Hot, Cold, Shy, Bold Book

Learn about opposites with big, bright, irresistible photographs.

Children's Literature

Pamela Harris' first children's book is both engaging and endearing. Her color photographs of faces in juxtaposition depict a series of opposites. The spare rhyming text develops a lovely cadence and yet lets the pictures do most of the talking. Harris includes the usual opposites such as hot/cold, big/small, and wet/dry, as well as more thought-provoking comparisons including shy/bold, spring/fall, mom/dad, and bearded/bare. While parents and teachers will enjoy sharing this concept book with children, beginning readers will equally enjoy using the photos and rhyme scheme to help them guess at text. Harris' photos include images of children (and a few adults) of various races, ethnic backgrounds, and ages. Harris adroitly finishes her refreshing picture book with a bye-bye face-wrapping up her rhyme scheme and giving the book a sense of completion.