Pop-up books shed second-class image

Snap, crackle and pop. Snap open the book, hear the page crackle and up pops an amazing illustration! Pop-up books used to be a kind of poor second cousin to real books.

Not anymore.

Robert Sabuda (at robertsabuda.com) is a gifted artist who opened my mind to pop-up books as an art form. His titles range from castles to cookies, the Ark to insects.

More than 10 years ago, I happened upon the pop-up book "Bear Buys a Car" by Stephen Wyllie. Kindergarteners and first graders loved it. The story was much more interesting and funny than many "real" books, and the pop-ups added to the overall appeal. This book opened my mind to the possibility that the lowly pop-ups had something to offer.

Since then, pop-ups have exploded in number and quality. Yes, they are fragile. Yes, they require special care and supervision. Yes, they're expensive. And yes, many titles merit all these extras.

For ages 3-6, (and very curious 2 year olds) "The Whistle on the Train" by Margaret McNamara and Richard Egielski with paper engineering by Gene Vosough is a favorite. The text is simple and the pop-ups are spectacular.

"Charlie and Lola's I Am Not Sleepy and I Will Not Go to Bed" by Lauren Child with paper engineering by Corina Fletcher is a pop-up with all sorts of additional interactive pull-outs and flaps. The story is funny, engaging, entertaining and a perfect resource for postponing bedtime.

"Sammy's Suitcase" by Lisa Rojany-Buccieri with paper engineering by Bruce Foster is a pop-up "adventure" with smaller pop-ups cleverly inserted in larger pop-ups. Sammy's suitcase has everything one might conceivably need on a train trip including "chocolate-cherry-marshmallow-popcorn-potato-chip pie" and a crane to move cows off the track. This book is FUN.

For ages 6 and up, "Ships" by Robert Crowther starts with the earliest rafts and presents children with a pop-up history of ships and boats. It includes working models of how propellers function and folding flaps to show the insides of ships. This book presents serious information in an interactive format.

For ages 8 and up, there's "Cosmic! The Ultimate 3-D Guide to the Universe" written by Giles Sparrow with paper engineering by Richard Ferguson. As advertised, this really "isn't your normal kind of space book. This is a spectacular, pop-up, pull-out, incredible and COSMIC! journey through our amazing universe." The book literally starts off with the sound of a bang when the front cover is opened to show the birth of the cosmos.

"Moon Landing" by Richard Platt and David Hawcock was created with participation from Buzz Aldrin who says, "This wonderful book retells our story vividly. I should know. I was there." As we recall the lunar landing 40 years after the fact, this book recounts the important scientific details as well as the wording on the Apollo 11 Moon plaque: "We came in peace for all mankind."

Pop-ups are to children's literature what sugar is to the food pyramid. I'm not recommending a steady diet (they could become addictive) but they're perfect as an occasional "sweetener."

Contact Fran Hawk at franbooks@yahoo.com.