Matthew Reinhart

I've only just come out of the pop-up book closet, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say I've found the best pop-up books out there. The first one being Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs.

This pop up book is extravagant; there's no other word for it. Most pop up books save the best for last, a grand finale on the last page to leave you with a "wow" at the end. Every page of this book is a grand finale page. If the center image doesn't impress (although I can't imagine why it show more wouldn't), each page spread has small inset pages, and these contain pop up images too; of of these inset pages have more pages with more pop ups in them.

The intricate and sometimes delicate construction of these pages, as well as the writing, seems geared towards an older child, say 10-12 years old. The writing is informative, and there are pronunciation guides for each of the dinosaurs. Best of all, at the end, the authors devote an inset mini-book to why the dinosaurs disappeared; they offer several of the prevailing theories without giving weight to one over the other, ending with we don't know why they disappeared for certain. Responsible writing - I love it.

My only complaint is that each of those mini pages are held down with a photo-corner type thing. They do need to be held down, and I can't think of a better way to do it, but the corners require the reader to slightly bend the pages to get them in and out; over time and use, that's going to weaken the paper.

Saying that though, I can't recommend this book too much; it's fabulous. Kids and adults alike will find something to ooh and ahh over. MT has already asked if he could take it to work to show the guys; admittedly he is in the printing business but I don't think there's anyone out there that won't find much here to be impressed with. show less

Our return yesterday left us with the worst jet-lag either of us has ever experienced and this pop up book was the most complicated reading I was capable of before passing out on the couch for the duration.

But boy, what a pop up book it is. I have 2 others in this series, one on Dinosaurs and one on Megafauna, and this one is at least as good as the others. The art work is amazing, and the explanations are perfect for young readers and old readers alike; I especially appreciate the show more pronunciation guide for each of the ancient beasts. I learned more than a little bit while reading/flapping the pages around and making 'nom nom nom' noises. The cats were super impressed with my ancient beasts impersonations. show less

Well. Where do I begin? Somebody called Sabuda the "pop-up god". King of King and Lord of Hosts, and he shall reign forever and ever, if this book is anything to go by! (Well, Matthew Reinhart - the Crown Prince? palace favorite? - did help.)

Seriously, this book is awesome. It's got a stag beetle from Indonesia that grabs with its mandibles. A little book with a pull-tab turning its pages. A harlequin beetle popping out of tree bark. And it comes with a (paper) stag beetle suitable for framing.

When Maurice Sendak, Arthur Yorinks, and Matthew Reinhart collaborate, what do you get?! One of the most uniquely humorous and slightly off picture books you may ever find. In this macabre rendition of “Are you my mommy?”, a young boy, reminiscent of Sendak’s boy in “Where the Wild Things Are”, searches room after room desperately calling out “Mommy”, only to be greeted by various monsters and ghouls. The illustrations are distinctively Sendak’s while the paper engineering show more can be non- other than Reinharts. The intricate pop-ups coupled with the gently frightful illustrations makes for a fun romp during the Halloween season, or anytime you’re in the mood for a scare! ***I just can't wait until a patron finds the topless woman on the "mummy" page! show less