My kids are currently 2.5 and 5.5. Both love interactive books, especially books with flaps and other hands-on elements. My toddler is also obsessed with things that go. He loves trains, trucks, cars, airplanes, and all manner of vehicles. He also enjoys reading nature books and loves anything that contains even a single picture of an owl. When recently offered the chance to review Up, Up, Up in the Tree, Trace Race: Things That Go, Push-Pull-Turn! Dump Truck Gets to Work!, Push-Pull-Turn: Fire Truck to the Rescue!, and Push-Pull-Turn! Up in the Air! from Silver Dolphin Books in exchange for my honest opinion, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to add the new titles to my home library.
Up, Up, Up in the Tree
Recommended for preschoolers age 3 and older, Up, Up, Up in the Tree by Maxime Lebrun follows Squirrel as he climbs higher and higher up a tree in his quest for a big surprise. The 12-page hardback book in the A Lift-and-Learn Peek-Through Book series features flaps to lift and peek-through holes with a lot to spot, count, and discover along the way. The book currently retails for $9.99 on Amazon.
Author Maxime Lebrun has always loved to draw. He studied youth illustration and animation in Epinal, France and currently works as a freelance illustrator form his home in London.
Trace Race: Things That Go
Recommended for little readers age 1 and older, Trace Race: Things That Go written by Andi Landes and illustrated by Klara Hawkins offers an exciting adventure with a rocket ship, a train, a boat, and other things that go. The 12-page board book with adorable illustrations and rhyming text includes a die-cut path for toddlers to follow with their fingers while reading about vehicles in fun settings. The book currently retails for $8.66 on Amazon with a list price of $9.99.
Author Andi Landes was born and raised in Southern California and earned a degree in speech pathology and audiology from San Diego State University. She has worked in publishing for more than 15 years. Currently residing in San Diego with her husband and daughter, she loves to travel, cook, and watch bad TV.
Born in northwestern England, illustrator Klara Hawkins spent her childhood full of rainy days indoors drawing and painting. After studying illustration at Kingston University, she found her dream job designing and illustrating greetings cards, wrapping paper, toys, and stationery. She currently works as a freelance illustrator.
Push-Pull-Turn! Books
Recommended for little readers age 3 and older in preschool and up, the books in the Push-Pull-Turn! series are full of interactive elements such as spinners, flaps, and tabs that bring the transportation scenes to life. Three titles are currently available: Push-Pull-Turn! Dump Truck Gets to Work!, Push-Pull-Turn: Fire Truck to the Rescue!, and Push-Pull-Turn! Up in the Air! Each 20-page book retails for $15.99 on Amazon.
Currently residing in Totnes, Devon with his spouse and two children, author Peter Bently studied languages at Oxford University. He has been writing books for children since the birth of his first child and has written over 40 titles. His book Cats Ahoy! won the Roald Dahl Funny Prize in 2011.
Currently residing in his home town of Cleveland where he lives with his wife and two children, illustrator Joe Bucco studied illustration at the Columbus College of Art and Design and then spent some time in New York. As well as illustrating books for children, he has worked on graphic novels, comic books, greeting cards, and stage design.
Push-Pull-Turn! Dump Truck Gets to Work!
Push-Pull-Turn! Dump Truck Gets to Work! takes place on a construction site. Told in rhyme, the story introduces various vehicles including dump trucks, diggers, and cherry pickers. Little readesr will love following the vehicles around the construction site in the exciting tale. The book currently costs $12.74 on Amazon.
Push-Pull-Turn: Fire Truck to the Rescue!
Push-Pull-Turn: Fire Truck to the Rescue! introduces little readers to the fascinating world of fire stations, fire vehicles, and firefighters. The fun rhyming story follows a firefighting mission that takes the fire crew out of the station, on the road, and to the emergency site to tackle a blazing building. The book currently costs $15.99 on Amazon.
Push-Pull-Turn! Up in the Air!
Push-Pull-Turn! Up in the Air! takes little readers through the sky on various flying vehicles including a jet, helicopter, and hot-air balloon. The rhymed story offers the perfect introduction to flying vehicles for youngsters with the added fun of interactive elements. The book currently costs $14.73 on Amazon.
Evaluation
My toddler and five-year-old absolutely love Up, Up, Up in the Tree, Trace Race: Things That Go, Push-Pull-Turn! Dump Truck Gets to Work!, Push-Pull-Turn: Fire Truck to the Rescue!, and Push-Pull-Turn! Up in the Air! from Silver Dolphin Books! Both are huge fans of interactive books, especially my toddler who loves any book that he literally can get his hands on. In fact, I had trouble keeping track of the five books while writing my review because the titles kept sneaking off in little hands to be read in other parts of the house.
First, Up, Up, Up in the Tree is an absolutely adorable tale of a little squirrel on his quest for acorns. My son loves lifting the flaps to discover other animals throughout the tree. He also loves looking through the peek-through holes and touching the indented spaces. His favorite animal is the owl, which appears on two pages through a peek-through hole. The rhymed story is fun for little readers and introduces a lot of new animals such as the polecat and stout.
My son also loves checking out all the vehicles in Trace Race: Things That Go, Push-Pull-Turn! Dump Truck Gets to Work!, Push-Pull-Turn: Fire Truck to the Rescue!, and Push-Pull-Turn! Up in the Air! Like many little boys, he loves big machines that go. He loves tracing his finger along the paths in Trace Race: Things That Go as I read the rhymed story aloud. He is also obsessed with all the interactive elements in the Push-Pull-Turn! books. He loves showing me the different features on each page as I read the texts aloud. My five-year-old daughter, who has been reading on her own for about a year and a half, also loves reading the five books.
Final Verdict
If your kids love interactive books, I highly recommend checking out Up, Up, Up in the Tree, Trace Race: Things That Go, Push-Pull-Turn! Dump Truck Gets to Work!, Push-Pull-Turn: Fire Truck to the Rescue!, and Push-Pull-Turn! Up in the Air! from Silver Dolphin Books. Each of the five books includes interactive elements such as flaps, indents, peek-through holes, spinners, and tabs that engage little readers. Both my toddler and five-year-old absolutely love all five titles. My son especially loves all the hands-on elements, which help keep him interested in the books as I read the stories aloud.
Purchase Up, Up, Up in the Tree, Trace Race: Things That Go, Push-Pull-Turn! Dump Truck Gets to Work!, Push-Pull-Turn: Fire Truck to the Rescue!, and Push-Pull-Turn! Up in the Air! on Amazon via my affiliate links.
Image Credits
Hands-on Reading with Interactive Books from Silver Dolphin Books © 2017 Heather Johnson
Cover of Up, Up, Up in the Tree © 2017 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of Up, Up, Up in the Tree © 2017 Heather Johnson
Cover of Trace Race: Things That Go © 2017 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of Trace Race: Things That Go © 2017 Heather Johnson
Cover of Push-Pull-Turn! Dump Truck Gets to Work! © 2017 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of Push-Pull-Turn! Dump Truck Gets to Work! © 2017 Heather Johnson
Cover of Push-Pull-Turn: Fire Truck to the Rescue! © 2017 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of Push-Pull-Turn: Fire Truck to the Rescue! © 2017 Heather Johnson
Cover of Push-Pull-Turn! Up in the Air! © 2017 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of Push-Pull-Turn! Up in the Air! © 2017 Heather Johnson