Play This Book

by Jessica Young, Daniel Wiseman (Illustrator)

Overview

For fans of Press Here, this new interactive picture book line invites readers to touch and move and "play" with the book.

To start our show we need a band—maybe you can lend a hand!

There are lots of ways little hands can make music. Each page of this interactive book invites readers to strum the guitar, slide the trombone, crash the cymbals, and more—no instruments required! With a delightful rhyming text and engaging illustrations, this book is full of instruments waiting to share their sounds. The only thing this band needs is YOU! Just use your imagination, turn the pages, and Play This Book!

Pair with Pet This Book, another title in this young picture book line that comes printed on heavy-duty card stock pages to stand up to all kinds of play!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681195063
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	05/22/2018
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	168,825
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Jessica Young is the author of the picture book My Blue Is Happy, which was a Charlotte Zolotow Highly Commended Title and the recipient of the Marion Vannett Ridgway Award. She is also the author of Spy Guy: The Not-So-Secret Agent; the Finley Flowers chapter book series; and the illustrated chapter book series Haggis and Tank Unleashed. When Jessica isn’t writing and researching her own books, she’s busy doing school visits and listening to music. She grew up in Ontario, Canada and lives in Nashville.

jessicayoungbooks.com

@happybluejess

Daniel Wiseman likes to draw. He likes it so much, he’s made a career out of it. Usually he draws animals wearing clothes, or kids enjoying a good dance party. However, when prodded, he’s been known to draw pretty much anything else. Daniel currently lives in St. Louis, MO with his beautiful wife and his equally beautiful son. When he isn’t drawing, he can usually be found doing one of these great things: Perfecting his biscuit recipe, hiking up a mountain in some faraway location, singing loudly in his car, riding his bike on the mean streets of St. Louis, or napping.

www.danieldraws.com yesdanimal.tumblr.com

@dwiseman (Instagram)

Editorial Reviews

"Music-loving kids will go nuts for this interactive book. . . . Wiseman’s illustrations shine with bold strokes and bright colors and an inclusive cast of kid musicians. The book ends, of course, with thunderous applause." - School Library Journal

"Wiseman's art cleverly makes each instrument something readers can ‘play’ . . . Whether it's storytime for a large group or one-on-one laptime, just try and stop kids from following this book's titular encouragement." - Kirkus Reviews

"Eye-catching for young readers. . . . A fun, interactive read-aloud perfect for a ­pet-themed storytime." - School Library Journal on PET THIS BOOK

"The inclusion of lively sound effects for each animal will indeed encourage interactive participation . . . and the bold illustrations make this a natural for read-alouds." - Booklist on PET THIS BOOK

From the Publisher

04/01/2018
PreS-K—Music-loving kids will go nuts for this interactive book that encourages young ones to "play" the instruments on the page. A variety of instruments are presented on an otherwise empty stage, just waiting for someone to strike up the band. A bright pink guitar stretches across the whole spread and invites readers to give it a strum. Playing the piano, drum, shaking the maracas, and even keeping time with your feet are all options. The cymbals are the most satisfying instrument, which you play by closing the book to make a crash. The text is full of effective rhymes like "What a show! Brava! Bravo! You played this book just like a pro!" This title offers an experience that kids can have alone, but it is best shared with friends, whether that be in the classroom, storytime, or with a caretaker. Wiseman's illustrations shine with bold strokes and bright colors and an inclusive cast of kid musicians. The book ends, of course, with thunderous applause. VERDICT A winning interactive picture book that will be a storytime hit.—Gretchen Hardin, Sterling Municipal Library, Baytown, TX

School Library Journal

2018-03-04
A hands-on approach (literally) to the wide and wonderful world of instruments. Seven instruments sit on a stage, ready and waiting to be played. A multiracial cast of kids instructs young readers on how to play each instrument. As readers strum the picture of the guitar, bang the drum, or tap the piano keys, onomatopoeic sounds are spelled out in large display type on the page. By the time readers come to the performance at the end they'll need little urging to get their groove on as well. Wiseman's art cleverly makes each instrument something readers can "play," blowing them up on the page and even forcing the occasional 90-degree turn when it suits. Librarians and caregivers should prepare for rips, tears, and other signs of adoration-turned-annihilation from young fans as they take to these instruments with gusto. Interactive picture books may be a dime a dozen, but this latest product of the post-Press Here (2011) era makes for a clever combination of interactive elements and good old-fashioned read-aloud know-how. Interestingly, the companion title, Pet This Book, is less successful, concentrating instead on petting, feeding, and caring for animals. Though well-intentioned, it lacks the bombast and wit of Play This Book's premise.Whether it's storytime for a large group or one-on-one laptime, just try and stop kids from following this book's titular encouragement. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews