I Have an Idea!

by Hervé Tullet

A meditation on and celebration of the birth of a simple idea. An exploration of the creative process: from an initial tentative inkling, to the frustration of chasing the wrong notion, to finally the exhilaration of capturing—and nurturing—just the right idea.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Art, Storytime, Growth Mindset, Nonfiction, Inspirational

88 pages, Hardcover

First published October 3, 2018

About the author

Hervé Tullet is the creator of more than fifty children’s books, including Press Here, which has been translated into twenty-seven languages. He loves to provoke surprise with his books, as well as in the dynamic workshops that he takes part in. He lives in Paris and is celebrated internationally for his playful, inventive, and interactive storytelling.

Reviews

[Heather McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get ready to celebrate the magic, madness, and majesty of the sometimes very ordinary idea. Whether big or small, right or wrong, ideas come on all shapes and sizes. Just remember - it's what you do with the idea that counts.

[Michele Knott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Add this one to your beginning of the school year stack - perfect to use to start your writing workshop at the beginning of the year!

[Becky · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is NOT interactive like Press Here and Mix It Up. Which is totally ok; just don't expect that.

It seems good for a classroom or struggling artsy kid who needs inspiration to make mistakes, keep trying, and a better idea will come. Reminded me of What Do You Do With an Idea? ...just in Tullet's style. The book isn't really my jam, but there's not particularly anything wrong with it.

Fine for larger libraries/library systems. But smaller locations can pass.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good stuff in here--lots of true stuff. I'm not sure to what degree the picture book audience can process such things. I suppose it doesn't mean they shouldn't be exposed to them, and Tullet is probably the one to do it.

[Maria Caplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many entry points for this intriguing whimsical text. Perfect for kicking off writing workshop - where do ideas come from?

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific for all levels. Tullet's minimalist style lets readers process for themselves as they walk through the process for finding ideas.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a reassuring and motivating story. Ideas ... searching for them, finding them, deciding what to do with them. Colourful, expressive swirls and lines fill the pages.

[☾ ila ･ﾟ･. · Rating 4 out of 5]

lu entre deux clients, un livre d’enfant pour expliquer le concept de « l’idée », j’ai adoré! frais et coloré 🎈.

[Nathan Albright · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is sometimes distressing just how contentious and political it can be just to talk about the nature of creativity.  One would think that it would be a straightforward and uncomplicated to celebrate a clumsily but cutely drawn book about a child having an idea, but no that's not the case.  It is all too obvious in reading books like this that books on creativity have a lot of agendas that are associated with them, and the authors are not shy or discreet about these agendas either.  And even, or especially, books about creativity that are aimed at children like this one is are going to have some serious problems in the way that creativity is framed and promoted.  Indeed, this is a book that cannot really be recommended.  Those who know enough to be able to read it profitably are clearly not the intended audience of the book, who are people the author wants to be filled with the idea that creativity is necessarily rebellious and even filled with madness.  It is all too easy, almost a trivial task, to speak out against a book like this one, but it is a far more interesting matter to ponder it is who has the sort of interest in conveying such a mistaken view of creativity in the first place.

The book itself is colored in a way that a child could imitate, beginning with that moment when you feel a puff of breath that comes with having an idea, a magnificent feeling in the author's mind.  After that the author seeks to define an idea by looking at somewhat lengthy searching that leads to something colorful and new that is different than anything else.  The author compares an idea to seed that grows and grows into something quite massive.  After that the author talks about what one does with messy and bubbly ideas in getting to work to organize them and record them and refine them into "good" ideas, within which there is always, according to the author, a seed of madness.  The author encourages such ideas to be cultivated everywhere, although one will not be able to see them all the time.  The author also encourages sensual exploration as well as curiosity so that one's brain becomes changed and affected by one's experiments and discovery, to the point where one will come up with ideas after a great deal of time and effort.

Why is it that so many people think of creativity simply as novelty without reflecting on what is useful or that which resonates with other people?  Because it is easier to think of creativity as being something that is solely within us rather than as being in imitation of God (which would require honoring God for the creativity we have and how we use it) or in response to the needs and problems of the world, which would involve the shaping of those ideas and creations we have by those who use them.  Why is it that so many people think of creativity as associated with madness?  Because there is a strong vested interest on the part of those who want their own rebelliousness to be celebrated and imitated to paint creativity in a way that is hostile to godly and human authority, and to be free from judgment according to conventional or hostile standards of morality.  As a result, to talk or write about curiosity and creativity means to engage in a conversation about the legitimacy of such efforts and the proper boundaries of them, which are matters that some people would rather not deal with at all, or at least not concede the importance of whatsoever.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using various colors of paint, the author/illustrator explores the birth of an idea and what comes afterward as well as the struggles that sometimes ensue when trying to come up with an original one. He likens the process to finding a seed, and encourages readers to pay attention to the world around them. Through noticing, careful observation, and being open to what comes their way, readers will find that all sorts of ideas start to blossom, maybe even one for a book or story or two. Fans of Herve Tullet will enjoy this title just as much as his previous ones. The book was originally published in French.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book can help students get excited by their own ideas, but even more importantly, understand that sometimes it takes time to come up with a good idea and it comes from thinking about all kinds of things that they know and they have experienced. There are a few other idea books out there that speak more to me but...that's me. Everyone responds differently to different thoughts, presentations, etc. so it's always great to know about a number of books in different categories to reach all different types of students.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel targeted as an author XD XD. This book isn't as interactive and geared towards younger kids like Tullet's other books, but still has the same art style. This book was more about generating creativity and noticing good ideas in the world around you. As an adult involved in creative pursuits, I definitely appreciated it; kids may respond to it well too, but the concepts might be too abstract for the younger set.

[Cheryl]

Maybe this is what is missing from my life. Maybe I need to find time and energy to look for an idea. But this is definitely not a guide, a how-to. It offers a reader permission to be patient about looking for inspiration, and then be willing to sort & filter to make the idea a good one, and a couple of brief suggestions about what to do with the idea... so fine for little kids that have ideas all the time. Not for me, so not rated.

[Allie Maziarz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the simplicity of this book! The use of black and white and only the primary colors made it very easy to follow along! It started with explaining what an idea is and then went into how ideas are sometimes frustrating and confusing, but ultimately you often put ideas together to create something amazing. I could use this book as a read-aloud in a classroom then have students write or draw about an idea they have or still trying to understand!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure of the audience for this book; that's the tricky thing for picture books, as everyone thinks that they are for little kids. This reads for much older kids--it's not interactive like the other ones--and I don't think the concepts will be understood by little ones. Still, a beautiful book about the power of imagination and ideas.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to get kids brains thinking. Explains an idea and how sometimes it's hard to come up with one but then an explosion of color. It's messy and a little bit mad and you will make mistakes but keep working it!! Will definitely share this book with teachers as I like this book much more than "What to do with an idea".

[Dna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this to be slightly obnoxious and condescending, at the same time presenting ideas about ideas that young children may not be able to grasp. It’s okay to expose them to the book and give it a go, but I personally wouldn’t choose this for a storytime. It isn’t interactive the way Tullet’s other books are.

[Kris Dersch · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's not a bad idea but it misses its mark. It doesn't feel aimed a children, for one, which isn't a bad thing in a picture book but this is by an author who has made his mark writing interactive picture books for the very young. It felt too long, and al over the place. I've seen this idea better realized elsewhere and honestly haven't enjoyed his stuff much since Press Here.

[Dana Storytime Account · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was very different from Tullet's other stuff and so I was a little disappointed because I was expecting a more interactive fun book like his others. This is a very abstract concept and I am not sure that the concept of the book and the design of the book fit the same target group to be honest, but it was a cute whimsical idea nonetheless

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely piece of inspiration!
Some great lines....
"There it is: an idea....It's a little like finding a seed, which grows and grows and grows..."

"...in every good idea there's always a seed of madness."
" Be curious, look, listen, touch, taste, smell, learn..."
"..there's one thing I've learned: with looking...comes finding!"

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter picked this one out at the library recognizing the style from Press Here (which we love). Its a picture book about the feeling you get when you have an idea and it grows, changes, gets lost, find it again and improve on it. The heart of the subject is about enjoying the embracing the process of an idea, but the good and bad.

[Laetitia]

Herv� Tullet nous propose d'expliquer � nos enfants ce qu'est une id�e. Comment na�t-elle ? Comment la susciter ? Qu'en faire ?"Il faut observer �trecurieux,regarder,�couter,toucher,go�ter,sentir, apprendre..."Gr�ce aux illustrations na�ves, simplissimes et color�es, les enfants (� partir de 3 ans) abordent de grandes questions autour du th�me de l'id�e ! "Si on cherche... On trouve !"

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Marketed as a picture book for children, but who knows why. Too high-concept for your average child reader, and also the illustrations would be hard to follow for littles. Yet another picture book published for adults but bizzarely marketed to children. I'd recommend maybe for creative work teams.

[Ellon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite up to par with Press Here but still an engaging and fun book. I could see a teacher using this book to introduce/encourage a makerspace. My one complaint with the book is that there are so many pages. Not a lot of words on each page but so much to flip through.

[Leslie Marley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the best example of Tullet's work. It gets a bit preachy and the sentiments will not be understood by the youngest readers even though the ideas are important to understand for older children they are not presented or illustrated that well.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Caleb, my 4.5 year old, is a big fan of Tullet's interactive books. This one was not interactive though, and talks about getting a good idea. I think this will go over most kid's heads. It wasn't very fun or exciting.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun book by Tullet. As nearly creative as Mix it Up and Press Here. Great illustration about being creative, looking for and cultivating ideas. The focus is in finding them. Can be read to older toddlers to young school age. Perfect for some fun painting to follow. 3.5 rounded up.

[Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

My toddler (22months) loved this book despite it being quite abstract. I was surprised by his engagement with even the pictures even though an idea is represented by just dots. It was a pleasant surprise.

[Hilary Professional · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning artwork that reminds me of the style of Spanish artist Joan Miró. A story about ideas: what they are, what it feels like to have one, how to cultivate and find them, and WHY to seek them. Many applications for working with students on art, writing, science, or other projects.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for any creative. Honestly, this felt more like something I would give an artist or a creative high school graduate than a child, though a child would enjoy it as well. Classic Tullet simple colors and shapes that add up to so much more than their individual parts.