Review: Let's Play Games! series

I'm a great fan of Hervé Tullet (I adore The Colouring Book and you should see his website!) so was delighted to see these gorgeous books come along for little ones. Released today in Australia by one of my fave publishers, Phaidon, this collection certainly puts the art into board books.

Tullet (pron. two-lay) is known in France as the 'prince of preschool books'. After studying Fine Art, he worked as an Art Director before publishing his first children's book Comment Papa à Rencontré Maman (How Dad Met Mum), things just sort of took of for this über creative writer/illustrator... and thankfully there seems to be no sign of his slowing down.

In this fabulous series, babies and toddlers (and grown people, too) are treated to six spectacular board books that supercede so many, artistically, creatively. While the interactive concepts behind these books may not be new, Tullet just seems to reinvent the wheel with his gorgeous retro prints and divine colour splashes.

On the back of each book, you'll find inspirational 'instructions' on how to best utilise each one with your child.

The Game of Finger Worms heralds two pink worms on each double page spread... your fingers! As pages are opened, your fingers, or those of you child, will pop out of flowers, cakes and pipes to waggle cheekily at the reader.

The Game of Light is one of my favourites in the series. Kids can shine a torch through each page onto the ceiling of their bedroom, revealing starscapes, a flower garden, even an underwater world.

The Game of Mix-Up Art is a brilliant split-page eyefest of pattern and design that kids can mix and match to create their own art. Each page is split (unevenly) into three.


The Game of Patterns is an absolute eyefest for the very young, with a line-up of quirky, repetitive illustrations that will boggle the mind of babies, in particular. Older kids will love the spot-the-difference elements and oh... adults will love them, too.


What do you get when you cross a heart with a lemon, a snail with an apple? In The Game of Mix and Match, kids will soon find out!

Put your finger on the green line - it's The Game of Let's Go! Open the pages and follow the journey through these extraordinary pages, just begging for little hands to explore, with cut outs, swirls, curls and a surprise fuzzy ending.

Title: Let's Play Games!

Author/Illustrator: Hervé Tullet 

Publisher: Phaidon, $9.95

Publication Date: April 2011

Format: Hardcover

For ages: 0+

Type: Board Books