Mr Left and Mr Right

Reviews / Votes

Knowing left from right is all very well... but is getting the two together simply off the page?
Author Daniel Fehr and illustrator Celeste Aires have lots of fun and games in this creative picture book with an ingenious concept, fold-out pages, fantastic graphic art illustrations and a page-turning twist in the tail.
Mr Left lives on the left page. And Mr Right lives on the right page. They just want to be together, but there is no way of getting from one page to the other. And they have used every trick in the book! They try jumping across the page, they try climbing over the page and they even try digging under the page, but nothing seems to work. And just when they decide that they will have to be lonely on their own facing pages, Mr Right comes up with a brilliant plan!
Mr Left & Mr Right is a truly delightful novelty book full of inventive ideas and intriguing challenges. Little ones will love to lift the flaps as they follow the bright, bold story to discover whether left and right can ever come together.
Fehr provides the word fun and Aires' illustrations, based entirely on geometric shapes with just a few distinctive colours, add a wealth of visual entertainment.
Fun from right to left, and first page to last... * Lancashire Evening Post * Sometimes looking for Mr Right isn't about looking for 'the One'. It's about learning the difference between your left and right and this picture book is just the thing to do it. It's an ingenious concept dreamt up by board-game designer Daniel Fehr, and his geometrically-delighted illustrator Celeste Aires to help children tell the difference between the two sides, although this isn't a specifically stated aim on the publicity material. But as I read through the book, and had great fun playing with the various flaps, I realised what an amazing resource this would be for parents teaching their children (or even themselves - many adults struggle with this problem) how to tell right from left.
The storyline at its most basic is this: Mr Left and Mr Right are desperate to meet but they can't find their way over to each other's side. They try everything - jumping, climbing, digging ... but they just can't bridge that gap. Until Mr Right (well, it had to be him really, didn't it?) has an idea.
Children will have a great time playing with this book (if they can wrestle it away from the adults). The story is simple but amusing, the images are gorgeously bright and inviting. The paper is also sturdy enough to withstand a lot of playing with and I imagine this book will be one that children will return to time and time again.
Often, I donate the books I receive to our school library, but I think this one will remain on my bookshelves for a while longer... just in case I can't remember which one is Mr Right... * Childtastic Books * Now here's a book that makes ingenious use of flaps and the central gutter.
It stars Mr Left who lives on the left page and Mr Right who lives on the right page.

Thus far, the neighbours have never met but now they want to and therein lies the problem. There doesn't seem to be a way to cross that central divide, no matter what they try.
Jumping across is a resounding flop ...

as is climbing right over.
Digging under is an absolute disaster ...

so seemingly, loneliness will continue to rule.
Unless that is, one of the characters can come up with a brainwave - some divergent thinking maybe.
Celeste Aires cleverly exploits the basic shape and form of the book and its pages using simple shapes and a restricted colour palette of matt red, blues, yellow, white and black to create a wholly satisfying treat that works in perfect harmony with Daniel Fehr's cleverly conceived text.
I suspect this will appeal across a wide age range and has much to offer anyone studying picture book form be it in primary school or college. -- Jill Bennett * Red Reading Hub * Sometimes a problem can seem just too
huge. But Mr Left and Mr Right are here to
show them even the trickiest challenge can
be worked through. A beautifully told tale
of two characters stuck on different pages,
quite literally. Will they ever come together?
Lift the flaps to find out in this bright, bold
story with stunning geometric pictures. * Smallish Magazine *