#365PictureBooks 19. Mix It Up! by Herve Tullet

Tullet, H. (2014). Mix It Up!. Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin.

ISBN: 9781760110956
Pages: 68
Age Level: Early Childhood 0-6 / Middle Childhood 7-12
Genre: Picture Book
Rating: 5 stars

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First off, let me just say ... I LOVE HERVE TULLET!  His books are just freaking AWESOME! 

Mix It Up! was originally published in France, by Bayard Editions, with the title Couleurs.  It was published in the same year in English by Allen & Unwin.  It has a board-book cover, and stitched and glued pages, which makes it robust and able to handle the use it will undoubtedly get.

At its heart this is an instruction manual on how to mix colours.  But it is so much more than that.  It is interactive.  It is fun.   It gets kids thinking "What if?"  What if you mix this colour with that colour?  What if you smash two pages together with wet paint on them?  It starts children on the track of creativity and exploration. 

The text is simple and instructional.  The illustrations are paint strokes and splotches - nothing more.  But they are exactly what is needed.  This is what children would see on their own sheets of paper as they investigate what mixing different colours together will achieve.  As you look at each paint splotch you can see the paint brush bristles or the finger prints, and you can see the flicks and smudges (the mistakes) that are not part of the main image.  It shows children that they don't have to be clean and tidy when they are trying things out.  Painting, and creativity in general, is a messy business.  Have Fun.  Embrace the crazy.  Let loose and be creative!

You have to check out Tullet's website.  It is so much fun.  There are simply oodles of things for you to look at and interact with.  I spent ages on The game of eyes page.  It wasn't till my second time through it that I realised the eyes move.  Freaky!  And so much fun trying to trick the eyes into not knowing where the mouse is ;-) 

This is a seriously awesome book to add to your collection.  It is a fun & interactive read, AND it teaches children about colours.  I can guarantee that the adults reading it will HAVE TO do all the actions it sais, AND they will have sooooooo much fun.  I dare you to read this and NOT do what it tells you!!!  Our year 5's & 6's are the ones that have been getting the most fun out of his book Press Here.  You don't have to be a little kid to enjoy Tullet.  

See you.  I'm off to play the game of eyes again. #Hooked

I got my copy of Mix It Up! from the Taradale Primary School library where I work. 

You can find a copy at Napier Libraries.

You can check out more reviews of Mix It Up! on Goodreads.

Donovan Bixley: Illustrator / Author extraordinaire!

OMG! Donovan Bixley is the most awesome illustrator around.  

I recently read Monkey Boy (which I will be reviewing later!), written and illustrated by Bixley, and began to wonder just what he had illustrated previously. 

Low and behold, I have unintentionally read quite a few of the books he has illustrated - many of which are in the TPS library where I am the librarian.  (p.s. School librarian is the most awesome job around!!!) 

He has illustrated books by (to name a few):
Margaret Mahy
Kyle Mewburn
Brian Falkner
Yvonne Morrison (whom I worked with at Onekawa Primary - she is a great school teacher, a 'kool' author, and a fantastic dance instructor!)
Barry Crump
Marc Ellis & Charlie Haddrell
Lucy Davey

Some of the books he has worked on (also only to name a few) are:
Monkey Boy
The Three Bears: Sort Of
The Weather Machine
Dashing Dog
The Looky Book
Dinosaur Rescue series
Northwood
Mr. Tanglewood and the Pungapeople
... (like and EVEREADY battery, the list just keeps going on and on and on .... Yay!)

I will most certainly be re-reading our selection of his books when I get back to school and savoring his artistic talent.  I'm also going to try and get my hands on some of the books he wrote (I already have the wickedly amazing Monkey Boy).   

For more information check out Donovan Bixley's official website, or jump onto the Booknotes Unbound - Writers page and read his article.