Some of the simplest of ideas can be the most engaging. I had initially thought this book would be best for younger children - maybe three or four year olds. Wrong. My six year old is absolutely taken with this book. I think it must be the interactive quality that has him hooked, or the fact that he thinks he's controlling the dots' outcome. It's probably a combination of the two that makes this book irresistible.
The first page has the single yellow smudgey dot from the cover with the directions "Press here and turn the page." Similarly, each page has a number of dots with a single direction. As you follow the directions, your actions will make more dots appear, change colors and fly about the pages. Soon you will be clapping your hands, rubbing the dots, standing the book up straight and shaking it around - whatever you need to do to make those dots move. I love that you need to rely on your imagination to really be taken in by the book. Just let go and do what the book tells you to do and it feels like magic!
I think this is one of those books that is so simple, it make you think "Why didn't I come up with this?" and really marvel at the person who thought to put it together. So let's all take a moment a marvel at the ingeniousness that is Herve Tullet. He has been creating children's books for 15 years and has come up with some amazing things. It makes me a feel a bit better to find he's no one-hit wonder.
Review copy provided by Chronicle Kids.
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