The Best Opposites Books for Preschool

Some people think opposites attract, but in the case of these adorable opposites books for preschool children, the sweet stories and lovely pictures are the main attraction! Preschoolers will love to listen to these stories about animals and the differences they encounter. Read on to find funny, engaging, and beautifully illustrated books!

#1 Polar Opposites by Erik Brooks

Alex the polar bear and Zina the penguin are opposites in so many ways. The story of these unlikely friends shows beautiful pictures and describes how the two friends are different. One lives at the North Pole and the other at the South Pole. One likes sour food, the other sweet. Their personalities are so different, but the author, Erik Brooks, brings them together in an adorable way. Find more books on Arctic Animals here.

#2 Big Bear, Small Mouse by Karma Wilson

The story of this sweet duo by Karma Wilson points out the opposites of bear and mouse with beautiful illustrations from Jane Chapman. The story includes pictures of big and small, slow and fast, quiet and loud, and more. This story also has rhyming and repetition to help engage children even more.

#3 A World of Opposites by Gray Malin

This beautiful book by Los Angeles-based art and aerial photographer Gray Malin will capture the interest of any reader. From the adorable llamas wearing balloons to his color-popping photos of deserts, oceans, and ski slopes, there will be something to catch any reader’s eye. The author includes opposites such as hot and cold, light and dark, summer and winter, high and low, day and night, and more. Children and adults alike will enjoy exploring this book again and again.

#4 You and Me: We’re Opposites by Harriet Zeifert

This funny book has animal pairs and points out the differences between them. The giraffe is tall, the penguins are short. The toucan is up; the aardvark is down. Ethan Long does a beautiful job with the color-block illustrations.

#5 Opposites by Rosalinda Kightley

This cute little picture book has straightforward pictures of opposites side by side. The simple color-blocking art style with one word on each page makes it easy for young readers to explore independently. The end of the book shows the pictures again and gives the children the opportunity to match the opposites. This book may be out of print, but there are some used copies available online as well as copies available at the local library.

#6 Opposites Abstract by Mo Willems

Mo Willems delivers another amazing picture book with this one! Rather than illustrate “basic” opposites such as up and down, left and right, he vividly illustrates rich, vibrant, and abstract opposites such as calm and excited, and inclusion and exclusion. Young students will enjoy the amazing pictures and older students will enjoy the rich vocabulary.

#7 Eric Carle’s Opposites

Fans of Eric Carle will adore this little board book which beautifully illustrates pairs of opposites in Eric Carle’s signature style!

#8 Opposites with Frank Lloyd Wright

Using Frank Lloyd Wright’s incredible architecture, this board book depicts simple opposites for young children. It is perfect to read during an opposites lesson, in the block center, or during a unit about art or construction.

More Opposites Books:

• Up, down & other opposites by Ellsworth Kelly
• Opposites by Agnes Green
• Walk and See Opposites by Rosalind Beardshaw
• Two Little Blackbirds by Megan Borgert-Spaniol
• Wee Sing & Learn Opposites by Pamela Conn Beall and Susan Hagen Nipp
• Opposites by Sandra Boynton

Skills Covered While Learning about Opposites

These opposites books for preschool students give plenty of opportunities for children to develop new knowledge. While understanding the concepts of opposites, the children will also expand skills such as:

• Observational skills by looking for differences in the pictures
• Math skills by analyzing what they see
• Language and communication skills by asking questions about what they see

Looking for more to expand the knowledge of opposites? Check out these fun activities using opposite skills:

• Extend the opposites practice with these fun songs and games
• Play the “Hot/Cold Sort” carpet game found on Day 6 of the Summer Circle Time Unit
• Put together the opposites puzzles from Day 5 of the Itsy Bitsy Spider Nursery Rhyme Unit