Last year Hervé Tullet's Press Here, a book illustrated with a whole bunch of dots in primary colors, was a great hit with children of all ages. The text consists of a series of directions requiring readers to... well..press, shake, and otherwise "move" those dots around from page to page. And while that may seem something for very young children, I have read this book aloud to fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh graders and adults and have seen them as mesmerized as any toddler. Now, extending, the fun, the book's publisher Chronicle has come out with an app.
I have to admit that my first reaction was, why mess with a good thing? The book is so much fun as is that I couldn't quite see how something digital could do anything more with it. But I've seen the app and can assure anyone else with similar reservations that it is terrific. The charm, creativity, and wit of the book is simply being extended and explored in new and different ways.
Says author Hervé Tullet:
I've been so honored and proud of the success of Press Here in the U S. When we talked about creating an app, my first hunch was that it must not be a copy of the book, but something new, different and innovative. I thought about a dot's variation and loved making up a kind of 'tactile poetry.' I do hope fans of the book will enjoy it and find the same spirit of fun.
Here's a video that gives a taste of what to expect: