Turning pages into a playground

Like his books, the exhibition is experimental, which extends beyond displays and billboards. People can step into a re-creation of Tullet's Parisian studio, complete with the discarded balls of sketches and street photography that fuel his process.

A highlight of the exhibition is a canvas painting of a paper runway rolled out, letting children plant a single dot before moving on to plant another. As numerous dots emerge, children grow their imagination gardens.

From Tullet's interactive books, like Mix It Up, art critic Shen Peng realizes that inspiration is not about looking down but seeing eye to eye, reflecting a respect for children's cognition and insight into human nature.

Mix It Up uses primary colors — red, yellow and blue — to guide children in discovering how combining two basic colors can create a new one. Children can dip their fingers, touch, and engage in games by turning and closing pages to enjoy reading.

"In today's world, where algorithmic thinking is prevalent and artificial intelligence transforms creativity, we need Tullet's primal awakening style more than ever," Shen says.

Facing the digital age, Tullet still values physical books and tries to answer the question: "What is a book?" through his 80-plus books.

"Books are fragile, just paper and turning pages," he says. "But in that simplicity, you find an entire world.

"We rushed to digitize children's literature, but physical books endure. Why? Because they demand presence: a child holding the pages and imagining worlds. My books aren't meant to be read passively — they must be played. You give them voice, motion, and life; this tactile intimacy can't be replicated by screens," the illustrator says.

Running through Aug 31, Scribble Playground proves Tullet's theory that every child is an artist with courage as the only tool.

Yang Shimeng from the Beijing Chaoyang Cultural Tourism Group, which co-organized the exhibition, says that the event is a cultural feast for children during summer vacation, inviting them into a highly creative world.

With a large fan base in China, Tullet's books are popular among children, educators and parents because they are designed to encourage children to participate in the storytelling process through creative play and imagination.

At the exhibition's opening ceremony, Yin Fang, a self-described Tullet fan-dad, said the exhibition shows how to let children become artists through play.

It is also what Tullet tries to emphasize: "We must learn from children, not teach them, because they are humans, not future adults."

Tullet feels profoundly at home during his three-week visit to China. Seeing Chinese children interact with his books, their emotions palpable and their stories unfolding, he sees them grow as bridges, beyond language, between hearts and across cultures.

"I feel that these books are understood, and it's beautiful to be alive through the pages," Tullet says.