Up Down Inside Out

K-Gr 3–Twenty-one aphorisms are illustrated in this handsome, artfully designed picture book, from the familiar, such as “A watched pot never boils” or “You are what you eat,” to the more obscure, “Big oaks from little acorns grow” or “All cats are grey in the dark.” Utilizing printmaking, drawing, a computer, and only two colors—Pantone red and blue—as well as flaps and gatefolds, Yoon offers readers highly stylized, often humorous interpretations of the sayings. “You can lead a horse to water,/but you can’t make it drink” depicts a tender cowboy gently leading his horse; the next page shows the disinterested animal turning away as the cowhand loses his hat and his footing. “A cat in gloves catches no mice” shows a dark blue cat with red eyes and four white gloves fruitlessly chasing seven shadow mice while a cut-out mouse hole reveals a single white mouse. Students will naturally want to try their hand at their own illustrations; there are so many other adages to choose from. It would also be fun to have students guess the saying from the graphic.