Welcome to Litsy!

“Hare was clever, but Bear was strong. Together they learned that working with what you have can lead to success.“

Tops and Bottoms can start class discussions about problem-solving, fairness, and clever thinking. Students can talk about how Hare uses his wits to get what he wants and whether his actions are fair or tricky.

Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens is a picture book published in 1996 and is a Caldecott Honor book. Line and shape are used to show the expressions and movements of Hare and Bear, emphasizing Hare‘s cleverness and Bear‘s frustration. Color highlights the difference between the crops. The illustrator used bright greens for vegetables above ground and earthy tones for root vegetables. This helps readers understand the “tops and bottoms” concept.

“Hare was clever. Bear was lazy. But Bear would get what was coming to him.”

I would use this book in grades K–3. This book can be used to teach problem-solving, sequencing, and cause-and-effect. Students could brainstorm or act out their own clever solutions to a problem, or plant a “tops and bottoms” garden for a math or science connection.

This book is a picturebook. It was published in 1996. Janet Stevens uses pen, ink, and watercolor illustrations with bold lines and rich textures. The color of the pictures in this book are Warm earth tones with pops of brighter colors highlighting key actions and characters.

“And although Hare and Bear learned to live happily as neighbors, they never became business partners again!“

Janet Stevens uses vibrant pen-and-ink with watercolor, giving the illustrations a lively, expressive quality. The artwork emphasizes character expressions and movement, reinforcing the humor and cleverness of the story. The books layout is also vertical making it a fun pick for children.

In the classroom, it can be used to teach problem-solving, critical thinking, and resourcefulness, while also encouraging discussions about cooperation, fairness, and creative solutions to challenges.