★★★★★

“Press the yellow dot on the cover of this book, follow the instructions within, and embark upon a magical journey! Each page of this surprising book instructs the reader to press the dots, shake the pages, tilt the book, and who knows what will happen next! Children and adults alike will giggle with delight as the dots multiply, change direction, and grow in size! Especially remarkable because the adventure occurs on the flat surface of the simple, printed page, this unique picture book about the power of imagination and interactivity will provide read-aloud fun for all ages!”

From the first page, of Press Here by Herve Tullet, “Ready?” to the last page “Want to do it again?” I knew this was a magical book! Our nearly three-year old granddaughter was transfixed with this book. First time through the delight, wonder and sense of magic was palpable. She even pointed out her “fingerprint” on one of the red dots, something I had overlooked.

I would contend that Press Here is actually more interactive than many digital picture books. Touching, rubbing, shaking, blowing, tilting – can you name an app that registers all those different actions? The design of the book is also memorable. Press Here arrives without a jacket and sporting the old school Golden Book-like raw cover edges with exposed gray cardboard. The page stock is thick and glossy hopefully helping in the wear and tear department.

An interactive book for interactive times. What a fun book!