Press Here

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 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 show more 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

Opening the pages of Press Here a child enters into an imaginative world filled with dots of all colors and sizes, but it all starts with a simple yellow dot. As pages are turned and actions completed the dots come to life before a child’s eyes. Turn the book, shake the book and even blow on the dots in the book and listen to the laughter poor into your home as children & adults everywhere fall in love with this ingenious little picture book.

Again, as I was with both Dot by Patricia Intriago and Lots of Dots by Craig Frazier I simply wasn’t expecting what I would inevitably get out of these brilliant books. In each reading situation I completely underestimated the potential these books had and I’m incredibly thankful that show more Littlebug shared them with me. As each came into our home it was Littlebug that made the discoveries and opened her imagination to each book’s pages. As we sat to read them together you could see the world light up in her eyes and I absolutely love when that happens!

Press Here by Hervé Tullet was the first of these types of interactive books that we read and as I mentioned, it was a huge hit! Specific to Press Here the things we most enjoyed about it were the bright colors, the interactivity and the kiddos couldn’t get enough of “having to” start over at the last page. What stood out in my mind was the level of interactivity and the way it’s incorporated. Just when you think you’ve had enough “pressing” Tullet changes it to “turning” or “shaking”. The timing is beyond perfect. Just when you think they will stop laughing and get bored kiddos turn the page and find another aspect to laugh about as if the dots have actually come to life!

Dive into a world of creativity, imagination, and interactivity as you open the pages of Press Here by Hervé Tullet with a child you love. Watch as their faces light up and your home fills with laughter as they discover what their actions will cause the dots to do and become. This is without a doubt a favorite read of ours this year and one that gets read on a near daily basis in our home. If you haven’t read Press Here by Hervé Tullet yet you are certainly missing out and I’d highly recommend you run out and pick up a copy as soon as you possibly can! You and the child you share it with won’t be disappointed!

Originally reviewed and copyrighted at my site, There's A Book. show less

Press Here is a book that demands the reader's interaction. On each page, it asks the reader to do something different - press a dot, clap twice, shake the book, etc. For each, the illustration on the following page appears as though the reader's action caused it (i.e., after you tilt the book to the right, all the colorful dots on the following page are bunched up on the right side of the book as though you have rolled them over there). It's a very simple concept, but not one that I've seen before in this manner, and it's perfectly executed here. Children absolutely love this book as they think that they are causing the book to do these things. This is great for reading to one or two children at a time - or giving a larger group of show more children one turn each - so that they can interact with it. show less

I loved this brilliant little book. It asks the reader to do something to a colored dot (press here, rub gently & etc.) and when the page is turned, it appears that the reader's action has changed the illustration. It's a lovely concept, and moreover, it's just plain fun to do. I have seen toddlers and preschoolers loving it at the library, I've read it with K-3 kids, and just last weekend talked to a 9 year-old who loved it as much as I do. That's not counting the adults I know who have to have it forcibly removed from their hands before they can rejoin the conversation. Check it out.

I saw an ad for this book and went to check it out--and fell completely in love with it. My face nearly cracked because my smile was so big, and I really can not think of this book without smiling yet again. It's all about the power of imagination, and written in a marvelously clever way. This may be a children's book, but based on the half dozen people I grabbed yesterday and had them read the book (it only takes a minute), grown-ups get a lot of pleasure out of it too.

I liked this book for one main reason. This book was very interactive. This book was refreshingly different and new. The entire book was instructions of different actions you had to do to a book. For example "shake lightly" or "tilt to the right". With each turn of the page the author make the reader feel as if they are causing what is happening through out the story. I feel that this is a hard task to truly put your reader into your writing. However, this author did a great job of it. The point of this book was working on following directions, if you are not able to follow the books directions then it will not make much sense when reading it.

I honestly wouldn’t know what to call this book…I don’t think it belongs to any genre. It directly interacts with the readers, asking them to do different actions involving the dots on the page. So I’m going to call it an interactive book. It would be readable for a kindergarten or first grader. But besides that mysterious genre, this book was AWESOME! I have never read a book like this, and I loved how automatically any reader would be involved and engaged. I think any child would love this book. It is just incredibly creative how the author thought of a way to involve the readers and is awesome that they are participating and even causing the events in the book. Very cool! Again, there isn't really a central message, the child show more is asked to do things like press a dot, cap their hands, shake the book, etc. and it leads into the next page. show less