Erik Brooks has created a charming demonstration of the concept of opposites in his picture book “Polar Opposites.”  In the process he also manages to define the expression in his title.

Alex is a large, jovial looking polar bear who lives—not surprisingly—at the North Pole.  He is pen pals and friends with Zina, a tiny penguin who lives in Antarctica.  The book provides many instances in which the two differ, some of which are spelled out in words, and some of which are clearly indicated by the adorable illustrations.  The pictures vividly convey just how different these two characters are.

But no matter how different these two may be, we learn the most important fact of all—that in spite of all their differences, Alex and Zina can be the best of friends. 

This book would be delightful to read with Preschoolers or early Kindergarten students to reinforce the idea of opposites in a fun and entertaining fashion.