I love pop-up books! I think it’s just amazing how paper engineers are finding more and more ways to make pop-up books more complex, and I enjoy the jaw-dropping awe evoked by an ingeniously designed pop-up, and well, these books make me feel like a kid again!
I am slowly building up my collection of pop-up books, and so far this year, I’ve added three new books to my collection: Popigami by James and Francesca Diaz, Elements of Pop-up by David Carter and James Diaz, and Dragons and Monsters by Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda.
Popigami: When Everyday Paper Pops! is a bargain bookstore find, subtitled Where Pop-up meets Origami. The back of the book defines popigami as “the artistic intersection of origami and 3-D or pop-up, paper engineering.
In this pop-up book, by the father-daughter DiazesĀ (James for the paper engineering, Francesca for the illustration), random scraps of paper are folded up into origami and engineered so that they pop up when you open the page.
Newspaper transforms into a flock of doves, passports transform into sailboats, chewing gum wrappers turn into sparrows, pad paper ducks swim in spilt coffee, and the Chinese takeout cartonĀ and menu becomes a samurai helmet and an oriental dragon!
Although the origami part isn’t origami in the traditional sense of the word (meaning, folded from a single piece of paper without any cutting or pasting — probably too much to hope for for mass production), I love the ingenuity of the concept. That said, I also wish the book had some text in it, rather than just the concept.
Check it out:
Elements of Pop-up: A Guide for Aspiring Paper Engineers is a book that I’ve had on my wishlist for years now, and I’m glad I finally have a copy!
It’s an instructional book about the various mechanisms used in pop-ups, created by pop-up pros David Carter (famous for his pop-up bug books) and James Diaz (who paper-engineered Popigami).
The book discusses a variety of pop-up mechanisms that make use of parallel folds and angle folds, as well as other special effects using wheels and pull-tabs. Each mechanism is discussed in detail, including instructions on how to fold and assemble them. And next to the instructions is a “demo” pop-up allows you to closely inspect the mechanisms and even take them apart to see exactly how they work.
I like how the mechanisms range from beginner level (erm, aspiring paper engineers like me!) to paper engineering guru level. I also like that it has a general approach to the subject — it teaches you basics that you can eventually build on, once you master the techniques.
Here’s a peek inside:
And here’s my crude first attempt:
Hee! I can’t do anything beyond the basic folds yet! Paper engineering is no small feat, and I intend to study this book further until I can do more elaborate pop-ups.
Finally, my favorite of this bunch is Dragon and Monsters, an Encyclopedia Mythologica pop-up book by my favorite pop-up duo Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda.
My cousin Dianne and I, both big fans of Reinhart and Sabuda, chanced upon this book this Sunday, because we went out to celebrate the end of our meat fast by eating at Bon Chon Chicken (hehe). We checked out the summer sale at National Book Store and found this book, priced at an affordable (for an elaborate pop-up book, which can go as high as four times that price!) P399, with the additional 20% sale discount, so it all came out quite cheap!
Dragons and Monsters (released internationally just a couple of weeks ago!) is the latest installment of Reinhart and Sabuda’s Encyclopedia Mythologica series. It’s an informativeĀ pop-up compendium of various monstrous creatures, including dragons, the medusa, the abominable snowman, kraken, vampires and werewolves, and many more.
Each spread is composed of a main pop-up monster in the center, which, typical of Reinhart and Sabuda pop-ups, is so elaborate you can’t help but wonder how they lay flat when you close the page. Each spread also has mini-pop-ups along the sides for other monsters. Each monster is accompanied by a descriptive paragraph explaining their origin and other colorful details about them.
Tadaaah:
***
Popigami, hardcover, 3.5/5 stars
Elements of Pop-up, hardcover, 4/5 stars
Dragons and Monsters, hardcover, 5/5 stars
Books #46-48 for 2011
[amazonify]::omakase::300:250[/amazonify]
Elements of Pop-up galeng!
Nice!
Have you tried making 3d paper toys? I made one before. I tagged you on FB on my first two attempts ( Hurley of Lost, and a drummer named Cobus).
I saw the photo you posted!
I actually have a book about these 3D paper toys. Must review it soon. It intimidates me!
Locally, a friend of mine makes his own 3D paper toys — Jomike Tejido, he calls them Foldabots :)
oh my gulay! ang ganda nung medusa head, dragon and the yeti and the giant squid!
nice first attempt blooey! :)
Hehe, it took me three hours to do that! And that’s just the basic folds!
pls pls pls pls answer where national bookstore brach you buy this i got the dc superheroes and gods and heroes also by robert sabuda i know this book since december 2010 sm north? becuase i buy my 2 pop up books there can you pls tell hwta branch on n b store pls pls pls answer back and gods and heroes p579 mahal pero im gonna but that one [sana makhanap ako]
I can’t find the two other encyclopedia mythologica pop-ups! argh!
ang mahal nung dc superheroe 1.219 pero meron ako pls tell what national bookstore we gonna buy this tom if i have and im gonna make a video for this
am still thinking if I should get the DC, am not really a superhero fan…
i think matthew reinhart new book is gonna realease on aguast 23 2010 puppies and kittens and rescue i hope this 2 new books are very amazing sana meron ako lahat ng pop up nila i learn making pop up when i was grade 5 eh and i search pop up i saw sabuda and reinhart’s work so i learned making pop up and this time i can make a pop up books right now my dad saw this kind of book he said ganda and amazing im gonna reply here if i have this
I hope we get the new Reinhart here!
ty ty ty ty very much somethin blue without this site i dont have a idea where i can buy this book without national bookstore i dont have this book ty ty ty ty :P :}
i hope its available now this book on any national booksotre in philippines
Hi Diego! Wow, you’re a big pop-up fan, I see. I got this at the Greenbelt branch. Meron din sa NBS Bestsellers sa Galleria. P399, but the summer sale is still on, so it’s around P300 nalang :)
salamat bibili ako bukas XD
sorry mali pa yung ibang spelling ko nagmamadali kasi ako mag type eh :P
sa sm nbs? meron kasi dun ako nakabili ng gods and heroes pati anu eh dc superheroes pop up book
salamat ty very much matagl ko na kasi to hinihiling eh ;P
maramipa bang stock? tinatanog kasi ng mommy ko eh pls pakisagot naman
kasi baka meron rin sa quezon avenue kasi napaka laki ng national bookstore nila dun pati sa sm northdaming libro sa malalaki stores lang kami lagi bumibili kasi lahat kompleto eh
hi diego. there was one more at greenbelt, and one at bestsellers. try other branches, I’m sure you’ll be able to find a copy :)
yes yes sa wakas meron na ako dragons and monsters wahooo 399 lang sa sm north edsa nagiisa nalang yata yung gods and heroes eh pero marami pang dc supeheroes ultimate pop up book dun maraming pop up book dun tambak tambak!
I want Gods and Heroes!
yehey i have this book
happy happy joy joy!
lol ala gusto ko yung puppies and kittens pero sabi ng mommy ko enuf na raw kasi marami na ako pop up book pero kinokolekta ko eh oi basahin yo yung news kay matthew reinhart yung pilipino pumunta sa new ork basta pop up obok collector niya pilipino yung may 3 2011
kung pupunta ka ng north edsa dun sa naional mag tanong ka saan po yung pop up books nako baka balik balikan mo yun pero nakita ko yung isang pop upp book na medjo gusto ko rin yung aesops fables medjo maganda rin hanap hanapin mo sana makita mo :D
diego, what are you saying????? pop ups are sooo cool!!!! i want gods and heroes too!
if you are a filipino you can buy this book on national bookstore
Haha, I see you’re still here, Diego
hay may new pop up book nanaman si robert sabuda ilalabas sa september 27 2011 Chanukah Lights Bibilhin ko yun pati yung aesops fables pero di kay robert un pero maganda
:D i love your enthusiasm about robert sabuda!
Where did you buy the “elements of pop-up” book,po?
Thank you,po!