Rotating, Re-reading, and Reacquainting: A Critical Investigation of Reversible Picturebooks

In recent years, the growing publication of interactive picturebooks and the use of electronic tablets by children have prompted us to revise and reconsider how children read in different media. As a material object, a reading device can trigger various actions of the reader, such as tapping, swiping, and shaking. This paper investigates a type of interactive picturebooks that prompts rotational behavior from the reader through composition and layout. The paper presents a typological survey of such books arguing that graphic design invites rotational reading by combining different orientations of texts and images on the page and the connection of back and front covers. The rotation of books takes three paths through space: planar, vertical and horizontal flipping. Rotation, as a kinetic practice during reading, unveils visual wonder, achieves a circular narrative, extends storytelling space, displays parallel narrative perspectives, and reinforces crucial plots. This article opens questions the non-linearity of reading and about how to account for the body's participation in the process.