The Children’s Book Review | August 14, 2017
The Children’s Book Review: Which five words best describe Double Take! A New Look at Opposites?
Susan Hood: Closer reflections, new perceptions—perfection!
If you had to take a vacation with one of the characters from Double Take! A New Look at Opposites, who would it be? Why?
The elephant. I’m smitten with him. Aside from being adorable, he’s up for anything—red wagon rides, naps in the hammock, high-wire balancing acts, museum hopping, surfing, rollercoaster loop-de-loops!
What has been the best reaction from a reader, so far?
Media Specialist Matthew Winner was one of the first to read Double Take and this was his take:
Thank you, Matthew!
What’s on your nightstand? Any books?
Ha! Always. Currently: Vincent and Theo, Beyond the Bright Sea, A Hope More Powerful Than the Sea, The Bronte Cabinet, The Tsar of Love and Techno, Swallows and Amazons, The New Yorker. Also, a notebook, a pen. And a flashlight.
For your writing energy: sugar or salt, tea or coffee?
Coffee. And blueberries.
Writing tools: computer, pen and paper, or all of the above?
Laptop, pen, paper, napkins, grocery list, pencil, crayons, markers, iPhone. Whatever is at hand when inspiration strikes. (Also, see flashlight above.)
Can you tell us one more thing we may not know about Double Take! A New Look at Opposites, your writing style, or yourself?
Like the elephant at the end of the book, I’ll soon be setting off to sea. I’m sailing to Maine with my husband for a month, where I’ll work on a new book as we explore all the little islands. Such are the perks of being a writer married to an elementary school teacher!
Double Take! A New Look at Opposites
Written by Susan Hood
Illustrated by Jay Fleck
Publisher’s Synopsis: When it comes to opposites, it’s all a matter of perspective! Lively text and fun retro art engage kids in the finer points of a favorite concept.
Do you know opposites, yes or no? On. Off. Asleep. Awake. Opposites are a piece of cake . . . right? Not so fast! Time for a quick double take. Who knows what’s BIG unless there is SMALL? Does SHORT mean a thing except next to TALL? What is ABOVE and what is BELOW? The answer depends on who wants to know! Writer Susan Hood and illustrator Jay Fleck lead us on a topsy-turvy fun-house journey into the concept of opposites and takes it to the next level — with detours into relative terms and points of view (and a dollop of yin and yang for good measure).
Ages 3-7 | Publisher: Candlewick Studio | 2017 | ISBN-13: 978-0763672911
Available Here:
About Susan Hood
Susan Hood is the author of more than two hundred children’s books, including Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport; Leaps and Bounce and Rooting for You, both illustrated by Matthew Cordell; and Spike, the Mixed-up Monster, illustrated by Melissa Sweet. She has worked as the children’s content director of Nick Jr. magazine and as an editor at Instructor magazine, Scholastic, and Sesame Workshop. Susan Hood lives with her family in coastal Connecticut.
This speed interview with Susan Hood, author of Double Take! A New Look at Opposites, was conducted by Bianca Schulze. For similar books and articles, follow along with our content tagged with Opposites, Picture Book and Speed Interview.
