Big Bear Little Chair by Lizi Boyd

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Making comparisons is one of the basic ways in which all of us — in particular, children — learn to make sense of the world. Which also explains the proliferation of picture books on opposites.

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Where is the Green Sheep? (绿绵羊在哪里?) by Mem Fox and Judy Horacek

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There’s something inexplicably cozy and friendly about sheep — which is probably one of the reasons people choose to visualise counting them instead of, say, teddy bears, when they need to lull themselves to sleep. Hence, it’s no surprise a book starring cute anthropomorphic sheep would be equally appealing.

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In Out and All Around (Odd One Out) by Guido van Genechten

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In, Out and All Around is a quirky search-and-find book where kids will also learn about prepositions and opposites while following the simple instructions. There’s also a side activity involving looking for the animals who are “going to a party” — the great thing is, this can mean that the animal is wearing a hat, makeup or some ‘party-appropriate’ accessory, which makes the search unpredictable and fun.

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Maisy’s Big Flap Book by Lucy Cousins

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As the title suggests, Maisy’s Big Flap Book is bigger than the usual board book, but it’s good value for the variety of concepts — shapes, colours, numbers, opposites — that children will learn through opening the many sturdy little flaps scattered throughout the book — great for developing small motor skills!

This book also has a long ‘shelf-life’ in terms of the quality of the paper and print — the colours remain bright and the flaps hold up well despite having been manhandled numerous times by two sets of tiny fingers — as well as how long it will keep the child’s interest: my children still take it out to read every now and then despite them having read it countless times before!

Dinosaur Roar! by Paul and Henrietta Stickland

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dinosaurroar

Dinosaur Roar is a great board book that uses colourful, non-threatening dinosaurs to introduce opposites to babies and young toddlers. The short rhyming phrases are catchy and easy to memorise, while the lovable illustrations are well-rendered and perfectly expressive, making it easy for children to see the contrast between the dinosaurs being compared, e.g. “Dinosaur roar, dinosaur squeak; dinosaur fierce, dinosaur meek.”