Press Here by Herve Tullet - Make Your Own "Interactive" Book

I'm late to the ballgame with this one, my friends (or yellow dot game, in this case). Press Here has been on my list to review since its release this spring even though I didn't receive a review copy. In fact, after reading many great reviews on other blogs, I donated money to our public library so that they could purchase a copy. Yes, we like the book that much. Now, pressing on to the review...

Press Here by Hervé Tullet. Chronicle Books (March 2011); ISBN 9780811879545; 56 pages
Book Source: Copy from public library

Starting with a yellow dot and some basic instructions, Hervé Tullet immediately pulls readers into his "interactive" book, giving them the illusion that they have control over what happens. Kids love to think they have power and control -- every parent knows that. Press the yellow dot, make something new happen. With every direction, every page turn, the book seems to respond to touch, clapping, shaking. It's just a book, just paper pages, no electronics, yet it engages and entertains in the same way as the most technologically advanced gadget. So simple, so delightful, so brilliant. A good read-aloud choice for both one-on-one and groups, believe me, if you want a book kids will excitedly swarm around, this one is it.

Thankfully, Press Here is a sturdily designed book, ready to withstand repeated readings. Not only does this book offer wonderful read-aloud potential, with the minimal text it's also great for beginning readers. The book's creative, innovative design is no accident. Hervé Tullet has design experience as an art director for ad agencies and a magazine illustrator. Press Here was originally published as Un Livre in France, and it seems Hervé Tullet is a very popular children's author there, earning the title of "The Prince of Preschool." I can't wait to locate copies of his books from Phaidon. (They offer translated book versions of a few more Tullet titles.) J'aime!



Want more Tullet brilliance? Hervé Tullet's website is a fantastic resource. Lots of colorful, interactive online activities. Take some time to explore around, learn a little French. My kids like scribbling in À toi de gribouiller (For You to Scribble) and coloring in The Colouring Book.

● ● ● ● "Sunflower Grow" Homemade Interactive Book ● ● ● ●
My kids wanted to make their own "press here" books. Our sunflowers have reached great heights and are in full bloom. We thought they'd make a good subject for our own interactive books, aptly titled "Sunflower Grow." I used Microsoft Word and the kids helped me with the wording of the text.

Sunflower Grow
Let's grow a sunflower! Press a seed into the ground. (1)
Tilt the book to the left to water the ground. (2)
A sprout! Hooray! Blow on the page to bring in a few clouds. (3)
The sprout needs rain. Tap the pages with your fingers. (4)
Look, the flower is growing! Touch the yellow dot to make the sun shine bright. (5)
Wow! The sunflower sure is tall. Touch the middle to help it grow some petals. (6)
What a big flower. Look at all those seeds! Thanks for helping the sunflower GROW! (7)
We printed out the pages and the kids used markers to draw the pictures in their books. On the final page, we experimented with pointillism, an art technique that uses dots to make a picture. We dipped a pencil eraser in paint and used it to paint the seeds. My daughter got a little impatient and all her dots combined together! So much for pointillism. Good thing we didn't try to make the whole picture this way.





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