The Opposites Book
The title of the book seems to indicate it will be about feet. And, indeed, feet are prominent in both image and text. But in reality, “The Foot Book” is a completely ironic title since the subject isn’t really feet at all, but rather the concept of opposites.
Dry Foot
One page pictures the unnamed main character of the book standing with one foot in the water accompanied by the text “Wet foot.” The image accompanying the text “Dry foot” located beneath it shows the same character using a towel to dry off his foot. Somewhat ironically, the foot he is drying off with the towel is not the foot that was in the water, but rather the foot that was already standing on dry land in the upper image.
The Feet Not so Much
While the book structured as a means of teaching young readers the concept of opposites, the feet are not where the opposition is always located. “Front feet” paired with “back feet” in a straightforward and obvious comparison showing opposites that is located precisely in the feet of “The Foot Book.” On the other hand, there is a level of irony in that there really is absolutely no difference in the feet themselves in the comparison of “Feet in the morning” with “feet at night.” The feet are the same with the only oppositional difference between the external conditions. Similar situations occur several times throughout the book.
Clown Feet
The introduction of a clown into the proceedings is rather shocking to the system because it is the first time the oppositional framework has been violated. There is no obvious antagonistic opposite to it, but rather a pig. There is also a weird bit of irony involved as it is beyond all question that the character is a clown despite the fact that his there is nothing particularly “clownish” about his feet, especially in comparison to several other characters that do sport something closer to the traditional view of clown feet.
His and Hers
One page shows a boy and a girl standing on separate pedestals while the protagonist walks between them accompanied by the text “His feet. Her feet.” The illustration shows the boy standing barefooted while the girl is wearing socks. The irony is that while male and female feet do actually differ anatomically to a much greater extent that mere size, the opposition indicated here is false since the difference is situated not in the feet themselves, but in the manner in which the feet are presented.
