Review - Don't Touch This Book!

Don't Touch This Book!
by Bill Cotter
Date: 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Larry the lovable monster from Don't Push the Button! is back with another hilarious, interactive adventure!

I know what you're thinking: this is a pretty cool-looking book. But...

DON'T TOUCH THIS BOOK! (Don't even try it, bub.)

Okay, okay. You can touch, but you can only use ONE finger.

Whoa. How'd you do that?

Larry is a loveable monster, but he has trouble sharing. It's up to you to show him how it's done!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I just read this book, along with Don't Push the Button!, and this is the stronger of the two. While the other book simply had kids pressing the button on the page, this book is a lot more interactive, getting readers to stroke the pages, stand up and twirl around, flap their arms, and just generally have a great time "controlling" what happens next.

Larry the purple monster is back, this time with his own book (which is cleverly displayed within the book itself; I liked the page where he was holding open the book, which showed a picture of him holding open the book, which showed a picture of him holding open the book, etc.). He has readers touch the pages to create colour, make rainbows, and swirl them into shapes; he has readers make robot noises, which turns him into a robot; he has readers roar like a dinosaur, which... well, I'm sure you can guess.

This book is a lot more varied than Don't Push the Button! and therefore a lot more fun. The gimmick might get old after a few reads, but it'll be amusing for the first few times (your mileage may vary, of course).

Quotable moment:

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

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5