Customer Reviews

Absolute Beginner's Origami

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've used a number of books trying to get started in origami and found most of them lacking or disappointing in some way. This one is the exception. The projects are basic, yet fun. They are great for kids or anyone who has struggled with origami in the past like myself. You won't be pulling out your hair trying to figure out what you are supposed to do next.

I was thrilled to discover folding guides for most of the projects. This is something I have not seen in any other book. You can photocopy them and practice before wasting good paper. If only every origami book would include this! Conveniently, some colored origami paper to get you started in also included. I really like the spiral bound binding as well allowing the book to lay flat as you practice.

The book starts out by helping you select paper and learn the basic folds such as the mountain, squash and rabbit's ear with clear step-by-step photo instructions to get you off to a good start. Then many bases are covered including the kite, diamond, fish, waterbomb, preliminary, frog, bird, and windmill.

The projects follow with some of my favorites being the star box, iris, butterfly and flapping bird. There is a beautiful gallery in the back showing examples of more advanced origami projects. This is the perfect book for anyone wanting to get started in origami.

My 7 year old son recently became interested in origami. This book was just right for him. I had to help with some of the more complicated designs, but he was able to do most of them. The instructions are simple and easy to follow. Some of the folds can be used for more complex shapes which you encounter in other books.

The cover in this book, when you order it, is different, and the models in the photo are not included in the book either. The projects are all for beginners. It has very good illustrations of the different folds and easy to follow instructions.

On a scale from Boo! to Amazing! this book scores a solid Meh...especially when compared with other books in the beginner origami genre.
What is worse is that only the out-of-print, hardback edition of this book comes with paper. I actually found the older version of it at Borders Books for less money and bought it without realizing they're the same book. The hardback version is almost worth the money just because of the paper. The paper is pretty nice. A variety of sizes, patterns and colors. This version isn't worth anything as far as I'm concerned.
Now to the book itself. It's a mediocre offering at best. Most of the models are rather boring. I find half of them to be not even worth bothering with. Some of the animals are fun. I like the mouse, duck, swan, a couple others, but I would say that to me, personally, at least half the book was useless filler material, like the pinwheel.
And what's worse is the book offers an intro to the folds and bases in the beginning and then just throws a bunch of models at you that you should be able to fold now, assuming you memorized those bases on your first read-through. If you're like me, you didn't memorize them and now find some of the models very confusing and annoying.
I have John Montroll's "Teach Yourself Origami" where he introduces a lot of the same models and yet I didn't find his book confusing at all, because he presents the bases in a completely different way. Very clear and concise with directions that are much easier to follow and understand.
I am keeping this book, but only for about three or four models in it that aren't in Montroll's book.
If you're an "absolute beginner" I would strongly recommend Montroll's book over this.

This book gives the best, eastiest to understand instructions as compared to any other origami book I have seen. Most books have only black and white diagrams with and hard to follow written instructions that include vocabulary many beginners are not yet familiar with. Not so with this book!! It has color photos of the folding instructions with great written direction. I got this book at the library about 2 hours ago and already had to buy a copy of my own. I am sure it will be a great reference tool even as I build my skill level.

This book says it comes with some prelined origami paper. It doesn't come with any paper at all, or at least it didn't arrive with any this time and that was another person's complaint as well. However, past that, the book is good. I liked the way it first goes through teaching the different folds before getting into the actual figures. I also liked how it again shows how to do the basic fold for a particular figure at the bottom of the pages of the figures, and how it has easier figures first, progressing to harder ones toward the end of the book. I was able to use it and I have had trouble using other origami books. The real test will be if my 10 year old granddaughter can use it since I bought the book for her. Only time will tell on that since she is using another easier book first.

These Are Soooo Easy, I Sold My Book Because I Wanted To Purchace something Harder Like Master Origami or Origami Zoo, These Models Are Good For Beginners

I just got this out from the library and it's great! I'm just about to purchase it. The pictures are super helpful, the instructions are pretty easy, you may have to re-read them but you'll have to w/ any origami book. I don't know if they tell you this or not but it comes w/ 10 sheets of paper (at least i think it does). They teach you a lot of basics, and they have easy and hard projects, so it pretty much makes everyone happy. enjoy!

This book has excellent instructions & pictures.

Unfortunately, I have ordered this book twice- the first time it did not come with the paper as described, & the second time (after I had requested help from Amazon so they said they would send the book again with the paper) it still arrived without the sheets of origami paper! I had purchased this one over the others for the convenience of the paper coming with it- so if that is your intention, don't bother!

This is an OK book to give you the basics of origami however it did not include the practice paper that was noted in the description. Also, it notes that there are 100 images of different origami however it only shows you how to make 25 of them and the rest is instructions on basic folds along with images of shapes you can make (no instructions). They don't even give you instructions to make a crane! I think you're better off YouTubing, I found it a little less confusing and obviously straight forward.