Explanation:
all you have to do is remember that -28 is smaller than -26. this is the whole trap here, that you think that analog to the positive integers, where 26 is smaller than 28, that also -26 is the smaller number. but no.
smaller value : -28
larger value : -26
other than that they must be the same absolute value as the positive integers, because the square makes them equal. so, there cannot be any other values involved.