(4) K-3 The silhouette of a shovel and small sandcastle accompany the words "When I build my life"; turn the page to unfold an immense, multilayered castle and the text "I will reach high." Each of this book's six pop-up creations illustrates a similar motivational phrase. Handsome book design and Sabuda's striking white paper engineering add value to an otherwise ordinary inspirational gift book.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 The minimal text ("Playing / Drinking / Bucking") introduces ten horses who inhabit Ten Horse Farm and playfully interact with other animals. From each spread, an exquisite paper-engineered horse springs into three-dimensional space on the page, the movement as the horse pops up often mimicking the activity shown (racing, jumping, etc.). The illustrations' solid colors and simple shapes keep the focus on the dynamic horses.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 No stranger to holiday pop-up books (Chanukah Lights; The 12 Days of Christmas; etc.), Sabuda's treatment of the biblical first-Christmas story is rather modest, for him. Unadorned pastel-colored pages provide the backdrop for the pop-up scenes--all white, with gold and off-white accents--of the Nativity story. The paper engineering is, as always, impressive, and comparatively sturdy.

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2016

(4) 4-6 The opening spread begins an original tale about a knight and a dragon enjoying marshmallows; the next shows them--what's this?--popping out and through the story of Cinderella, and on through seven more tales/spreads. It's a slight but nimble intertextual exercise; the pop-ups, featuring constructions made from the texts of the tales themselves, are amazing.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton

(3) K-3 Sabuda graces Andersen's dark tale with enormous, elaborate pop-up illustrations. Each of five double-page spreads contains one large construction; sidebars open to additional pop-ups. The paper engineering is more remarkable for its intricacy and atmosphere-building than its role in the storytelling. Children familiar with Disney's version may be surprised at the tragedy in this adaptation, which stays close to Andersen's original.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(1) 4-6 Reinhart and Sabuda divide the wonderful world of dragons and monsters into six major categories, creating a glorious double-page pop-up for each. Not a millimeter of space is wasted; the pop-ups easily fold inside themselves and each spread additionally contains a series of foldout mini-books. The text, often showing humor, acts as extended captions for the illustrations.

Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2011

(4) K-3 Reinhart and Sabuda provide an introduction to world mythologies. The book's defining characteristic is the elaborate, very impressive pop-ups that accompany the serviceable text. Occasionally, though, the layout feels cramped, with the larger, central pop-ups getting in the way of the text and of the smaller, secondary design elements.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(3) K-3 This volume is foremost an opportunity to showcase paper engineering. The text itself is readable, but it is the art, popping off the pages, that creates the story about romance and transformation. Each spread includes one central pop-up and several smaller ones along the sides of the pages. Sabuda effectively creates both the gloomy, foreboding castle and the warm, magical, happy ending.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(3) K-3 Reinhart and Sabuda use extravagant pop-ups to introduce readers to fairies and mythological creatures. The text consists of brief descriptions of magical creatures from many cultures. Illustrations include a large central pop-up on each page and delicate smaller ones, often beneath flaps.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(2) K-3 This pop-up volume focuses on size. The creatures are large and fierce, leaping from the pages into superb three-dimensional action poses. Each spread features a central large figure; small booklets on every page contain multiple flaps. The paper engineering is breathtakingly creative and fun to play with, allowing kids to observe in three dimensions what prehistoric creatures may have looked like.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2007

(1) K-3 Sabuda creates on each of six spreads an iconic tableau from Carroll's classic tale. Small booklets to the side of the main image contain the text (necessarily abridged: the story moves at an over-fast pace but still coheres) along with some pop-up surprises of their own. Devotees of the original art will applaud Sabuda's adoption of Tenniel's style. This achievement in paper engineering will leave readers with an into-the-rabbit-hole sense of astonishment.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2003

(4) 1-3 Leonardo da Vinci as inventor is the focus of this time-travel fantasy picture book. When modern-day mouse Providence Traveler builds one of Leonardo's lost inventions, she and her friends travel back to 1503. Along the way, they learn about Leonardo and about everyday life in Renaissance Florence. Cartoonish illustrations accompany the contrived plot that nevertheless manages to be painlessly educational.

Reviewer: Norah Piehl

(3) K-3 Because of Blizzard, young Teune lives in darkness during part of the winter, and her clan celebrates when she accidentally burns Blizzard's robe. In a dream, Blizzard promises her a reward in exchange for her help. With the ice-cloth he provides, Teune creates a magnificent new robe that becomes the Northern Lights. Swift and lyrical, the story is illustrated with glowing batik artwork.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(4) K-3 Each letter of the alphabet is represented by a pop-up illustration from a Disney movie. Cinderella waves, Hercules flexes his muscles, Pinocchio's nose extends toward the margins, and Excalibur (incorrectly) represents the letter X. The paper engineering is excellent, though the colors are gaudy. The animated films that feature the depicted characters are not identified--a surprising omission in a commercial project of this type.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta

(3) K-3 Creating tasty treats from chocolate chip cookies and coconut kisses to Linzer hearts and madeleines, a group of mice bake their way through a one-to-ten counting rhyme in this pop-up confection. Ten colorful and intricately engineered pop-ups culminate in a gingerbread house toothsome enough for anyone--including the cat peering over it at table's edge. Delectable but delicate, this toy book won't stand much rough handling.

Reviewer: The Horn Book, Inc.