Hervé Tullet

There are tons of counting books out, so you'd think the market is already saturated. But no other counting book is quite like Tullet's 10 Times 10. Unlike the typical board book that just counts to 10 once, this one does it over and over again with a different twist each time. It starts out somewhat bland with one 1 on a page, two 2s, etc. But then it quickly moves into the realm of the absurd/surreal, with a variety of other ways to depict 10 objects. For instance, 10 fingers morph into a show more piece of coral under the ocean. At another point, 1 head gains 5 mouths, 6 feet, 7 arms, etc. A section labeled "questions" calls out for interaction as 1 animal, 3 hearts, etc. are hidden amongst a variety of other objects.

This book is certainly creative and the nods to different art styles, particularly cubism, are neat if you are into art history. There is one questionable bit in the part titled "Creation," in which a mostly naked Adam and Eve are depicted. (Questionable for those who object to a biblical story being in a children's counting book as well as to those who object to nudity being shown to children, even if in a somewhat abstract way. These two groups may or may not overlap.)

While I quite enjoyed other offerings from Tullet (Press Here, Mix It Up, and Help, We Need a Title), this one did not quite do it for me. It was a little too "out there" for my taste in a children's book. I can admire the craft and the ingenuity without quite enjoying the product as a whole. show less

With dots, curves and squiggly lines, these pages invite to hours of doodling fun.

Starting with a simple, very large dot, the activities increase in detail, little by little. Every page invites kids to do something specific: draw little dots on little dots, connect two dots of the same color with loops, or draw loops. The directions might appear overly simple, at first, but imagination doesn't need much help before it sprouts.

The book is 'illustrated' in three basic colors—yellow, red and show more blue— and the images are very simple. Little artists won't feel overwhelmed, and older ones soon rediscover how easy it is to grow complex despite initial simplicity. Important hand movements like circles and lines work as the basis to each activity—a great way to train those fine motor skills.

And the book is thick. Which means tons of fun, especially if siblings or others are involved. Even older 'kids' will enjoy the directions and scribble a little here and there. While it did come across as a little too simple to us in the beginning, we were caught up in the exercises quickly. I plan on still sneaking a couple more pages in as my kids fill the rest of the book. show less

Originally published in France as Un Livre (literally, "A Book"), this innovative picture-book provides young children with a delightfully interactive reading experience. Beginning with a single yellow dot on a white page, as seen on the cover, the narrator instructs the reader to take various actions, each of which leads (or seems to lead) to various changes in the artwork, as they turn the page. Thus the single yellow dot becomes two dots, and one yellow dot turns red. Pressing and rubbing show more dots, shaking the book, turning the orientation of the pages, clapping the hands - all these contribute to changes in the book...

For such a simple book - no flaps to lift, no pop-ups or moving parts, no textured elements to touch and feel - Press Here is a marvelously involving book, one which prompts the young reader or listener to become physically involved in the reading process. Sometimes minimal is best, and that is certainly the case here, as Hervé Tullet breaks the fourth wall in unexpected and exciting ways. Recommended to anyone looking for interactive meta-fictional picture-books for younger children, toddlers and up. show less

Hervé Tullet, the French author/illustrator who produced Press Here and Mix It Up!, two wonderfully interactive picture-books which involve the reader in a series of actions ostensibly meant to effect changes upon the following pages - the pressing of dots leading to their changing colors, and so forth - returns to the form in this latest title. Here, the reader is invited to follow a yellow dot through many spirals and loops, in a playful game. Finding the dot during a game of show more hide-and-seek, helping it to jump or get through various obstacles, are all part of the fun.

Unfortunately, although I greatly enjoyed Tullet's previous two titles in this vein, mentioned above, I didn't think that Let's Play was as successful as they were. Unlike Press Here and Mix It Up!, I sometimes found the instructions here imprecise, and thought that they actions solicited didn't always correspond very well with the change seen on the next page. There were also some design flaws - on the hide-and-seek page, the yellow dot almost can't be seen and pressed, because it is in the central gutter - which made the reading process a little less magical. All in all, this was a bit of a disappointment to me, after loving the first two, although I will still be interested to see what Tullet produces, going forward. show less