Who What Where?

by Olivier Tallec

In this charming follow-up to 2015's hit Who Done It? , each page asks the reader a question about the lineup of characters featured on the spread. Sharp eyes and keen observation are necessary. There's only one right answer, and it's not always easy! Kids will love learning early concepts like expressions and positions as a natural consequence of their hunt for clues in the details of the lineup. It's a book for all the seek-and-find call to action of every page makes Who What Where? a wonderful lap or parent read, while the whimsical art, distinctive horizontal format, and hip exposed board ensures this book will be equally appealing as coffee table décor.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Humor, Mystery, Animals, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

Published September 6, 2016

About the author

Olivier Tallec was born in Brittany, France, in 1970.

Tallec graduated from the École Supérieure des Arts Appliqués Duperré in Paris and worked in advertising as a graphic designer before devoting himself to illustration. His work has appeared in many newspapers and magazines, and he has illustrated more than sixty books for children. Olivier Tallec lives in Paris.

Reviews

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following the lead set by Who Done it?, this installment asks straightforward questions with sly illustrations to provide the clues. Unlike Who Done It?, this new book is trickier to navigate. Some illustrations provide minimal help, or offer several possible answers (only one of which is listed as the "correct" answer). For example, the first spread asks, "Who left a jacket at home?" None of the animals in the lineup are wearing jackets, and the matching accessories on the coat rack at home include at least two and possibly three shapes that are (or could be) jackets. Others are simpler, but most require a lot of looking and deducing.

This is a fun book to share with slightly older kids who are patient enough to hunt for clues and delight in small details.

[Kristi Betts · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book to share one-on-one or projected for a large group. The questions posed for each double page spread makes the "reader" use deductive reasoning in order to make a selection from the characters pictured.

Great conversations can be held for justification of answers. I highly recommend this book for preschool and elementary libraries, as well as for home libraries. It will be a wonderful addition to any collection, especially those in need of higher order thinking / logical reasoning books.

[Pam Lilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to a class of kindergartners and they ate it up. There is so much more to this book than the boardbook cover would suggest. Even this 40-something librarian struggled to find the visual clues that would answer the question on each page.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind-bendingly brilliant kids' book.

[Casandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute book to puzzle out. Not good for story time, better for a lap :)

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the children's librarian and I were squealing over this . . . I can just imagine how excited kids will get.

[Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books because they teach problem solving in a way in which sometimes it takes even me a few minutes to get. But children are typically smarter than I am, sooo...

[Relyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun riddle of a book for teaching difficult words and concepts to first graders. We added a bit of acting it out, and the lesson was a huge hit.

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼]

~ this book was provided as a Review Copy

I really like Oliver Tallec's WHO DONE IT? . It was just the kind of book I enjoy sharing with little ones. It was smartly done and not only entertained, but gave kids something to think about.

I like WHO WHAT WHERE even more. This is just a great book that gives children a chance to practice deductive reasoning.

FORMAT - the format of this book is something kids find intriguing. The book is long and narrow and you hold it sideways. This format naturally causes children to scan horizontally. If you use your finger as a guide you can start to get them used to working left-to-right.

THE FUN - Really fun with colorful, kid-friendly artwork. The top page asks a question and the bottom page provides a selection of answers/characters for children to pick from.

Examples of questions:
Who's in disguise?
Who got stuck in a tree?
Who got a little too crazy jumping on the bed?

The answers are sometimes easy and sometime a little craftier, but what's important is that children need to reason out exactly who fits as the answer to the question.

Great edu-tainment. This is a good book for adults to use to model reasoning strategies.

[Kid Lit Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Who What Where? This is a fun book. Atop each situation is a question. Four or five suspects lineup on the lower-adjoining page, clues are at the ready for young children to decipher and find each situation's solution.

I have always loved logic puzzles and this is similar to those. Young children will learn how to process information logically, using what they can decipher by sight. This will not be as easy as it sounds. Some of the suspects are deliberately similar, with only one minor differences. Those small differences are what young eyes must find. There are no . . .

(This series--beginning with Who Done It?--is perfect for teachers and homeschoolers. What can be better for young children than a book that entertains and teaches?)

Originally reviewed at Kid Lit REviews. To read the complete review and see interior illustratons, go to: http://bit.ly/WhoWhatWhere2016

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This creative spirit always comes up with ideas that make readers think, and this book is no exception. In it, he poses a series of simple questions, and then presents a line-up of possible "suspects" who might have forgotten to bring a jacket or shoes or even stepped in paint. Readers must look at the pages with more than a passing glance in order to see the evidence left behind on one page and then examine the animals and a human or two to figure out who is the guilty party. The answers are provided in the back matter. It's all great fun, an excellent workout for visual acuity, and a possible springboard for conversations about how readers figured out who did what. The illustrator used pencil and acrylic paint for the attractive images, which are surrounded by plenty of white space to make them stand out.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each page spread asks the reader to figure out who did something, like step in red paint, hid under the blanket, etc. Using careful observation skills and clues in the illustrations, readers can figure out each one and check their answers in the back of the book.

So Tallec has upped the challenge level from Who Done It? in this book. Some of these are much harder to figure out. It takes some really good observation of teensy tiny clues to figure out some. I'm guessing some kids will find this a fun challenge while some will find it downright frustrating and will resort to cheating (but you can still work backwards and figure out how you were supposed to be able to determine the answer). Great logic and visual acuity exercises for kids.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely best as a lap-read or read-alone. It's a bit too small for storytime, and it really takes some power of observation. I might somehow make it work in a literacy moment--making them use their words and all. But I would need to guarantee a smaller group than I have been getting. There were 2 of the 12 that actually stumped me. Completely missed the clues that were rather obvious. I was a bit skeptical the first couple of pages, but that was a lot of fun to look and figure out. Takes observation and discernment. Different from other books I usually read, which gives it an entire star there. It also made me laugh at times.

[BiblioBickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of visual puzzles requiring close observation and deductive reasoning. For example, "Who's looking in the mirror?" has one side of the page showing a scene including someone's left eye, ear, and side of head reflected in a mirror. The facing page shows five options, requiring the reader to compare to decide which is most likely. Be sure to ask for the child's evidence that her answer is correct. The reasoning is more important than getting the answer right, especially because some of the puzzles are not 100% straightforward. PS - I recommend replacing "Who's under the tablecloth?" with "Who's hiding?" Great book to share one-on-one with a pre-schooler through 1st grader.

[Christine Turner]

Personal Note: Use with Story Blocks.

Each page asks the reader a question about the lineup of characters featured on the spread. Sharp eyes and keen observation are necessary. There's only one right answer, and it's not always easy! Kids will love learning early concepts like expressions and positions as a natural consequence of their hunt for clues in the details of the lineup. It's a book for all audiences: the seek-and-find call to action of every page makes "Who What Where?" The whimsical art, distinctive horizontal format, and hip exposed board ensures this book will be equally appealing as a lap or parent read.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An simple question is asked about the picture on each page, with the cast of suspects on the second page. Several pages have quick answers, but if you don't pay attention to detail you may be surprised by the actual "culprit"!

A deceptively simple, often tricky, observational book that is very fun! Would be a great read-aloud to a small group, as long as they can all see the pictures.

No content issues.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/18/2016 ** Each picture sets up a scenario and asks the reader a question - with four images as possible answers. Readers examine the visual cues - including facial expressions, clothing, hand & foot size, etc. - to figure out the answer. Adults working with children to learn empathy might find this book useful as they teach others to read expressions and body language.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the interactive nature of these seek & find mystery spreads. Each page has clues within the scene asking the question, and a lineup of possible culprits below. It's a delight to read these, and what fun for kids to learn more about really reading and looking for clues within the illustrations.

[Terry]

This is fun to look at, even if you don't answer the questions. The scenes are cute and the characters have expressive personalities. Limiting the reader's choices to just a few characters helps them focus on using critical thinking skills, find the clues and . . .

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a nice surprise of a book! Read with my 5 year old and we really enjoyed the puzzle aspect. The questioning really got him engaged in reading and focusing, a fantastic feat for an active little Kindie kid. I can't wait to share this title with other parents. Very clever. Perfect for young readers.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice concept and fun book to read. Fosters thinking and discussion. Adorable illustrations. My one complaint is that the shape of the book makes it a little difficult to hold and turn the pages comfortably. However, it is a special book that is worth the effort.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! Children who are fans of the search & find type books would love this. Each spread presents a situation and poses a question (who, what, where). The reader then has to figure out what the answer is (which character left the red paint footprints, etc.)

[Kate Puleo Unger · Rating 4 out of 5]

ages 3-6

Fun! You have to guess the right character for each page. My son and I had a fun time reading this book together. We got all but 3 pages right.

http://www.momsradius.com/2016/12/cyb...

[Alice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 Stars This was a fun look and find book that requires logic and actually looking at the pages! Pretty cool! I think I got a bunch of them wrong...Thank goodness for the answers in the back!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This amusing story is told through a series of questions. Look closely at the illustrations to find clues that will help you figure out the answers. Some questions include "Who left a jacket at home?" and "Who stepped in paint?" Book opens up with cover to flip up. Fun book!

[Becky H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look at the pictures for clues. Then on the opposite page look at the characters and find the answer. Good book to get the young one looking for clues. Simple questions like: Who is hiding under the rug? Who forgot their jacket? or Who walked through paint?

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olivier Tallec presents simple questions in an interactive and new way for children to develop skills for keen observations. Who What Where? is a great book for young readers and those who are learning to gather basic information and problem-solving.

[Bridget Neace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this sucker on the "new books" shelf at one of the branches of the public library--the entire family had fun using context clues to figure out the answers to the questions! Originally published in France and there are two others in this vein/series...can't wait to check them out. :)

[Maggie Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books by Olivier Tallec are sooooo cute and fun. They teach small children to look for details in the drawings to come up with a conclusion. Anyone with youngsters should own a copy of this one and “Who Done It?” By the same author.

[Earl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A companion to Who Done It? Even more visual puzzles that will entertain readers.