Time for play!: Herve Tullet's playful trilogy of picture books (ages 3-7)

Summer brings a chance for all of us, especially children, to revel in playfulness. Some of my favorite moments are watching kids read and play with Hervé Tullet's terrific picture books: Press Here, Mix It Up! and Let's Play!

Kids love the way these books invite them to be part of the story, as they tap, shake and and tilt the book to make the dots move and change. Each book features a bright yellow dot that bounces and morphs through the pages. They are simple and completely imaginative at the same time. Tullet told Entertainment Weekly,

“In the text, I use words that encourage the reader to play, gesture, and have fun with the child they are reading with. The book is really a tool for interaction between the reader and child that needs a reader’s voice in order to work.” --Hervé Tullet 

Press Here starts by inviting children to tap, shake and tilt the book to change the dot. Mix It Up! celebrates the delight children experience combining colors with their fingers, watching them blend and change. Let's Play! revisits this interactive experience, this time adding the element of emotions to the mix. Find them here:

• Press Here, by Hervé Tullet, 2011 (Amazon, your local library)
• Mix It Up!, by Hervé Tullet, 2014 (Amazon, your local library)
• Let's Play!, by Hervé Tullet, 2016 (Amazon, your local library)

Press Here enraptured my youngest daughter when she was in 1st grade, and was a real part of her reading journey. She read it over and over again--precisely because Tullet showed her that she, the reader, was essential to the story. Have fun watching Tullet read Press Here aloud with the delightful Rocco Staino for KidLitTV.

With the cacophony of political noise this month, some of it truly disturbing, I find myself wanting to escape into books--much like my friend Donalyn Miller described in her NerdyBookClub post today. Many thanks to Hervé Tullet for sharing his playful energy and fresh spirit to lighten my days.

Many thanks to the publisher, Chronicle Books, for sharing review copies. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2016 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books