Dot

Dot. written and illustrated by Patricia Intriago. 2011. 40p. New York: Farrar Straus and Giroux.

Author/Illustrator Website: www.intriagodesign.com

Medium: digital illustration

Awards and Honors: none

Audience: 2 and up

Annotation: 
Graphic, understated illustration pairs with clever text in this exploration of the world of opposites.

Personal Reaction:
While many opposite books feel rote and stale, Dot is a captivating, clever little book that is elegantly simple. Using a minimum of shapes and lines, Intriago pairs dot opposites, giving each black spot its own personality. Some are fast and some are slow, some are loud and some are quiet, some are happy and some are sad. Nearly the entire book is illustrated in black and white, with the exception of some strategically placed photographs. The stark contrast would even make this a good choice to share with babies (though, unfortunately, there is no board book version available at this time). Pair this with Lionni's Little Blue and Little Yellow, Tullet's Press Here, or Reynolds' The Dot for a spotted storytime.