Drive: A Look at Roadside Opposites - Hardcover

Hatanaka, Kellen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1554987318 ISBN 13: 9781554987313

Publisher: Groundwood Books, 2015

Synopsis

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.

About this title

About the Author:

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.

From School Library Journal:

K-Gr 2—Digitally drawn patterns and textures, combined with muted colors, reinforce the introduced terms as readers participate in this clever journey of opposites. The conceit is that a family station wagon, packed to the hilt, is taking off on vacation. Between the opening spread labeled "start" and the concluding one dubbed "finish," children are exposed to numerous sets of opposites—standards such as "short/long," "big/small," and "in/out," as well as directional examples ("above/below") and perspective switches ("bird's-eye view/worm's-eye view"). "Winding/straight" shows the curvy road on one page, as the family drives along the straightaway on the next and a snake winds its way along the bottom of the page. "Near/far" offers viewers an up-close view of a country road with mailboxes and a rabbit in the foreground, while the station wagon is in the distance driving past a house beyond the fence line. Hatanaka's illustrations are the main attraction here. The family is never shown, and the narrative details must be inferred. However, this is an appealing, if slightly sophisticated choice for interactive reading, fostering visual literacy, and introducing mapping skills. VERDICT A great way to prepare for a road trip.—Annette Herbert, F. E. Smith Elementary School, Cortland, NY

About this edition

• Publisher: Groundwood Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1554987318
• ISBN 13: 9781554987313
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32