Say Zoop!

Tullet adds to his collection of books (Press Here, Mix It Up!, etc.) in which readers interact with dots on the page. This time, the painted dots designate sound: small blue dots for small sounds (“Now put your finger on the little dot and say a little oh!”) and larger ones for louder sounds (“Then put your finger on the big dot and say a huge oh!”). The narrator makes helpful suggestions but never turns bossy: “Make a shivering oh! (You could even shake the book a little bit.)” Activities and ideas come thick and fast as red dots join the blue ones: they make animal noises, argue, and then make up. With the addition of yellow (“Hi! Say waahoo! With your finger”), noises and frantic activity proliferate, and the pages grow more beautiful as well, with a Mondrian-like palette of basic primaries. Franceschelli’s translation renders Tullet’s French in easy, natural English. Parents and young children will enjoy going through the pages of sound experiments together—it’s a book that’s all about play, the noisier the better. Ages 3–5. (Aug.)