The Horn Book interns have the pleasure of receiving, opening, and occasionally playing with the incoming mail. I got to open a box from Chronicle Books in which I discovered Hervé Tullet’s Ready, Set, Draw!: A Game of Creativity and Imagination. This non-competitive game is meant for groups of 2-6 players, ages three and older. In order to play, you’ll need blank paper and something to draw with (like crayons, colored pencils, or markers). The game’s simple and nonspecific instructions leave room for imaginative interpretation, and invite participants to share and discuss their work at the end of the game (after ten rounds).

I retrieved some blank paper, collected colored pens from around the office, and started to set up the game for a solo round. The first “what” card I drew was “stairs,” accompanied by a “how” card of “upside down” in purple. The combination of these cards left me thinking about how to best convey what the stairs were and that they were upside down, so I drew a person on the stairs. In the next round, I drew cards that said “sun” and “at the bottom of the page.” In a multi-player version of this game, it would be fun to see how other people interpret the same cards and decide what to draw. Players can use the numbered spinner to add complexity to the game, drawing however many cards the spinner says from each stack and creating more complex images.  

Ready, Set, Draw! is a fun way for families of all ages to play together. Instead of the stakes of winning or losing, the game fosters conversations about creativity and individuality. For a more portable and individual activity, Hervé Tullet’s Draw Here: An Activity Book inspires readers to “think outside the dot.” Both would be great items to give as gifts, have handy during travel, and/or to enjoy when spending time with family this holiday season.

Read more from The Horn Book about Hervé Tullet.

For more on book-inspired games, check out Cynthia K. Ritter's article "When the Name of the Game Is a Children's Book" from the March/April 2012 issue of Horn Book Magazine.