Press Here: Herve Tullet

An interactive book full of delightful surprises that you and your children can enjoy over and over again.

Reading Level: Ages 1-6

Read aloud time: Under 5 minutes

About the Author:

Hervé Tullet, who divides his time between New York City and Paris, is known for his creativity and versatility, having worked as an advertising art director, fabric designer for Hermès, and magazine illustrator before devoting himself to creating art and children’s books in 1994. He is the author/illustrator of more than forty children’s books, and often works with children through dynamic art workshops. Press Here is his most famous work, which has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and is a great example of the playful, inventive, and interactive storytelling Tullet is known for.

Here’s why kids might like Press Here:

Press Here is not your typical picture book. Instead of passively reading a story, your child is actively participating in the act of reading. By following a series of commands on each of the book’s 56 pages, your child “presses,” “shakes,” “tilts,” and “taps” to make the dots in the book move, multiply, and react. And as your child makes things happen, the book consistently praises them for completing the tasks asked of them and encourages them to continue.

What makes Press Here worth reading?

The magic of Press Here is that the book is incredibly simple, but unbelievably fun and unique. Kids love it because they are in control and their actions propel the book forward. They clap and the dots get bigger; they blow on the page and the dots are pushed to the top. As one critic has written, “[t]he joy is in the tacit agreement between artist and reader that what’s happening is magic. Shh! Don’t tell.” The simple paintings and use of primary colors make the book easy on the eyes and an ideal choice for very young children. The commands are straightforward, manageable, and fun. Press Here is full of delightful surprises and is a book you and your children can enjoy over and over again.

Publication Details: First U.S. Edition: San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2011.

If you enjoyed the imaginative play of Press Here, try some of Tullet’s other books, Let’s Play! and Mix It Up!“