The books that pop (up)

There are colorful, animated books on my shelves that are not quite like the rest.  Less words, not more than 24 pages, and illustrations that leap at you. These are pop-up books, mostly about the fairytales and classic stories of our childhood.

And while their stories may be from more carefree days, the animation and the visual telling are definitely not for kids only.  

I discovered these one-of-a-kind treasures long ago, but started collecting them with zeal during my stint as a bookstore owner.  

While going through the publishers' catalogs, I would see these intriguing offers, the first one of which I remember was the one about dinosaurs. 

Check out how Robert Sabuda's beautiful Castle looks in real life. The book comes up and at you, pulling you into the magical world of medieval times.

Another interesting pop-up author or paper engineer as he calls himself is Mark Hiner.  His Medieaval Nativity is amazing to look at.

Found a simple and easy-to-do tutorial on how to make a pop-up book from Library Thinkquest/Write on Reader. Something you can do with the kids or just for your own pleasure.

Just an update, got another pop-up book today from Powerbooks at the Shangrila Mall, titled THE CASTAWAY PIRATES.  So the collection grows one book more...