I hate this book the first time I read it. But it has improved upon reading. Granted, parents will hate the "raspberry" button.

I think you could do this book in a multitude of ways--shapes, colors, etc. ( )

THE BUTTON BOOK (Tundra, 16 pp., $16.99; ages 0 to 5), written by Sally Nicholls and wonderfully illustrated by Bethan Woollvin, borrows and expands on Tullet’s concept, though I’m sure he wouldn’t mind. On each square page an animal gang gathers around a different colored button. The narrator asks, “I wonder what happens when you press it?” The blue one is a singing button: Everybody sing! The pink one is a hug button. And so on.

There have been many books that have tried to copy the success of Press Here. This is just another book in many. The illustrations are more entertaining, and the conventions of what happens when you press a button work really well for at home reading. I wouldn’t want to do this at story time, and many of the kids may be strangers to each other and pressing a button that requires everyone to hug, could cause problems. Overall I liked this book and would add it to my collections, it’s not one I would use in a public setting. And in all honestly, others have done the trope better. ( )

The Button Book is a simple story that not only engages a young child but allows for their direct involvement in the story. Each page requests the reader to press a button, and each button provokes a different reaction from both the characters in the story and the readers themselves. Along the lines of Press Here and Let’s Play the book focuses on the interaction with the child over an in-depth story or message.

A variety of buttons, different colors and shapes, produce different actions or sounds, from beeping to hugging to tickling. A perfect storytime book, with lots of opportunities for interaction and movement.

See also: Don't Push the Button by Bill Cotter, A Parade of Elephants by Kevin Henkes ( )