Encyclopedia Mythologica: Gods and Heroes Pop-Up [Hardcover]

Matthew Reinhart (Author, Illustrator), Robert Sabuda (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2010 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Encyclopedia Mythologica

The creators of the New York Times best-selling Encyclopedia Prehistorica series offer a mythic look at the mysteries of the past with an entire pantheon of remarkable pop-ups.

For all of recorded history, humans have sought to understand Earth’s mysteries in the realm of the divine — and aspired to conduct themselves as heroes. Only gods, of course, could push the sun across the sky,forge entire continents, and impel mountains to touch the clouds. In this stunning volume, the incomparable team of Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda take us to Ra-Atum’s land in Ancient Egypt; above the Grecian clouds to Zeus’s Mount Olympus; up to Norse god Odin’s frozen north; to the Far East, where the Jade Emperor sits in the heavens; into the wilds of Oceania, where Pele’s volcanic rage simmers below the earth; and to many more lands and times, all rich with sacred myths and legends.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–8—This handsome volume introduces beings powerful enough to "push the seasons forward, forge mighty civilizations, and shape the very earth." Six gloriously illustrated spreads, each graced by a dramatic paper-sculpture centerpiece and additional fold-out booklets, provide a glimpse at gods and heroes from around the world along with appetite-whetting tidbits of myths and legends. Represented are the deities of ancient Egypt, the Greek pantheon, mortal champions of the classical world, Norse gods and goddesses, Asian and Polynesian divinities, and the "Great Spirits of the New World." The artwork, set against pastel backdrops, combines traditional images with modern sensibilities to stunning effect. An airy pop-up of Olympus includes all 12 primary gods; a pull-tab flips miniature pages to reveal Herakles's 12 labors; a 3-D Thor swings his famed hammer down with a powerful thrust; hot-headed Pele emerges from a volcano base; Spider Woman weaves a celestial web out of silver cord; and more. The text covers a lot of ground but is well written and works hand-in-hand with the striking, innovative illustrations to encourage further exploration. Use this attention-grabbing overview to brew up reader interest and launch studies of ancient cultures and mythology.—Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

The creators behind the popular Encyclopedia Prehistorica series of pop-up books offer this second volume in the Encyclopedia Mythologica (following Fairies and Magical Creatures, 2008). Ranging beyond the better-known canon of classical mythology, the book is evenly weighted to include Egyptian, Norse, Eastern, and New World legends. Each of the six main spreads is dominated by a large centerpiece, which is surrounded by three or four flaps that open to reveal smaller but often no-less-impressive pop-ups that dive into substrata of the spread’s main theme. Some of these pop-ups reveal even smaller flaps in a kind of nested-doll-like series of diminishing size. The page constructions are what you'd expect from the duo, which is to say intricately detailed and exquisitely designed but also sturdier than they look, though certainly prone to mangling when overhandled. The information, though well conveyed, is both necessarily truncated by the nature of the format and demanding of a higher reading level than most pop-up books. Still, definitely neat. Grades 2-5. --Ian Chipman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 12 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; Pop edition (January 4, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 076363171X
• ISBN-13: 978-0763631710
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 2.7 x 9.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,059 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #47 in Books > Children's Books > History > Ancient
  • #69 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Mythology & Folklore
  • #95 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Religion

More About the Author

Matthew Christian Reinhart was born September 21, 1971 to Gary and Judith Reinhart in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The son of a farmer, his father Gary joined the Navy to become jet fighter pilot, and so the family moved around the country, from Florida to Texas to Illinois to California to Virginia and then South Carolina. Gary wanted to be more than a pilot (which was pretty amazing itself) so he went on to Dental School and studied to be an oral surgeon. Judith and Matthew followed along, and soon to be joined by his mischievous little sister, Erin. Often times, Gary's training took him to places they couldn't follow (even on aircraft carriers), so Judy took charge. Matthew's childhood was filled with good times and very happy memories overall, thanks to his family.
Art was always a tremendously huge part of Matthew's young life. Drawing pictures and making crafts were his favorite activities, in school and out. Matthew drew whenever and wherever he got the chance. His school notebooks often had more drawings than notes! He loved drawing and reading about all creatures and animals so much, he drew them everywhere! Dinosaurs, like about every kid on the planet, were his absolute favorite to draw and Matthew could rattle off the name of every single one before learning to add or subtract. As he got older, Matthew was captivated by the movie STAR WARS. The richness of the universe George Lucas created on the screen fueled his young imagination, inspiring countless sketchbooks filled with monsters, spaceships, and action heroes.
Like most high school graduates, Matthew wasn't completely focused on a career. He was unaware he could make a living being an artist. Like most doctors' children, his father convinced him to study biology to prepare for medical school. College life at Clemson University was busy and fun for Matthew, but he was never really satisfied. Medicine was not his true calling. Along with his required biology courses, Matthew snuck in a few art classes, and built up a bit of a portfolio. After graduating Cum Laude from Clemson, he took a year off before medical school and moved to New York, where he met Robert Sabuda and they began doing volunteer work together. Robert's book, Christmas Alphabet had just released to rave reviews, and persuaded Matthew follow his calling by attending Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. With his parents' blessing and support, Matthew enrolled as an industrial design (with a concentration in toy design) student the following year. Pratt was fantastic, eye opening experience for him, though his initial dreams of being a toy designer soon transformed into paper engineer- with the help of Mr. Sabuda. After working with Robert on books like "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", "A B C Disney" and "Movable Mother Goose". Matthew made his first big break into the pop-up world with "The Pop Up Book Of Phobias". Other books followed, including both collaborations with Robert Sabuda, including their trilogy of "Encyclopedia Prehistorica" books and renowned illustrator Maurice Sendak on the New York Times best-selling "Mommy?", and also even solo pop-up projects like "The Ark", "Animal Popposites", "The Jungle Book", "Cinderella" and his dream-of-all-dream projects, "STAR WARS: Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy", "The Pop-Up Book of Nursery Rhymes". His latest series, "Encyclopedia Mythologica", includes "Fairies & Magical Creatures" and the newly-released "Gods & Heroes". In honor of the 75th Anniversary of DC COMICS, Matthew has created a massive pop-up celebration titled "DC COMICS Super Heroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book", to be released in Fall 2010. He continues to work and live in New York City, cutting, taping and folding paper into intricate, moving sculptures.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An irresistible treasure and a very special look at the stories and figures of ancient and indigenous mythology, June 14, 2010

By 

A Customer (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Encyclopedia Mythologica: Gods and Heroes Pop-Up (Hardcover)

The myths of the ancient world hold much fascination for readers of all ages. Children especially seem drawn to tales of the Olympian deities, Viking legends and Mediterranean heroes. Couple this interest with the fantastic engineered paper books by Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda, and you have a book kids can truly experience. In Encyclopedia Mythologica's GODS AND HEROES, the bestselling duo teams up again for a three-dimensional exploration of the tales of the ancient world.

The book starts in Egypt, and opening to the first page releases a large pop-up of the falcon-headed god Horus, son of Isis and Osiris and the god associated with the ancient pharaohs. A smaller page on this double-page spread tells Horus's story with several moving parts (look behind that for Imhotep's pyramid). Next it's off to Greece, where the castle of Mt. Olympus springs forth as does the legendary city of Atlantis and the figures of several Greek goddesses. The section on the "Kingdoms of the Mighty North" features a fierce Viking and a glimpse of Freyja as she leads her Valkyries into battle and a lovely pop-up illustration of the mythical cosmic ash tree called Yggdrasil.

Unlike so many children's books introducing mythology, GODS AND HEROES doesn't stop at Europe and Egypt but takes readers farther east to Asia and Oceania and to the Americas as well. Spider Woman, from Native American mythology, holds a web made of silvery thread, adding an interesting new textural element to the book. Refreshingly, Reinhart and Sabuda also give female deities and figures equal attention, like the violent Polynesian volcano goddess Pele, who seems to be spewing and flowing out of the volcano in the center of the page.

The text is both exciting and easy to understand; the Norse god Odin is introduced as the "grizzled lord of wisdom and magic." We are told that in the Iroquois story of the Celestial Woman, after falling from her home in the sky, "gazing up from below, a giant turtle took pity and softened her landing, while other beasts offered protection." The writing is just as illuminating, informative and enchanting as the visuals!

While young readers may be initially drawn to the amazing Viking ship and colorful Aztec-plumed serpent Quetzalcoatl, there are even more amazing delights hidden in the book. The story of Japanese folk hero Momotaro is secreted behind another pop-up panel, and a peach opens to reveal the tiny infant. This whimsical scene is one of the best in the book, and in just a few sentences readers will be intrigued by the charming tale.

As with other marvelous Reinhart and Sabuda books, this one may be easily damaged by little hands. Special care needs to be taken in turning pages or putting scenes back into folded place. But the construction is sturdier than you might think, and even if torn and worn over time, GODS AND HEROES is an irresistible treasure and a very special look at the stories and figures of ancient and indigenous mythology.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best One Yet, January 21, 2010

By 

Sara M. Fischer "Lit Lady" (SW Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Encyclopedia Mythologica: Gods and Heroes Pop-Up (Hardcover)

I have collected pop-up books for over 30 years. This is the best one yet! It is a combination of imaginative and mind boggling artwork. The illustrations combined with information works to a great degree for all ages. I highly recommend this as a great gift for anyone for yourself or a loved one.
Sara F.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heroic indeed!, January 19, 2010

By 

JJH-V (Washington State) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Encyclopedia Mythologica: Gods and Heroes Pop-Up (Hardcover)

WOW! Matthew Reinhart has done it again! He, along with partner Robert Sabuda have, in the past, set the standard for paper engineering and artwork in their amazing repertoire of pop-up books, and this time they may well have surpassed themselves. Each spread is a lavish display of technological creativity, while at the same time imparting facts and intriguing information with the text. The little side pages which one expects to see from these artists/authors is, in this case, each a little gem unto itself. This is an amazing book. It would spoil the fun for me to describe what you will find in between its covers. Instead, I encourage you to purchase this treasure and get the enjoyment of an amazing experience for yourself. I wish I could give it twenty stars. Bravo, Matthew Reinhart! See other favorites here: Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the GalaxyCinderella: A Pop-Up Fairy Tale The Jungle Book: A Pop-Up Adventure (Classic Collectible Pop-Ups)A Pop-up Book of Nursery Rhymes (Limited Edition): A Classic Collectible Pop-Up