Pop-up books have been delighting children and adults alike for many years. They have been popular since the 19th century and continue to elicit smiles whenever they appear. Pop-up books make the reading experience a more three-dimensional one. Children may not know what a real castle looks like, so what is better than opening a book and having a beautiful paper castle pop up out of its pages?
Some pop-up books have only two or three large displays and tell abbreviated stories. These displays are usually very elaborate and detailed. These books are usually geared for slightly older children, and even adults if they deal with a true historical subject.
Other pop-up books have smaller scenes that pop up when opened, but they also add motion. A child reading a book of nursery rhymes may be able to pull a tab to see four-and-twenty blackbirds pop out of a pie, or to see the fiddlers' arms move as they play for Old King Cole. These books are for children of any age, and cause great delight as the child manipulates the characters in the book.
A third kind of pop-up book is the peek-a-boo book. These books feature small panels that can be opened to reveal different aspects of the story underneath. For instance, in a Halloween book, the child may open a panel that looks like a door to reveal a monster or witch underneath. The possibilities are endless.
Some of the best pop-up books include all of the above elements in their storytelling. They may have one elaborate pop-up scene, several smaller ones, panels to open and characters that move. The pop-up book provided an "interactive" experience long before the computer age.
Pop-up books are available online or in bookstores - wherever children's books are sold. They cover every conceivable subject, from nursery rhymes, to history, to a trip to the zoo, or even a Christmas at home! Some pop-up books also bring in other sensory features, such as scratch-and-sniff pages or textures on the pages, allowing the reader to feel the velvet on Santa's sack or the leather on his belt.
Pop-up books continue to be popular with children and are almost always a welcome gift. They allow an adult to read to a child, and the child to entertain himself as well.
