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Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson



Summary: Every book needs you to turn the pages. But not every book needs you to tap it, shake it, jiggle it, or even blow it a kiss. Innovative and timeless, Tap the Magic Tree asks you to help one lonely tree change with the seasons. It begins with a bare brown tree. But tap that tree, turn the page, and one bright green leaf has sprouted! Tap again—one, two, three, four—and four more leaves have grown on the next page. Pat, clap, wiggle, jiggle, and see blossoms bloom, apples grow, and the leaves swirl away with the autumn breeze. (Amazon)

Attention Span/reading level: Perfect for my three year old. I would say that ages 2-10 would really enjoy something like this. It really keeps kids engaged and makes them feel like part of the story. There is one word to one sentence per page.

Good uses for book in teaching: Interaction, that the reader takes part in making the story, what a tree can do (leaves, blossoms, fruit)

Favorite part: 
    Child: The fact that it's interactive. She loved seeing the leaves, blossoms, and apples pop and and fall down from the tree. 
     Mine: The part where it asks the reader to blow a kiss to make flowers grow. 

Least favorite part?  Warnings/negative feedback?: None. 

Review: We enjoyed this book. It reminds us of the interactive dot (Press Here) and color (Mix It Up) books by Herve Tullet. It's really fun to watch my daughter get so excited about pressing, rubbing, or shaking the book. I also thought this was quite innovative and took the concept of interactivity and expanded it from an art concept into a real life situation of trees changing throughout the year.  


Award Winner: SC Book Award Nominee 

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