as well as the full picture is revealed to represent the opposite word. This book is very exciting to read and the author was extremely creative in the illustrations. The illustrations represent each word perfectly and give students a sense of what each word means. It also helps them connect opposites together because they exist in a sense in the same picture. Most of the time, when students are shown a pictures of opposites the pictures are of completely different things. In this book, the opposites are shown in one picture in a creative and interesting way.
C. For example, for the "alike" picture there are cutouts of diamonds of the same size. For the "different" picture, the page lifts and the diamonds are incorporated to create many intricate snowflakes of different shapes and sizes.

Curriculum Connection: This book would be excellent in a pre-k or kindergarten classroom to teach students about opposites. The book is designed so that the opposite word is not revealed until the page is flipped up. The teacher could show students the first word and ask them to take guesses as to what the opposite word or picture will be. Students will be excited to flip up the pages and finish reading this book.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Concept

Summary: A flip-up book that uniquely explores the world of opposites.

A. Area for comment: Format

B. The pop-up strategy used to explore the various opposites used in the book is really remarkable. The transformation effect from one word to the other by converting one image into the other is simply brilliant and really enables readers to visually see the opposites and the their distinguishing qualities.

C. The opposite concept of sad, happy is beaming with color and emotion. At first one sees the small sad face with the frown illustrated boldly in black, making it harsh and gloomy, but after flipping the page up one immediately sees that the previous sad face has been transformed into the image of a happy smiling girl. The sad face becomes the nose of the girl and is minutely seen when compared to the whole image of the girl’s smiling happy appearance. Another great example of opposites is seen with the words simple and complicated. At first, the word simple appears in a basic, straightforward manner, which perfectly exemplifies the meaning of the word simple, but when the page is lifted, the word simple is lost amongst an overflowing image of a complicated maze.

Curriculum connection: This is a great text for young readers, especially preschoolers, because the images and text work collaboratively to portray the meaning of each set of opposites. Since the illustrations speak so boldly, I feel that ESL students would also greatly enjoy and benefit from this fun and informative book.

[Candice · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Genre: Concept Picture Book
2. This book teaches the concept of opposites by using flap open pages that transforms one idea into its oppisite, such as a black square on a white page is nothing, but by moving the flap up it becomes a picture of a vase with pretty yellow flowers on a red table or something. This book includes the opposites of black and white, inside and outside, near and far, clean and dirty, and much more.
3. a)Illustrations
b)The illustrations clearly represent the title of the book. This book includes 18 questions, as the title identifies, with the purpose of showing opposites. One page shows three men walking in a line with the box on the last man, and the question 'follow?' When the flap gets opened, the reader sees another picture of same three men walking with the same man in front, with the caption of 'lead!' This book takes the reader on an adventure through the land of opposites. The illustrations express the differences or opposites clearly, which the reader can know the opposites without having to read the words.
c)Another example is a picture of a clock that has the time 9 o'clock in the day gets transformed into a clock tower with the time 9 o'clock in the night.
4. This book would be great for the younger students who are learning about opposites. I would use this book to show them the differences, then have them create a new opposite that was not shown in the book.

[Allison Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. This book belongs in the genre of concept picturebooks.

2. This high contrast book is a book of opposites. The title says it all Black? White! Day? Night! Nothing is what it seems in this book of surprises, just lift the flap and discover for yourself!

3. The area for this critique is illustrations, specifically visual elements of color, framing, and shape.

The presentation of the illustrations make this book an exceptional opposites book. Color, framing, and shape are used in unique ways to create an incredible opposite experience. Every illustration in this book is high contrast, bold color, and interesting and engaging framing that allows the reader to experience the concept of opposites.

The pages in this book are large with bold color and large shapes which appeal to the younger audience. Also, the die cut pages make this even better (and longer lasting) than a pop-up book. The die cut pages show one thing "alike" with four identical diamond shapes, then when the flap on the page is lifted it reveals the opposite "different" and the four diamonds are part of a large, beautiful snowflake. The cut outs frame the pictures in a way that allows the reader to see opposites within the same illustration.

The elements of illustration really brings home the concept of opposites to young readers, making this an excellent read.

4. This book could be used in the curriculum in the following ways:

English/Reading: Point of view

Concept: opposites

[Stacey Borror · Rating 5 out of 5]

Textbook – The Joy of Children’s Literature – P. 73
Genre – Concept

Summary:
Explore this colorful book as the reader flips up the die-cut pages and discovers the opposite of how they appear.

A) Vivid colorful illustrations draw the reader while the die-cut pages intrigue the reader to want to flip and see what is underneath.
B) The illustrations though not extraordinary on the first page are done in bright colors pulling the reader in, while the die-cuts only add to the suspense. When the reader flips the die-cut they are overwhelmed with a crisp bright illustration that is reflecting the direct opposite of the phrase on the previous page.
C) For example on the page where she is introducing the word tiny she has a small bug in black but the only color on the rest of the page is blue. When you flip the die cut page you are welcomed with a beautiful blue elephant with a green background. That tiny bug now appears to be the elephant’s eye and the opposite word on that page is huge. It is interesting how that tiny bug could be turned into the elephant’s eye.

Curriculum Connection:
Read this book to your class. Afterwards have students make their own book. You can always provide words that you want students to think of opposites for. Encourage students to provide their own illustrations like the book. Use this book when you are teaching antonyms.

[Rachel Asper]

Black? White! Day? Night! is an amazing book about opposites! I loved how this book had flaps showing one thing on top and then the complete opposite on the bottom. The style of writing used keeps the reader intrigued in the story. This is very important because this book teaches children knew vocabulary words and shows them what the opposite word means. Because the students can interact with this book, and the words and pictures are placed in particular ways, it allows the students to stay entertained. I love when children are able to learn without even knowing it. Another thing I loved about this book was the items or subjects that were used were from various core subjects in school! There were colors, adjectives, math terms, and science terms. When I teaching a subject like vocabulary, science, social studies, or colors, I could have the students take the terminology given and make their own book of opposites to help better understand the material being taught. For example, if we are learning about feelings or characteristics they can compare happy and sad or tiny and huge. They can also draw a picture of whatever they would like to represent that word. I think this would be perfect for 1st graders learning new vocabulary words.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here is yet another Laura Vaccaro Seeger "concept" picture book to rave about. This time she tackles opposites using lift-the flap pages and her signature die-cut openings. My grandchildren LOVE these and never tire of them.

Here's a sample of how the book works. The first page has a black field with a rectangle die-cut opening at the bottom right of the page. In the opening you see the silhouette of a flying bat on a white field. The text above the opening is one word, followed by a question mark. "black?". Now lift the page and voila`, you see a smiling ghost accompanied by the word "white!", (followed by the exclamation point). The bat has morphed into becoming the ghost's smile!

On page three you see a silhouette of a bug in a die-cut square (tiny?). Lift the page flap and you'll see the profile of an elephant, the bug having become the pachyderm's eye (huge!).

What do children love about this? The die-cut holes, the lift-the-flap reveals, the punctuation marks - yes, they like to identify them, and even the simple adjectives. Another bonus is identifying the shape of the die-cut element. They can also identify colors and make the sounds the nouns might make. Some of this enjoyment will rely on the prompts given by the reader.

[Emma Lerchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginning Readers, Picture Book, Opposites, Concepts, Colors
Summary-
This book of opposites describes things such as different colors, shapes, and objects. The reader is able to interact with the book by flipping up the dye cut pages to reveal what is underneath.
Personal Response-
I enjoyed the book and the opportunity to interact with the pages. I think kids would have an even greater time figuring out the opposites and what is underneath of each page.
Illustrations-
The vivid illustrations show bright colors and simple objects. This seems to be a great match for younger children just beginning to read and understand opposite objects.
Classroom Connections-
This book could be used in Kindergarten classrooms to go over what opposites are. It could be read as a class and then students could draw pictures of things that they think are opposite. Once they draw the pictures they can compare to their classmates and hang them up in the room for others to see. There is also a page about adding and subtracting in the book that can be used for math integration. Students could work in small groups to find the opposites of big and small numbers. They could also use adding and subtracting to find if the equations get the same number if they get opposite numbers.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am definitely giving this to my 6 year old grandson. He will love the idea that things are not what you think they are. And who doesn't like a lift the flap book.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reissued version of a previous book by this talented author/illustrator starts with the word "beginning" and concludes with "end," exploring the concept of opposites in clever fashion. There are all sorts of flaps to lift up to reveal various natural delights. Readers will have fun making an assumption about an object at first glance and then changing their minds as something else is revealed. This is an extraordinarily effective and engaging book, forcing readers to rethink what they think they see. My favorite image has to be the snowflakes with their infinite variety, but each one has something in common. What a wonderful way to learn about opposites! This is one of those classroom must-haves to put on a beginning teacher's list of books.

[L- Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book of opposite concepts is full of simple designs on each page, creating a contrast that will be widely received by young and old. The pages are diecuts that change from one concept to the opposite ie. a mountain or valley? ordinary or extraordinary? This concept book gives concrete visualization to the young reader but will respond to the older students interest with its sophistication. This book would be a good starting point to inspire children to create their own concept books in the classroom. Ages 5-10 will find ways to enjoy.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew I recognized the author's name when I picked this one up! Same as Walter is Worried, which I also loved. This one has peek-a-boo pages which go through a myriad of opposites. Similar in flavor to the Hidden Alphabet, I guess. My son liked its interactive quality and I loved the nice illustrations and interesting way of expressing the concept of opposites. It also was a good reminder that things aren't always what they seem at first.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is the best lift the flap book I've ever read. WIth the flap down it says a word like "alike" and you see 4 identical blue diamonds through 4 tiny holes in the flap. Then you life the flap and you see the page covered with beautiful snowflakes and the read the word "different". It is so well done. Very fun to read and try to guess what the opposite will be and how she will draw it. We all really enjoyed it.

[Jameisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it covered opposites that aren’t common or quickly thought of, like a mountain and a valley, for example. I also like how the pages flip up to show the pair of opposites. This book would be a good way to teach opposites because the illustrations show how each pair of opposites relate to one another and how they are different. After reading a book like this, students could create their own book of opposites.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My granddaughter just brought this over when she came to visit, so we read it. She can read (guess) most of the words, and was delighted to pull the flap and discover the opposite picture. It's an interactive, brightly colored, but simple picture books with opposites. I missed it when it was published a few years ago, but it would be terrific for beginning readers, or older pre-school if you don't know it!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black? White! Day? Night! - A Book of Opposites by Laura Vaccaro Seeger is a children's picture book with opposites. It is a lift and look book and I think it was cleverly done. The kids loved that on one page they are looking at a small bug, but when they lift the flap the bug becomes part of something much larger. An enjoyable story time read for my littles (4 & 5 yrs), and would probably appeal to a younger audience as well.

[Sydney Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Black? White! Day? Night! By Laura Vaccaro Seeger is really what the front cover says, a book of opposites! Every page is a flap that you flip up and the picture on the front of the page has 1 word describing what's on the page and when you lift the flap it's the same thing but with the opposite word/ picture. This would be a really good book for preschool/kindergarten aged kids for word recognition and interaction.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, Met the Author at the library with my dd. She had the children draw a bear. My dd turned her bear into a Charecter and Laura Signed it and Took a picture with her. Ok the book was awesome because of how she put the book together and it kept my children and I interested in what would come next. Plus they learned about opposites!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book to discuss opposites with students. It is also a good book to discuss how things can be transformed and may not be what they seem. I think it would be a fun activity for the students to try to mimic the artist style of this book and create their own illustrations that turn into something that is the opposite.

[Dona Gay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am 46 and still love books that have flaps or pop-ups or gimmicky-fun or glittery things so I really liked this book of opposites. Every page starts with a window sized view of an object but when the flap is lifted the opposite of the original picture comes into view. "Clever," to quote my 8 year old.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a wonderful way to introduce children to the idea of opposites and to encourage them to learn the vocabulary for those ideas that they might not yet know. The pages open up to show the opposite of the initial idea that is presented, and they are large enough to share with a big audience!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soren picked this one out, but every person in our family read it. The lift the flaps to find the opposites are so creative. Even the adults in our family thought it was very ingenous. Loved the artwork. Loved guessing before we lifted the flaps.