Kirkus Review
A truly toddler-friendly pairing of clapping and counting. Portuguese illustrator Matoso (Where Do We Go When We Disappear?, 2013) cleverly leverages basic book design into an ongoing invitation to interactive responses, reminiscent of Herv Tullet's Press Here (2011). On each spread she artfully places one or more stylized figuresusually pink- but occasionally black-skinned peopleso that bringing the covers together creates an action: an open-armed musician centered on the gutter, for instance, crashes cymbals together; two opposing faces kiss; passers-by exchange high-fives; a panini press closes on an arrangement of cheese and veggies. Each action comes with a numeral and the equivalent number of sound effects, from "Mwah Mwah" for the smoochers to an accordion player's eight times repeated "Fomfim" and a weightlifter's 12 labored "FFF"s. Actual hand clapping doesn't come in until the final "15" offers a trio with palms held up and open. Younger children will immediately and delightedly key in to the percussive possibilities, though the volume has uniformly cut edges and rounded corners with no provision for keeping the same place inside while repeatedly clapping the covers together. That small flaw aside, an open-and-shut winner. (Picture book. 2-4) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Nonsense, noise, and numbers combine in this Portuguese import. A hardback cover and rounded pages are useful for younger page turners, while older ones will contemplate the quirky people and animals composed of geometric shapes illustrated in the brightest of primary colors. The blocky designs and text demand interactive listening, encouraging kids to stand up and move. From 1 (Doing) to 15 (Clap), children's action and participation are essential. Whether they are shouting out the 13 Tings along with the happy triangle player or booming 11 Bongs with the big bass drum player, they will laugh at the unusual demands. For instance, the accordion-playing girl for the number 8 says Fomfim 8 times, a word that gets sillier and sillier as it's repeated. Definitely for read-aloud storytimes, this presentation invites readers' participation. A last page is chock-full of a crowd of active children in a variety of poses, encouraging further energetic movement. Pair this with Christie Matheson's quieter Tap the Magic Tree (2013) or Hervé Tullet's Press Here (2011).--Gepson, Lolly Copyright 2016 Booklist