Big Bot Small Bot: A Book of Robot Opposites by Marc Rosenthal

- June 09, 2015

For a picture book about opposites to grab my attention, it has to be clever or out of the ordinary, or both. For the same old opposites to be interesting, the illustrative examples have to be engaging or new opposites need to be employed. Two of my favorite books do both. Pomelo's Opposites and Hippopposites (scroll to the bottom for more about these books) are two of my favorites. Add to this list Big Bot Small Bot: A Book of Robot Opposites by author, picture book and editorial illustrator, Marc Rosenthal.

Rosenthal has a superb illustration style that ha a retro feel and is occasionally reminiscent of H.A. Rey. As the mother of two boys, I have a great collection of books about trucks. Rosenthal first came to my attention with the fantastic book Dig! by Andrea Zimmerman and David Clemesha. For more of Rosenthal's books and wonderful illustrations, be sure to read to the end of this interview. But now, lets talk robots!

One thing that makes Big Bot Small Bot: A Book of Robot Opposites a stand out is that it's interactive. Every page has a gatefold, some that cover the whole page, some half or less, each one revealing the opposite. The fold for "wet," which is slightly less than half the page, lifts to reveal "dry." "Quiet" and "loud" are fun reveals, also. While Rosenthal sticks with standard opposites in Big Bot Small Bot: A Book of Robot Opposites, his illustrations are great. Rosenthal's robots have all the rivets and gadgets you expect and come in a cheerful range of colors. One of my favorite pages is "dark," which presents a strangely shaped, three-armed bot. Pulling down the fold, we see "light." The bot was pulling on a light switch and tiny bots frolic in the glow coming from the bot's head.