Customer Reviews

Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy

5 star:		(234)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Length:: 1:32 Mins

This is a brief video walking you through this incredible pop-up book.

This book is a strange and wonderful surprise. Easily the best Star Wars classic sage tie-in of the 30th anniversary year, 2007. This is a unique labour of love to be sure, and perhaps the most inspiring and creative piece about the Holy Trilogy that I have ever seen in a book form. In fact, I would even go so far as to say perhaps the best book that I have ever read. Seroiusly, I read this book with my 4-year old son together, and we savoured every page, every fold-out, and every flap. If you do read this book with a child, read it slowly and enjoy the one-of-a-kind surprises that are waiting behind every handcrafted door. For collectors, I would buy an extra copy or two beacause this is also a beautiful collector's item. Save one for later, you never know when you might want an extra copy as an incredibly special gift. I expect to be reading this book many, many more times.

Baby, this one will knock your socks off! Brilliant!

Encyclopedic in its content, inspired in its mechanics, this one is a must-have! It stirs the memory, and the heart, and the imagination.

SPOILERS: Letting the reader glimpse behind the Vader face mask is both chilling and poignant. And for the grand finale, you'll find Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker brandishing light sabers that actually light up! You just have to pull the little clear plastic protector tab away from the battery hatch on the back cover and our favorite battling father and son demonstrate a very special effect! Way cool!

The quality and workmanship that went into making this book is simply amazing. Each page contains an impressive pop-up. This alone would have made the book worth the price. But each page also contains tons of pictures, facts and trivia, and incredible extras.

I bought one for a friends birthday. The day I got it and actually saw how wonderful it is I orderd another for my daughter. This book is a MUST have for any Star Wars fan. For that matter it is a must have for any pop-up collector too.

AMAZING...AMAZING...AMAZING...AMAZING!!! This is by far the most creative POP-UP book related to Star Wars ever published. Matthew Reinharrt equals his genius partner Robert Sabuda in developing the STAR WAR SAGA in 3D. The only question I have is why this masterpiece is so reasonably priced. My personal opinion is people are not yet aware this book in the Star Wars Galaxy of Books has not come to earth yet.

DO NOT PURCHASE THIS WONDERFUL WORK OF ART IF IT IS USED. The detail of this book in all of its glory must be taken care of. If you are thinking about seeing Matthew's wonderful work make sure you examine a sample copy, and before purchasing it open every page to make sure it is in perfect condition. Above all keep it in plastic and take it out only for your enjoyment and the galaxy of friends you want to share it with. This is the type of book that should only be handled by the owner. DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE ELSE TO THUMB THROUGH THE PAGES. This may seem crazy; however, I wear white lint free gloves when handling this masterpiece. This book is easily three inches or more in thickness and if not handled with respect, the pop-up portions can easily be bent or worse. Matthew Reinhart created a work of love, and as a consumer one should treat it as such.

This book will disappear in two or three years. Get it NOW at a price anyone can afford.

I LOVE THIS BOOK MORE THAN ANY OTHER STAR WAR'S BOOK EVER PUBLISHED. It truly is an amazing work for all to enjoy.

Steve Horwitz

Robert Sabuda and his protégé, Matthew Reinhart, have brought pop-up books back into the mainstream, not only as concept and novelty books for very young children but as genuine works of art and engineering. Their wonderful creations attract readers of all ages, and many a Sabuda/Reinhart project has found its way to coffee tables alongside glossy art books. Reinhart's latest solo effort, STAR WARS: A POP-UP GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, is another such project that will find an audience not only among young readers but also among aficionados of paper engineering and, most importantly, nostalgic adult fans of the Star Wars franchise who will revel in this volume, timed to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the first Star Wars film.

Reinhart, like many adults his age, was raised on the Star Wars mythology, and his knowledge of and appreciation for the Star Wars universe is apparent through the details he integrates into his paper creations, as well as in his dedication "to the visionary artists of STAR WARS, who fashioned a wondrous, distant galaxy with words, paint, clay, sound, and celluloid, inspiring generations of young artists around the world." The text itself is rich, dense, detailed and filled with the facts, figures and history of the fantastic world George Lucas created.

The book focuses primarily on the characters and events of the three original Star Wars movies, although certain elements of the mythology do come from Episodes 1-3. Topics for the two-page spreads include the geography of the galaxy, discussions of the galaxy's social and political structures, descriptions of vehicles, the history of conflicts between the Rebels and the Empire, and Luke Skywalker's story. Since this is more of an encyclopedic guide rather than a storybook, the text does not focus on any single storyline or tell a unified narrative. Instead, it assumes its readers already know the films' plotlines and fills in the details on everything from the origins of the criminal underworld to the technical specifications of R2-D2 and C-3PO.

The design of STAR WARS: A POP-UP GUIDE TO THE GALAXY will be familiar to fans of Reinhart's and Sabuda's other projects, particularly the Encyclopedia Prehistorica series. Each two-page spread consists of a large pop-up feature at its center (examples include the Millennium Falcon and a menacing Darth Vader mask), as well as several smaller, text-heavy foldout "mini books" on a certain theme, each of which may also contain one or more smaller pop-up constructions. These nested "books within a book" result in an unusually rich, interactive reading experience that will keep fans young and old poring over the pages for hours.

The advertised highlights of the illustrations are Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker's working lightsabers, which turn on when their mini-books are opened. As Yoda would say, though, "Patient you must be" --- the lightsabers in my review copy took a good 10-15 seconds to light up after the page was opened.

STAR WARS: A POP-UP GUIDE TO THE GALAXY is a tour de Force --- the perfect gift idea for fans, no matter what their age.

--- Reviewed by Norah Piehl

'Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy' is a wonderful albeit short journey through the wonders of the Star Wars universe. The kind of book that is perfect for all ages and genders, this book will jump out at you with wonderous paper architecture by the author and enrich you with the facts of Star Wars! Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of this beloved series, this is great gift, collector's item, or anything of the sort for all followers of the force.

If you or anyone (market is mainly kids) loves Star Wars and want to enrich your knowledge in a fun book-form way, pick up this wonderfully produced book and may the force be with you!!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

I purchased this for a friend who is a star wars fan and collects lots of star wars stuff. he was SO excited to receive this. the pops ups are amazing! so detailed and intriguet. everypage has so much to look at and read. they try to fit as much as they possibly can on each page, its packed! on the last page the light sabers that pop up also light up! how cool it that. i highly recommend this book to anyone who loves stars and collects.

My 5 year old came up to me in the bookstore and said, "They have a whole encyclopedia of Star Wars over here." and showed me this book.

Even though its the most expensive book I've bought for him, it's absolutely worth it.

He's never seen the Star Wars trilogy, but he now knows all the characters and the world of Star Wars. The art and the craftsmanship are stunning and it is a like a puzzle that has multiple unfolding dimensions.

We read it every night and there is something new to discover in each page.

I saw this book a week or two ago at the bookstore. I told everyone I knew this is what I want for Christmas. Imagine my surprise when I came home today and found that my girlfriend had bought it for me for our anniversary! Way to go Lacee! The book is incredible. I am very impressed with it and highly recommend it to all true Star Wars fans and casual viewers alike. The lightsaber battle on the last page is awesome, and best of all this book does not contain any prequel crap at all.