FAST CHEETAH, SLOW TORTOISE

In this Dutch import, Westera, author of the Batchelder Honor book Later, When I’m Big (2023), offers a lighthearted lesson in antonyms.

Sixteen pairs of animal opposites are portrayed in poems titled according to their primary characteristics. Like the titular duo, some pairs intrinsically embody their traits: A butterfly’s “Dazzling” appearance diverges from a moth's “Plain” coloration, which also augments its ability to camouflage itself. A “Patient” spider awaiting prey in its web contrasts with a “Restless” blowfly as it debates where to land. A snake of unspecified species garners a “Dangerous” designation, while a facing earthworm, similarly sized in the accompanying illustration, is “Harmless.” “No need to be afraid of me. / I wouldn’t hurt a fly. / I don’t eat bugs / or caterpillars. / Just autumn leaves.” A preening turkey is “Fancy” while a self-effacing chicken is “Everyday.” Often, the contravening traits are anthropomorphized: The nonmigratory house sparrow is “Contented,” while the swallow’s migratory behavior earns it an “Adventurous” label. Westera even bucks convention by assigning a pig the quality of “Tidy,” reserving “Messy” for the warthog. The short, free-verse poems rely on first-person, matter-of-fact personification, dabbling in qualities such as braggadocio and self-effacement. Van Hout’s cheerful illustrations (reminiscent of Douglas Florian’s) alternate full-bleed double spreads with separately composed facing pictures, one with a colored background and the other set against white space. Her palette emphasizes butternut-gold and blue-green hues. A well-designed layout presents the facing poems with respective left- and right-justified margins.

Breezy, colorful, and fun.