Alda (Here a Face, There a Face
) attempts to enter a very crowded shelf with her photography book of opposites. For “push” and “pull,” she uses the example of a street crew trying to move a huge stone statue of Buddha; on the left side of the spread, they're shown exerting their weight behind the statue, while on the right, they've tied ropes around it in an attempt to haul it. The Buddha's unperturbed expression and the glimpse of an advertising model's quizzical blue eyes on a passing bus add a bit of comic commentary. Unfortunately, this pair and a few others are exceptions to what is otherwise a collection of largely unremarkable images that do not always illustrate the concepts strongly (a lion statue with its mouth open is “hungry” while another lion with its mouth closed is “full”; a sunrise and a sunset for “hello” and “good-bye” could easily be reversed). With so many choices available (photographic or otherwise), this one misses its mark. Ages 2–5. (Mar.)
