Kees Moerbeek

I enjoy pop-up books, and admire the art and craft that goes into designing and producing them. This book focuses on seven major films of the venerable Alfred Hitchcock: Saboteur, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, Marnie, Torn Curtain, and Frenzy.

Each film is presented in a large- format, two page spread, in which prominent elements of the movie pop out at the reader as the page is opened. For example, Saboteur features a closeup of the head of the Statue of Liberty, one protruding arm bearing show more her torch. Surrounding text summarizes the plot of the movie. The presentation of Vertigo is exceptional, as a dizzying staircase pops out at the reader and an accompanying spiral adds to the effect. As one opens the page to The Birds, a flock of crows emerges to whip past the reader, and Frenzy is presented via an animated 3-D strangulation. Similarly dramatic visuals accompany the other three movies presented.

As all film buffs know, Hitchcock made a cameo appearance in each of his films, and viewers enjoy the challenge of spotting him on camera. In this book, a small fold-out pop-up reveals the director’s cameo in each of the seven films.

This is a lavish, beautifully constructed book that will appeal to fans of Alfred Hitchcock as well as to readers who appreciate the skill and talent that goes into constructing books of the pop-up variety. show less

review of
Alfred Hitchcock The Master of Suspense - A Pop-up Book
- tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - September 26, 2011

This is 'just' a pop-up bk so my reviewing it as something that I've read puts the wrong emphasis. It's the "paper engineering by Kees Moerbeek" that's really worth reviewing here & it's that that I'm giving 4 stars. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I like Hitchcock's movies too. The bk features images & plot synopses for 7 films: Saboteur, Vertigo, Psycho, The Birds, Marnie, show more Torn Curtain, & Frenzy. A plus is that each film spread has a fold-out pop-up showing where Hitchcock's cameo appearance was.

As a collector of pop-up bks I have a great appreciation for the cleverness of both the design craft & the production. Not only does the designer have to aim for the most striking image, they have to calculate wch parts shd pop-up & how. Then the printers have to make it possible. Just assembling these things is a testimony to manufacturing cleverness & ability. In this case, it was manufactured in China so there's the possible downside of exploited cheap labor..

Moerbeek doesn't disappoint - not only are there great image accentuations: the torch of the Statue of Liberty protruding above the bk, a fantastic staircase pop-up for Vertigo, an explosive montage for Psycho, money spilling out for Marnie, an animated strangulation for Frenzy; there's also an abundance of other touchs: mylar used to show reflections of otherwise hidden imagery & some wonderful use of transparencies.

Obviously, such bks are very expensive to publish so I have no complaints that the bk doesn't go even further than Moerbeek's great design. HOWEVER, if it were to be even more lavish, having snippets from Bernard Herrmann soundtracks wd make these even more perfect. show less

There are very few things in this world that are better than the feeling you get when you finish a good book. I have read "The Diary of Hansel and Gretel" many times over and I still love the story, every time. In this version of the story, the book is entirely pop-up making the illustrations astounding. Every page has more intense drawing than the next whether it's the candy house the children find, over-weight Hansel locked away or the witch getting pushed into the oven, no details are show more left un-polished. After hearing many renditions of Hansel and Gretel's story, one often gets tired of the same act, same life lesson of not to be greedy, but Moerbeek bring life back into the timeless tail. The illustrations make the book worth reading over and over, every time I have noticed something new. From an academic stand point, young readers will love the book. The pop-up will keep them engaged and motivated to read what comes next. The print is large and the words are simple, students will have an easy time following along and understanding the story. With the illustrations, good moral and basic vocabulary this book should be found in every young reader's library. show less

The Spooky Scrapbook is fun for everyone! This pop-up book works a bit like a cigar box, open the front cover and all the birthday party remembrances of a young vampire's 113th birthday will be found inside. My favorite pop-up is the drawer with the "tasty" scarab beetles sent by his Granddaddy Bones. Lots of fun to be had reminiscing with all the partygoers.