Review - Don't Push the Button!

Don't Push the Button!
by Bill Cotter
Date: 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

There’s only one rule in Larry’s book: don’t push the button.

(Seriously, don’t even think about it!)

It does look kind of nice though…Okay, quick. No one is looking. — push the button.

Uh, oh.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I got Don't Push the Button! and Don't Touch This Book! from the library at the same time, and I just read both in quick succession. I have to say, I think that this one is the weaker of the two, despite being the book that started it all.

We meet Larry, a purple monster, who introduces himself and shows us the button, which we're not supposed to push. We're not given a reason why. We're just told that we shouldn't. And what happens when someone tells you not to do something (especially when they don't give you a good reason)? You just want to do it more.

The rest of the book shows us the results of pushing that button. It's a cute gimmick, but I thought the execution was a bit weak... especially once I read Don't Touch This Book!

This is cute enough, but if I were to give it as a gift, I'd probably want to give it along with Don't Touch This Book! Reading the two books together would make for a fun storytime for kids.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.17 out of 5