10 Times 10 by Hervé Tullet, and: Mix It Up! by Hervé Tullet (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: 10 Times 10 by Hervé Tullet, and: Mix It Up! by Hervé Tullet Elizabeth Bush Tullet, Hervé 10 Times 10; written and illus. by Hervé Tullet. Tate, 2014 112 p ISBN 978-1-84976-247-2 $15.95 R 3–6 yrs Mix It Up!; written and illus. by Hervé Tullet. Handprint/Chronicle, 2014 64 p ISBN 978-1-4521-3735-3 $15.99 R 3–6 yrs These stylish concept books bring fresh pizzazz to a pair of well-worn topics, counting and colors. 10 Times 10 offers ten different ways to get from one to ten, from the simplest (the requisite number of numerals written on each of ten pages), to inventive stories that play out largely in images. Finger counting, for example, begins by sequentially lifting five fingers on one hand, and then continuing to ten fingers on that same hand, which results in a coral-like organism through which fish can swim. A wordless retelling of the Genesis creation story adds elements of nature through to Adam, Eve, and the serpent. Cubist-inspired art is achieved by adding multiple body parts to a giant pink head. Mix It Up! invites kids to interact with the book and predict what will happen when they imaginatively smear, shake, drip, or press blotches and streaks of colors together. For example, swaths of yellow and blue face each other across the gutter, while the narrator encourages, “So shake the book really hard. What do you think will happen?” The page turn reveals a messy marbling of green where the imaginary paint has dripped. Both titles suggest oversized board book format with their chunky covers and square trims, but the relatively large page count necessitates paper pages, which, though sturdy, are not as hefty as cardboard. Holiday shoppers who rightly suspect their preschool recipients probably already have Pat the Bunny and The Very Hungry Caterpillar can put these on their lists. Copyright © 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois