Review by Booklist Review
Without so much as a single tab to pull or flap to turn, this might be the most interactive picture book of the year. A simple yellow dot greets readers on the first page: Press here and turn the page. A second dot appears; then, after touching that, a third. The simple commands continue, as the reader rubs, taps, shakes, blows, and tilts the book, causing the various dots to react as if the actually book contained a multidimensional space. For example, blowing on the page at one point gets rid of a black background but now all the dots are shoved up against the top, leaving a huge expanse of white. No problem: Stand the book up straight to make those dots drop down again. It's impossible impossible! not to do what the unseen narrator asks, and those who pick this up is going to find themselves looking a mite silly, which is all part of the fun. The bright primary colors and heavy stock make this spartan affair look like a toy, which is entirely appropriate.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Tullet's brilliant creation proves that books need not lose out to electronic wizardry; his colorful dots perform every bit as engagingly as any on the screen of an iPad. "Ready?" the voiceover-style narration asks on the first page; it shows a yellow dot on a plain white background. "Press here and turn the page," it instructs. When the page is turned, there's a second yellow dot beside the first one. "Great!" it says. "Now press the yellow dot again." A third yellow dot appears beside the first two. "Perfect," the narrator continues. "Rub the dot on the left... gently." On the next page, voila!-that dot is now red. "Well done!" the book congratulates. The fun continues as the dots proliferate, travel around the page, grow and shrink in response to commands to clap, shake, or tilt the book, etc. The joy is in the tacit agreement between artist and reader that what's happening is magic. Shh! Don't tell. All ages. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Readers press the yellow dot on the cover, then follow instructions-shaking, tilting, and more-to magically make the dots change. Wordless, a memorable and creative experience allows readers to say, "Let's play it again!" (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
The ongoing debate regarding the future of picture books in a digital age has left many struggling for evidence to back up their assertions that traditional books will survive. Here is an interactive book that gives the iPad a licking, and does it without fancy graphics, tabs, or flaps. Tullet's modestly proportioned square book goes out of its way to appear low tech, with a handwritten all-caps typeface and art so simple it can barely be called art. The heavy, coated white paper with rounded edges is as smooth to the touch as any glass-covered digital device. Speaking directly to the reader, the first spread ("Ready?") shows a filled-in circle about one inch in diameter apparently drawn quickly with a yellow marker. On the next spread, the same yellow dot appears unchanged while the text reads, "Press here and turn the page." On the third spread, the ingenuity of this book becomes clear when a second yellow dot appears to the left of the first. Assuming that the participant has suspended disbelief and actually pressed on the page of the book, Tullet has set his hook and now only needs to reel the reader in. Pressing, tilting, blowing, and clapping transform the colored dots (red and blue soon join yellow) in a manner that shows how thoroughly the author understands children, setting up predictable patterns to promote accurate guessing, and then introducing some surprises. The simplicity of Tullet's presentation illuminates the tactile and kinetic aspect of every picture book (i.e., turning the page) and suddenly makes the old form seem the height of postmodernism. lolly robinson (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
(Picture book. 3-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
