Pop-Up Update

Categories: Science Fiction & Fantasy , Staff Picks , Nonfiction , Children's Books

Last year I wrote about some stunning pop-up books that adults might enjoy. There have been some new releases that you really shouldn't miss, especially if you are a fan of paper-engineered books.

Matthew Reinhart has come out with Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy (2007), an unbelievable treasure depicting the original 3 movies.

David A. Carter has followed up his terrific One Red Dot (2005) with Blue 2 (2006) and 600 Black Spots (2007), both as much fun as the first.

Alive: The Living, Breathing Human Body Book (2007) from Dorling Kindersley, engineered by Iain Smyth, is a fascinating look at the human body.

This year Robert Sabuda gave us Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Mega-Beasts (2007), a wonderful study in ancient animals. And you shouldn't miss How Many? (2007) by Ron Van Der Meer, an intriguing study in shapes and paper sculpture. The mechanics and complexity of the book make us see things in new ways.

Titanic: The Ship of Dreams (2007) by Duncan Crosby is a remarkably informative and fascinating book. The stage is set with the beautiful silver-chrome-like cover, and the journal format of the text humanizes the tragedy.

The interactive books Extreme Dinosaurs (2007) by Robert Mash and Warriors: All the Truth, Tactics, and Triumphs of History's Greatest Fighters (2007) by James Harpur are exceptional non-fiction books that bring their information to life. In the same series but not nearly as gritty is Santa Claus (2006), a lovely book covering all the important information such as what it's like in Santa's house, specifications on The Sleigh, and how they spend Christmas Day at the North Pole.

Pop-up books are informative and entertaining! Isn't that all any of us can hope for?