Upside Down

UPSIDE DOWN is a comical picture book about a bear and a rabbit. The story is told from the perspective of the bear who is trying to grow a plant. However, no matter what they do to the plant, it just won't bloom. The bear waters it, gives it light, tea, and covers it in shade when it is sunny. Meanwhile, wordlessly, a rabbit discovers the huge carrot growing underneath and getting bigger, realizing how good it is to eat. The rabbit shares with other rabbits and eats it up to the stalk. The book ends with the bear pulling it out and thinking that it had been growing upside down.

What I loved: This is a clever and silly story about a bear who is trying to get a carrot to bloom and does not realize how much there is going on underneath the ground. The text is simple and relatively short with the rabbit's story being told only through the images below ground. Children who understand about carrots will giggle along as they see the bear puzzling about the carrot plant and the rabbit enjoying the fruits (or veggies, in this case) of his labor.

The illustrations are clever and simple, giving the two stories along the way, with a view of both above and below ground. The jokes will work better for preschoolers and young elementary school aged readers who understand how carrots grow, so they can better appreciate the humor. The font is clear and easy to read with only a couple sentences on each page.

Final verdict: UPSIDE DOWN is a silly and fun picture book about persistence and gardening. Recommend for preschool and elementary school aged readers who can giggle along with the illustrations.