I am going to sing a song about Hervé Tullet. Heck, his name is practically a song already.
Hervé, Hervé
The kids all say:
Let me have that!
This one's blue!
I made a match!Hervé, Hervé,
The teachers all say:
What do you see?
Use your finger!
Can I keep this?Hervé, Hervé,
We could play all day,
While our tiny brains develop
In a million different ways.
Hervé!
(Hmmph. This is why my husband is the extemporaneous lyricist in my house, not me. I do a good melody, but he's the guy who, pouring the bubble bath in the tub for our younger son, rhymed "car key" with "Gethsemane" in his extemporaneous Jesus bubble bath song. I can't top that.)
Hervé Tullet probably manufactures a pretty swell extemporaneous song, too. After all, he's the genius who brought us Press Here, that magic trick of a picture book with the faux cause-and-effect interactivity.
Nothing faux here. Each of these six little board books from Phaidon encourages a kid to interact with the book in a specific way. The Game of Light features patterned die-cut pages to shine a flashlight through and experiment with light and shadow. The Game of Patterns requires observation and concentration as the reader looks for the differences between very similar - but not identical - facing pages. The Game of Let's Go! combines a fuzzy green flocked line with die-cut shapes to create a book that is beautiful even with your eyes shut. A variety of learners can enjoy the colors, patterns, and tactile qualities of these books.
By the way, these books are not for silent appreciation. While a little kid might happily explore them by herself - no reading necessary - they are even more fun to share, as questions and observations arise. I shared these books with the Three Day Threes at the Community Play School, a progressive preschool in our neighborhood, and it was very interesting to hear those kids grasping for vocabulary that accurately described what they were seeing.
"It's dots on that side and on the other side it's circles."
"Somebody was messy with paint."
"I would not want a worm in my cake!"
Each of these beautifully printed and produced little jobbies is $8.95, but they are so durably made that I would spring for 'em, if my library served kids that little. As it is, I believe I get the unpolluted pleasure of donating these copies to the Community Play School.
Also reviewed by Jeff at Out With The Kids.
And by Betsy at Fuse #8.
And by Tania at Kids Book Review.
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