MIX IT UP

Who’s ready to dip their fingers in the paint?

The primary-colored dots from Press Here (2011) are back, but while last time they focused predominantly on motion, this time they plunge headlong into color mixing. It starts with a gray dot in the middle of a glossy white page, which the reader turns into a host of colored dots by following direct, friendly instructions. After some play, three large splotches appear: red, blue, yellow. “With one finger take a little bit of the blue… / and just touch the yellow. Rub it… gently….” The result isn’t overexplained—the narrator simply says, “See?”—and, best of all, that new green blob looks exactly the way a real-life, finger-mixed result of that particular blue and yellow would look. Unmixed yellow and blue even peek out from under its edges. While the participatory nature may recall an app, nothing feels digital here; in fact, Tullet’s paintings show paint texture so lusciously it’s hard to remember that these are dry illustrations. Shaking the book, tilting the book sideways and closing the book “so the colors squish together” yield more color-mixing results, all temptingly textured like real paint. Fingerprints and spatters enhance the casual, welcoming vibe. As with Press Here, one-on-one reading will best serve the invited participation.

Have the real paints handy.