Art with 100% of the Fun, 0% of the Mess

Mix It Up!
Written & Illustrated by Hervé Tullet
Age Level: 2-5 Years
Published September 16, 2014

Get ready to break out the finger paint.

To say that my son isn’t particularly interested in art is a massive understatement. When I ask him to sit at the play table with me and color, he acts like I’m asking him to sit down and eat a bowl of steamed broccoli. BUT he has a total blast reading Mix It Up!, which is a testament to how incredibly fun this interactive art book is.

“With one finger take a little bit of the blue …
And just touch the yellow.
Rub it … Gently … See?”

Readers are encouraged to tap, rub, and smudge the gorgeously realistic blobs of paint on each page, producing new colors seemingly by magic. Thanks to this book, I taught my son how primary colors mix to produce secondary colors, and how white and black serve to lighten or darken a hue. Meanwhile, my younger child is learning how to identify the colors as she reads along, so it is beneficial for multiple age levels.  

Whether you are looking for a book to bolster your young artist’s burgeoning passion, or you’re looking to engage a reluctant artist like I am, this book is going to get your child excited and ready to create. Oh, and the best part? No paint needed, so there is *zero* mess to clean up afterwards.