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Who Was That?
Each page asks the reader to remember a detail about the characters featured on the page before. This book requires the sharpest readers' keen attention!
32 pages, Hardcover
Published March 6, 2018
About the author
Olivier Tallec
167 books54 followersOlivier 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 16, 2019
Great 'memory' book for small children!
December 2, 2018
Not a patch on his work on Big Wolf and Little Wolf but then Tallec is trying something completely different here and the more I reflect on it; the more I like it. I think I would have liked to have seen his other versions of the story-style in Who Done It? and Who What Where? first to see the progression as Tallec is inviting his readers to a very different reading experience.
In long, thin landscaped scenes, Tallec presents us, almost like an identity parade, with a long line of characters for us to examine. The reader then finds themselves asked to either cover a character, turn a page, turn the book 90 degrees in order to answer a set question about what they just saw. What is Tallec doing here? He's making rightful presumptions about pictures and the reader's adttitudes: that we think we look closely but we're not really looking at all. My boys (4&5) enjoyed looking carefully through this ans answering the questions but they were equally drawn to the characters themselves and their expressions.
With the answers there for you to pick up after the first reading you might think this a one-trick pony but there is enough in the characters here to keep bringing the most observant reader back. A book that is bound to catch out the adult reader too!
In long, thin landscaped scenes, Tallec presents us, almost like an identity parade, with a long line of characters for us to examine. The reader then finds themselves asked to either cover a character, turn a page, turn the book 90 degrees in order to answer a set question about what they just saw. What is Tallec doing here? He's making rightful presumptions about pictures and the reader's adttitudes: that we think we look closely but we're not really looking at all. My boys (4&5) enjoyed looking carefully through this ans answering the questions but they were equally drawn to the characters themselves and their expressions.
With the answers there for you to pick up after the first reading you might think this a one-trick pony but there is enough in the characters here to keep bringing the most observant reader back. A book that is bound to catch out the adult reader too!
June 14, 2018
Cute guessing game book, but you have got to pay attention!
July 13, 2019
What looks like a very simple board book actually requires "sharp eyes, keen observation, and a big imagination" on each page. This book asks questions about the pictures on the previous pages and only if you are really looking and thinking about it will you pay attention. It reminds us of how many details we don't see in situations. This could be interesting to use when teaching first and second-hand accounts to have students realize that our eyes and memories aren't always what we think they are. There are two other books that go with this one as well - Who Done It? and Who, What, Where? Also great for the beginning of the year to show that different people might have different skill sets than others.
October 17, 2021
This creative and fun picture book was originally published in France in 2016 before being published in the United States in 2018. The engaging illustrations make this a fun read-aloud or independent lap book for all students. Readers have to focus while they are reading to answer brain-teasing questions that both engage them and challenge them.
Teachers can use this book in the classroom for a variety of purposes. It is silly and fun, making it an engaging book to help build community within the classroom. Since students have to stay focused while reading in order to answer questions about the text, it fosters focus and attention. Readers really have to focus on both the words and the illustrations to answer questions and build their memory. The International Literacy Association highlighted this text as a fun book to test students’ memory and build community (Cutler & Angus, 2018).
Cutler, L, and Angus, C. Internation Children’s Books. (2018). International Literacy Association. Retrieved from: https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blo...
Teachers can use this book in the classroom for a variety of purposes. It is silly and fun, making it an engaging book to help build community within the classroom. Since students have to stay focused while reading in order to answer questions about the text, it fosters focus and attention. Readers really have to focus on both the words and the illustrations to answer questions and build their memory. The International Literacy Association highlighted this text as a fun book to test students’ memory and build community (Cutler & Angus, 2018).
Cutler, L, and Angus, C. Internation Children’s Books. (2018). International Literacy Association. Retrieved from: https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blo...
June 1, 2019
These books are genius. They are so interactive and fun. Kids will want to read it over and over to figure out what all the characters are doing and why. A book best for one on one exploration because of size and look-and-seek factor.
December 21, 2018
Tallec challenges readers observation skills by asking them on each page what they can remember from the last spread.
Wowsers, this is the hardest of Tallec's books yet. And definitely not something that should be read when you're already tired and brain fried. Unfortunately, I was quite tired and brain fried when I picked this up and I completely failed this observation challenge. A great one to work on kids' (or adults') observation skills with.
Wowsers, this is the hardest of Tallec's books yet. And definitely not something that should be read when you're already tired and brain fried. Unfortunately, I was quite tired and brain fried when I picked this up and I completely failed this observation challenge. A great one to work on kids' (or adults') observation skills with.
February 20, 2019
Who Was That? by Olivier Tallec, a french author-illustrator, is a fun and interactive book. The reader is asked various questions that test the reader's memory of the pages prior. The books is filled with colorful illustrations, fun and engaging cut-outs, and humorous quips.
I recommend this book as an independent reading book for younger early elementary age students. Students would really enjoy reading this book and interacting with all of the entertaining pages.
I recommend this book as an independent reading book for younger early elementary age students. Students would really enjoy reading this book and interacting with all of the entertaining pages.
January 8, 2019
This was a cute little book that asks the reader to remember details from the previous page. My two kids (7 and 4) observational skills are seriously lacking. 😂 The good thing is that they weren't discouraged. Each new page they looked more closely at the details and tried harder to remember what they'd seen. There are a couple more in this series that we'll definitely check out.
May 4, 2018
This was a very clever children's book whose premise reminds of a baby shower game. Someone comes in the room carrying a tray of baby items then leaves the room. Everyone very cleverly has been trying to memorize the items on the tray. Then comes the question, what was the person wearing?!?
March 4, 2018
A companion to Who Done It? and Who What Where? Even more visual puzzles that will entertain readers.
March 23, 2018
I would suggest this for a 2019 CLEL Bell. Great opportunities for talking here.
April 16, 2018
This is a surprisingly tricky little book for young readers but entertaining nonetheless.
Give it a go if you fancy testing out some of these brain teasers and good luck! You're gonna need it!
Give it a go if you fancy testing out some of these brain teasers and good luck! You're gonna need it!
August 3, 2018
A memory game in book format. Questions on each page challenge the reader to look carefully at the illustrations. Terrific for reading with one child at a time.
August 14, 2018
LOVE this book. Fun and interactive!
January 18, 2019
By far the hardest book in this series (I say bashfully, as I have missed almost all the questions!), a test for your observation and memory.
February 15, 2019
More than a picture book. More than a concept book. This is a true mind tester.
April 13, 2018
I picked this book up excitedly when I saw it, as I loved Tallec’s “Who Done It?” and couldn’t wait to see what this one was like. I must admit that “Who Was That?” threw me for a loop! Recommended for preschool- and early-elementary-aged-children, I figured solving the riddles would be a walk in the park for me as I read it with my 2.5- and 5-year-old daughters… I was wrong!
In “Who Was That?” Tallec challenges your understanding of the difference between looking and truly seeing. Mixing hand-drawn cartoon illustrations with cut-outs and different-sized pages, Tallec challenges his readers to answer questions based on illustrations from the previous page (or from illustrations throughout the whole book, as when he asked the reader to pick out the character new to the book at the very end). My girls giggled at each picture and question, though neither came anywhere close to being able to answer any of the questions. While I got frustrated with myself when I couldn’t answer correctly, it didn’t seem to bother them one bit… Gotta love a book that is fun to read AND has a chance to teach an important life lesson.
As we got to the last page I was ready to question the targeted age range of 3-8, but both of my children immediately asked to read it again… and once again giggled through the page, unruffled by the difficulty of recall. As is often the case, they taught me tons about resilience and enjoyment when I was ready to give up on the book all together! Fans of Tallec’s other books and of Herve Tullet’s books (Press Here, Mix It Up, Let’s Play, etc) will enjoy this one, too— especially if they’re children and not adults!
In “Who Was That?” Tallec challenges your understanding of the difference between looking and truly seeing. Mixing hand-drawn cartoon illustrations with cut-outs and different-sized pages, Tallec challenges his readers to answer questions based on illustrations from the previous page (or from illustrations throughout the whole book, as when he asked the reader to pick out the character new to the book at the very end). My girls giggled at each picture and question, though neither came anywhere close to being able to answer any of the questions. While I got frustrated with myself when I couldn’t answer correctly, it didn’t seem to bother them one bit… Gotta love a book that is fun to read AND has a chance to teach an important life lesson.
As we got to the last page I was ready to question the targeted age range of 3-8, but both of my children immediately asked to read it again… and once again giggled through the page, unruffled by the difficulty of recall. As is often the case, they taught me tons about resilience and enjoyment when I was ready to give up on the book all together! Fans of Tallec’s other books and of Herve Tullet’s books (Press Here, Mix It Up, Let’s Play, etc) will enjoy this one, too— especially if they’re children and not adults!
April 4, 2018
Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own. #partner #kidlitexchange
“Who Was That” by Olivier Tallec is more memory game than story book. Each page features illustrations and then a follow up question about who was doing a certain thing on the next page. It definitely would take a lot of study of the illustrations to be successful in answering each question, as many of the questions center on small details or things that are not so straightforward. Thankfully there is an answer key which is helpful. There are a few interactive parts to the book, which seem to be a big trend lately, but those are not the focus of the book. I think the book would’ve benefited from an explanation page at the beginning, so the reader knows what they are about to get into. Apparently the book is the third in a series, which may mean it is more easily understood by those who have read the first books. But if you are picking this book up with no background knowledge, the first read or two will likely be confusing. Overall, I found the book confusing, and the illustrations are not really my style. This book is definitely best suited for mid-older elementary readers.
“Who Was That” by Olivier Tallec is more memory game than story book. Each page features illustrations and then a follow up question about who was doing a certain thing on the next page. It definitely would take a lot of study of the illustrations to be successful in answering each question, as many of the questions center on small details or things that are not so straightforward. Thankfully there is an answer key which is helpful. There are a few interactive parts to the book, which seem to be a big trend lately, but those are not the focus of the book. I think the book would’ve benefited from an explanation page at the beginning, so the reader knows what they are about to get into. Apparently the book is the third in a series, which may mean it is more easily understood by those who have read the first books. But if you are picking this book up with no background knowledge, the first read or two will likely be confusing. Overall, I found the book confusing, and the illustrations are not really my style. This book is definitely best suited for mid-older elementary readers.
March 18, 2018
Once youngsters understand how this book works, they'll realize that they need to pay attention and try to notice everything in the pictures. After all, there will be questions about the color of Olive's underwear and who was drinking juice while sitting on the sofa. Since readers have no idea what question they will need to answer, it can be hard to know what to see. Someone with a photographic memory will find it easy, but the rest of us, not so much. Instead, we'll have to work on increasing our memory power and powers of observations while also staying focused. I think my favorite image in the series included here concerns the person with the best aim since I could follow the color cues to solve that one. Although there is a story here, that isn't really what is important, but instead, what the reader notices. There's even a bit of interaction through shaking and tilting a page or two.
June 1, 2018
❤Thanks to @kidlitexchange #partner for this review copy of Who Was That? by Olivier Tallec and published by @chroniclebooks ~ All opinions are my own❤
This is the latest book in a unique series of books by Tallec that engage the reader to use their memory and logic skills to answer question prompts. I loved his previous books Who done it? and Who What Where? They challenge the reader to use visual clues in the picture to solve the mystery. I love the feel of the books and the adorable character illustrations. I found this book to be a bit more difficult to follow; the questions and answers were more spread out, making it hard to make the connections. I love the concept though and It might be a good extension for readers who have surpassed the challenge of the previous books. My little ones still enjoyed it but they couldn’t really get any of the answers without some assistance from me.
This is the latest book in a unique series of books by Tallec that engage the reader to use their memory and logic skills to answer question prompts. I loved his previous books Who done it? and Who What Where? They challenge the reader to use visual clues in the picture to solve the mystery. I love the feel of the books and the adorable character illustrations. I found this book to be a bit more difficult to follow; the questions and answers were more spread out, making it hard to make the connections. I love the concept though and It might be a good extension for readers who have surpassed the challenge of the previous books. My little ones still enjoyed it but they couldn’t really get any of the answers without some assistance from me.
August 14, 2021
The third of a series of books by Tallec translated from French, this one may be the most difficult - particularly if you have not seen the first two.
In this short and wide book, readers are to look at the pictures, hear an action, and then recall a detail from the initial image they saw.
Readers are encouraged to read the book's blurb/description before jumping in, as it may be frustrating for first-time readers to jump "the directions" on how to enjoy it. I read this with a 3-year-old, who had difficulty with it; a 5-yo had an easier time with it. A second or third reading was more successful.
Good to use with helping children recall details, best used on a one-on-one basis. Very difficult to use with a group of children.
An optional title for PreK-grade 2.
In this short and wide book, readers are to look at the pictures, hear an action, and then recall a detail from the initial image they saw.
Readers are encouraged to read the book's blurb/description before jumping in, as it may be frustrating for first-time readers to jump "the directions" on how to enjoy it. I read this with a 3-year-old, who had difficulty with it; a 5-yo had an easier time with it. A second or third reading was more successful.
Good to use with helping children recall details, best used on a one-on-one basis. Very difficult to use with a group of children.
An optional title for PreK-grade 2.
December 2, 2023
Reader's memories are tested to see what they observed in the previous picture.
Very similar to Mr. Tallec's Who Done It? book, but in this one, readers are given a picture, turn the page, and are then asked a question about the picture on the page before. Sometimes a simple "who was wearing such-and-such?", but frequently a little more difficult. It would be interesting to read this to a group and then read Who Done It? and see if the same people are answering questions in both books, or if some of the group are better with the question before the picture or after...
Content notes: Minimal issue, some characters (human and animal) are only wearing underwear (though some of the animals aren't wearing anything, so...).
March 13, 2018
I really wanted to like this book. It's whimsicle, interactive, and challengeing. I just think it is a little to challenging. It's more like a game than a book, because I can't imagine many children being able to actually guess who did what from page to page. It seems like it would work best for one on one reads with a child who would be fine flipping back and forth.
August 6, 2018
What I liked most about this book was the shape.
It was fun, though. It gives the reader the opportunity to pay attention to each page, because the next will see how well you were paying attention.
It was fun, though. It gives the reader the opportunity to pay attention to each page, because the next will see how well you were paying attention.
March 11, 2018
Not my favorite in the series, I found it to be confusing at times. Once kids know it's not as straight forward as the others in the series, I know they will still like this book.
March 20, 2018
The first two books are better, but kids will still enjoy this one.
March 27, 2018
Lots of cute picture puzzles
June 5, 2018
This isn't really a story, it's a kind of a puzzle, or a test about paying attention.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews