The Pop-Up Book: Step-By-Step Instructions for Creating Over 100 Original Paper Projects

A thorough guide to paper engineering of pop-up books. Careful instructions and illustrated examples.

This book has beautiful examples and wonderful instructions It gave me the confidence to copy and create.

I own several books on pop-up techniques and this is one of my favorites. This is a large format, beautifully illustrated book filled with sound, easy to learn techniques, well-photographed and explained. It also includes lovely examples of more professional work using the techniques which serve as a gallery of inspiration. Jackson is a natural instructor whose passion for paper engineering is infectious. In answer to the reviewers who were disappointed that this doesn't spoon feed you exact projects to slavishly copy down to the last fraction of an inch, there are examples to copy in here, but I don't believe that was the point of this book. The step by step examples are actually quite good, but this isn't meant to be a pattern book to cut out or copy and then glue together. The point is to allow the reader/user to master the basics of paper engineering techniques and materials so that the reader can then make his/her own projects. The step by step examples are meant as teaching tools. The point of the book is to learn skills, be inspired by photographed examples, and to use this as a starting point for creating your own work. The author did do another which I believe is called "Paper Pop ups" that does have page after page of pop ups that you can cut out or copy and glue together, and there are some other wonderful pop ups in there that are not in this one. However, one of the things I love about this book is that it clearly explains the basics for someone who is unfamiliar with the techniques, yet it isn't dumbed down. He teaches you skills and provides pictures of examples that provide a foundation for using your imagination so you can create, rather than copy templates.

This is a great book. The author starts with very basic, simple cuts and folds, and progresses through more difficult techniques. The book has very clear, step-by-step instructions, and photos of completed samples. Each technique explained also shows several variations, along with a completed project. You won't find instructions for all of the completed projects though, (the bird on the cover, for example), because I think the idea is for you to experiment on your own, using the techniques illustrated in the book. I found the size of the book to be a big help. Print you can actually read and photos that are a good size. All around nice book.

Really good book. Takes you through all the steps for many techniques; lots of pictures and diagrams.