Customer Reviews

The Other Side

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(0)
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2 star:		(1)
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The Other Side is a unique exploration of, well, the other side, challenging young readers and adults alike to open their minds and explore the unknown. Using visual clues, each page graphically introduces new elements into the illustrator's clever twists and turns, new points of view that question even the obvious, the top, the bottom, the flip side of what our eyes perceive. Looking through a window, a paper airplane glides by; from the exterior of the building, an apartment house, myriad tiny planes fly on the currents of wind; then from the perspective of a jetliner, we see other such airplanes skimming the horizon. A woman sits in an empty theater, waiting for the curtain to rise, the spotlight illuminating a small head with a pointed red cap; from behind the curtain, we see that this is a clown peeking through, and on the stage with him, a ballerina, a bird in a skirt, a cat, a tiger.

And so it goes, each new illustration revealing more elements of the compositions to pique our curiosity, each idiosyncratic figure with another perspective. On one side of a block, passersby are startled by a "bang!"; even the mannequins in a store window turn their attention to the commotion. But it is only a film crew, as we see from around the corner, a cowboy shoot-out in front of a toy store. The simple illustrations in black, white and gray are highlighted by the occasional spot of bright red, the simple, primary drawings belying a sophisticated mind. This is an excellent book to read with a child, an opportunity to see which one's imagination comes up with the most creative assumptions. Another title in the Chronicle Books wide variety of children's titles, The Other Side not only steps outside the box, it makes the box disappear! Luan Gaines/2005.

In the spirit of "The Other SIde," I'm going to put the bottom line on top: ALthough this book defies categorization, it's not really a kids' book. I suppose some kids in elementary school might enjoy the graphic style, and "get" the basic premise (which is either "what happens next?" or "what would this look like from a different perspective?"), the verbal and visual references, wit, puns, allusions, and reverals might elude them.


"The Other Side" is an unusual and very creative book consisting of a series of high quality graphic and op art illustrations, presenting a scene and, on the following page, what the scene looks like from "the other side." For clarity, here are some examples: We see a picture of caged tiger at a zoo looking out at a little girl and her cat. Hmmm...what might happen next, or,--as on some pages--what is the reverse of this? Turn the page, and we see the girl and the tiger looking at the caged cat, the bars twisted as if, a la Superman, the lion (or the cat?) had separated the bars. Another simple favorite is two views of boys playing with a football: One page shows the view of the hiker's behind from the quarterback's perspective; the next page shows the (upside-down) quarterback from the between the legs, upside-down perspective of the hiker. However, another scene shows an apparent shooting (with mannequins moving their heads to look around the corner) but it's really a film being shot. This has very little to do with reasoning or perceptual skill; for all the visual puns and surprises; it's really about the possibilities of story telling. The visual question and answers in "Other Side of" work require different kinds of reasoning Some "reversals" make logical or causal sense; others grant some artistic license--author has one notion of what "the other side" might look like--but it's not the only one.


THis is not really a kid's book; I think it's most appropriate fir young teens and up. Unlike "The Red Book," a book that also plays with self-referential visuals and explores point of view, "the other side of has relatively little plot or time sequence, although most of the scenes are linked: Some of the visuals in one scene will be partially replicated or referenced in another. For example, one visual sequence begins with paper airplanes, which are echoed by a picture of small planes near a large jet, inside the jet a passenger reads a travel brochure, next, we see the woman on the brochure's cover looking up at the jet from the island shown on the brochure. However, Banyai basically stops here. (I say basically, because a dog shown on the island is--quite improbably--shown on "the other side" of a tree in a snow covered forest. ) Part of the fun is finding these mini-links between different sequences, especially since some are visual and some symbolic/language-based.

At its best, then, the book occupies the same plane as Zen koans (as in the popularized, "what is the sound of one hand clapping?"), where the answers require imagination, and perhaps even a reconsideration of what constitutes a question and an answer. While Banyai illustrations show remarkable invention and graphic style. I think the book will appeal less to art students than to those with interests in engineering, math, and science, people who like to reader hypothesize, test theories, and observe (some of the classic elements of the scientific method), The imaginative antecedents and aftermaths may also stimulate budding writers and poets, or perhaps photographers. While this is an exciting art book for young teens intrigued by representation (and talent may be a requirement too); others may feel frustrated, or, more likely, bored by it, tossing it aside for manga--or a book about Zen.

High-concept. There are certain parents for whom nothing less will do for their children. Some parents are happy if they can find ANYTHING for their kids to read. Others zero in on their child's number one obsession (trains, princesses, snot, etc.) and buy or borrow only books that concentrate on that subject. And then there are the parents that will go out and buy Istvan Banyai's, "The Other Side" in the hopes that it will make their children smarter. Coming hot on the heels of a similar (and far more child friendly) title "The Red Books" by Barbara Lehman, Banyai's latest picture book offering is beautiful, intense, and is going to be loved by a very select segment of the wider child audience. Now I would like to state for the record that I loved this book. I am also, however, twenty-seven and my taste (for all its charms) does not perfectly mirror that of your average preschooler. I also am a resident of New York City and while I have little doubt that many Upper East Side parents would like nothing better than to add, "The Other Side" to their budding genius's collections, I'm not entirely certain how welcome it will be cross country-wise. It's a deeply intelligent and quite amusing book. Just don't cry if the five-year-old you toss it to doesn't lap it up like chocolate milk.

You need to understand how to read this book before you pick it up. Fortunately, the instructions are in the title itself. Everything on one page corresponds to what happens on the next by showing the "other side". Example: One page shows a boy in a coral colored cap peeking from an airplane window. Now turn the page and you find yourself on the other side of that window. You are now in the plane looking at the back of the boy's head from down a row of passengers. A boy floating merrily in a swimming pool seems to be quite close to the fin of a shark. Turn the page and that shark is actually the point of his own black flipper and an underwater seascape is now the focus of your attention. The pictures are sometimes like conjurings from the mind of David Lynch. In one picture a single woman wearing a thin strapped shirt (of which Banyai has always been a big big fan) sits alone in an empty auditorium, a single spotlight on a face that peeks from the curtain. Sometimes the pictures are remarkable in their simplicity too. A yellow page with a white circle show a tiny point piercing through. Turn the page and there stands a baby chick with its beak poking into the white. Taken separately each picture is a story and a world in and of itself.

Never a big fan of words (why bother when your Hungarian sensibilities can be best expressed in silence?) "The Other Side" is an image-only journey. Banyai plays around with the tension that comes from not knowing what lies on the other side of a page in a book. The images pile up in such a way as well that in spite of the well-organized anarchy of it all, you get the distinct feeling that Banyai has created an elaborate and highly amusing puzzle. If you're clever enough to figure out the pattern, you may get a glimpse into what the author/illustrator is saying. For example, after a sequence showing a classroom where a teacher is showing kids how gravity works on the underside of the world (i.e. Australia) the next picture sequence is of a boy walking into an upside down home where gravity works in reverse. So is the child imagining himself in an Australia that fits with what he believes the teacher is telling him? Is there a connection at all? Floating throughout the pictures just occasionally enough to tantalize the mind are paper airplanes, real airplanes, red caps, and toys. Often you will see something through the eyes of someone who is viewing the world in a particular way. The boy looking at a friend upside-down between his legs sees the kid as upside-down and so (with a little twisting of the brain) do we. On almost the last page we finally get a glimpse of what may well be the theme here. A little boy looks out his window, his room cluttered with a detritus that connects to each picture we've seen so far. A flamingo-like floor lamp, a poster of a penguin on a bycicle, paper airplanes, an upside-down plane hanging from the ceiling... it all seems to come together. What it is saying though depends on what you read into it. By the way, be sure to check out the illustrations on the book underneath the cover as well as the details hidden on the other side of the bookflaps. They're well worth the price of admission alone.

Certainly "The Other Side" deserves to be remembered alongside Banyai's "Zoom" and "Re-Zoom". I did a quick search of the internet to try and discover why his books aren't better known to the public at large. At first I blamed the publisher. Chronicle Books is a San Francisco based company. Perhaps their distance from New York (and here I am exemplifying everything I hate about Manhattanites) has kept it from reaching a wider audience? Perhaps, but probably not. A quick glance at Chroncile Books' publications and I was amazed to see some of the most original titles on the market today. They are the ones responsible not only for Banyai but also, "He Came With the Couch", "Thirteen O'Clock", "Little Pea" and other truly eclectic picture books. So that's not it. The only thing I can figure at this point is that Banyai's style, for all the critical praise and gushing adoration it receives, doesn't connect to children particularly well. There's certainly plenty to confuse them here. "The Other Side" hasn't any plot, but sometimes it seems as if characters carry over from scene to scene. There are also too many danged boys wearing caps. I'm not sure if you're supposed to infer that they are all the same boy (even though some caps are the aforementioned coral and some are a bright eye-catching red).

Petty complaints, I know. But realistic ones. Far be it from me to tell you how to use this book, but it seems to me that "The Mysteris of Harris Burdick" treatment should definitely come to mind. Take this book and have your children write a story about what's going on. Why the fishes in the pool? Why is the house the boy enters upside down? Who is that incredibly creepy girl standing outside the classroom? What about the missing monster lurking near the child in the superhero costume? For writing projects this book would be tops. Aside from that, it would be a great way to get older kids interested in Banyai's process. The limited but intriguing color scheme, amazing images, and simultaneous feeling of whimsy and dread all combine to make this one of the most striking selections to your personal library. It may even mark the first picture book appearance (noteworthy picture book appearance, I should clarify) of an iPod in a scene. I'm not gonna tell you that every person and child you hand this to is gonna adore it. But for pure visual adrenaline, few things will entrance and entice you better than Banyai's remarkable effort. A book that won't make it easy for you. Your intelligence will just have to rise to its level.

When I got this book out of the library for my young kids, I'd never heard of Istvan Banyai before. However, after having this book in my possession for nearly 2 weeks now, and faced with the prospect of returning it to the library, I've just gone online and ordered several copies - one to keep, the rest to give away. What a book! I never dreamt that a picture book would hold my interest for so long. When I first got it, I spent a good 2 hours focused on it during a recent car trip (I was a passenger :-). Every time I went through the book, I saw more and more... such detail! Such wonderful ideas! All loosely tied to the idea of "The other side." Of a piece of paper, of a curtain, of a window, of a subway station...

Just when I thought I'd figured out the author's tricks - he would surprise me with something out of left field. It often requires some focused thought to "get" his point. So... while you can enjoy the pictures on one level, if you have a couple of uninterrupted hours to spend with the book, you'll see so much more.

I'll admit to being a big fan of the still somewhat unknown artistic genius of Istvan Banyai. That said, this latest work is up to his unsurpassed standard of illustrative magic. But, don't be fooled into thinking this latest creative masterpiece is a "childrens" book. It's visual feats, or, more aptly described--feast--of color, composition and drawing mastery are like nothing else you're likely to find in the kid's, gift or art section of a book store. While there will be deserving youngsters who appreciate many aspects of his work, if you're looking for a unique visual experince and cerebral joyride, treat yourself to this marvelous book--and any other Banyai books on the market.

The Other Side is a clever wordless exploration of perspective. The pages are filled with sketched snapshots whose shadows, lines, and imaginative perspectives are something even art novices (such as myself) can appreciate. The twist comes when the reader flips the page, revealing the "other side" of the previous picture. Adding to the book's charm are common threads that string each "perspective pair" together, making the story feel like a "one step forward, one step sideways" sort of cyclical journey.

This book is suitable for any audience; its lack of text means anyone can read it independently. However, especially for parents and teachers, this book deserves reader interaction. Its picture-based narrative prompts readers to think outside the box without any explicit instructions. I can only imagine the numerous observations and predictions its pictures will elicit.

I discovered this gem at a bookstore in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Banyai's crisp, dynamic figures literally peek and bend seamlessly into successive pages of unexpected and amusing perspectives enhanced by an economic color palette of grey, yellow and red.
His wordless, narrative style is reminiscent of Jean Giraud Moebius. I like it.

Banyai does an excellent job getting you to use your brain. This one just adds to the excitement and makes you use your imagination and lets you be full of wonderment. Enjoyable for an array of ages.

I love the visual puzzles in this book--I can hardly wait until my son is old enough to "get it".

Ok.. Im not going to babble about this book in order to write this review. I am a college student and read some of Istavan Banyai's book for philosophy class. I stumbled upon The Other Side and decided to give it a try. Let me tell you that this book is simply amazing. I first got it for my nephew because I figured he would like the pictures in the book. However, after I "read" the book, I sadly decided to keep if for myself. I did eventually get my nephew a copy though. This book is full of meaning and is very deep. I looked at the book dozens of times. Every time I look at this book I notice something new comparing one page to the next. I love this book! It's that simple. I recommend this book too. Everyone I showed this book said nothing but great things about it as well. I honestly feel that this book should get 5 stars because of its originality, eye catching drawings, character, and the strong morale this book portrays... "the grass isn't always greener on the other side..." Enjoy!