Customer Reviews

Winter's Tale: An Original Pop-up Journey

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The creativity that went into this work is undeniable...Sabuda's illustration and pop-ups are not only intricate, but dazzling. A perfect gift-giving book as we approach the holiday season.
This work, inspired by Sabuda's journeys through the snowy fields of Michigan as a child is awe-inspiring, and a delight for adults as well as children. Each turn of the page will dazzle you, but the highlight is a surprise pull that comes at the end of the book, and is truly a "how did he do that" moment. Beautiful nature scenes, incredible snowscapes, and simple yet elegant text.
This is worth buying two of...one to immediately enjoy, and one to tuck away as a gift to a future generation. AWESOME stuff.

Everytime I see a Sabuda Pop-up book I am constantly amazed at the skill and intricate detail that goes into creating these masterpieces. A beautiful winter landscape filled with wildlife is the subject of Winter's Tale, a beautiful and serene book. There's a wonderful snow owl flying off the pages, bear catching fish with a waterfall in the background, a Family of deer, and my favorite, a house or cabin, neslted in the snow covered woods with a little snowman standing in front of the house.

Keep looking close or you will miss something. The test is light and just a moderate accompaniment to the pop-ups. The colors are gorgeous! This is another winner from Sabuda.

Yet another enchantment from Mister Sabuda. This is the fourth of his books that I've bought and each one seems more amazing. My first buy was The 12 Days of Christmas Anniversary Edition: A Pop-up Celebration and though brilliant it seems rather simple when compared to the Winter's Tale yet the format is the same, each spread has a dramatic pop-up and then the treat (on five of the six spreads in the book) of another pop-up hidden on the right-hand page.

The paper used is basically white but this throws up the selection of other surfaces, a white stock with a snow like glitter, two different silvers, acetate (used for a waterfall effect) and several flat graphic colors. As with the other four books I have Sabuda leaves the big surprise to the last spread, here it is a charming woodland setting with a house in the center complete with snowman and all the animals featured in the story. This pop-up is just stunning in itself but wait there's more, pull an arrowed tab and a series of six colored lights flash in sequence on each side of the house's roof. Just magical!

The flashing lights are the icing on the cake for me and possibly tough luck for Robert Sabuda because in his next book he has to top this extravaganza. (How about adding sounds Robert?) Incidentally take care with the pull tab for the lights, don't pull it too hard because to get it to work you'll have to remove a little plastic strip on the back cover to activate the batteries, then the tab will turn them off and on. Oh yes, you can replace the batteries, too.

The first line of `A Winter's Tale: An Original Pop-up Journey' reads, "Each morning I stand in the new fallen snow and watch as the world awakes around me," which is a metaphor for this entire, short, wonderful book in which the pop-up art "awakes" from the sparkling, virginal snow on each page.

There are six pop-up's in `A Winter's Tale...,' each more complex and detailed than the one that preceded. A great owl gives way to a den of foxes. Nearby, an old bear stands near a waterfall not far from a family of deer frolicking in a meadow. Finally, a moose walks through a swamp near a little house nestled in a winter wonderland. There is some magic in that little house.

Comparisons of `A Winter's Tale...' to Robert Sabuda's concurrent release, `Encyclopedia Prehistoria: Dinosaurs' are inevitable. While the pop-up art in the latter are more detailed and even a bit more interesting than in the former, `A Winter's Tale...' is a concise, warm story perfect for a cold winter night. Not by mistake, certainly, `A Winter's Tale...' does not refer to any particular seasonal holidays and is therefore non-denominational. Thus, the title is a wonderful and special gift for almost any child. Pop-up art of this quality is delicate, and a retail price tag of $26.95 makes `A Winter's Tale...' more than just an after-thought of a gift, however. Still, `A Winter's Tale...' will almost certainly be an heirloom book, and is very worth the price of admission.

This remarkable, enchanting book is a work of art. It dazzles the reader with its beautiful three-dimensional and intricate pop-up creatures and scenery, warm prose and unexpected surprises on every page. For anyone who can delight in the joy of childhood wonder, this amazing creation will be a joy to the senses. Robert Sabuda is a magician - an adult with a heart and soul that is ageless and who is in touch with the child within. For the young of heart of all ages, this book is a treasure.

THIS book is an awe-inspiring artistic journey that will definitely delight children of all ages. The artwork is beyond breathtaking! It makes for the most beautiful gift for the holiday season. Dazzling and exceptional!

As a librarian at an elementary school, I wanted something wonderful as part of the holiday collection to read to my students and, since I own all of the other Sabuda books, I bought this sight unseen, knowing I'd love it. I was totally unprepared for the AMAZING reception this book would get from my students, K through 6th grade--it's been like listening to a crowd at a fireworks display! They have loved it and many of them are asking their parents to buy it for them as a Christmas gift--every librarian's dream! You can't go wrong! (It is not, of course, suitable for check-out, but IS a perfect read aloud.)

Length:: 1:08 Mins

This is a brief video overview of this classic Robert Sabuda pop-up book.

Its a beautiful book, the art is great, the pages heavy and will last through a lot of kids! I think kids will love this book.

I have several of Sabuda's wonderful Pop-Up books and each are exceptional in their own way.The only way to describe these books is by using words like,magical,romantic,fantastic,mythical,whimiscal,imaginary,curious,intricate,elegant and similar words that convey the imagination and skill Sabuda uses to conceive scenes then make them pop-up in a book as the pages are turned to unfold them.
Being winter scenes, he uses a lot of white, and covers it with glitter to give the effect of new-fallen snow on a cold winter's day.He also makes use of silver papers combined with colors to create magical scenes.
On first opening the book, we are startled by a Snowy Owl that seems to fly right off the page;and with the simple opening of a flap we find a family of mice greeting the day.Next we find a pair of foxes ,in their white winter coats sitting in their den ,and on the same page,with a simple flip appears a rabbit, also in his winter garb.Then a wonderful scene of a Polar bear and fish in glittering,ice cold water. Then we are treated to a scene of leaping bears and playful squirrels;followed by an elegant moose and a pair of beavers.And for a grand finale we have a wonderful,colorful forest,complete with animals ,snowman and friendly little house,and with the pull of a tab,the festive spirit comes alive with 12 flashing colored light.
The only thing,to me at least,that is more intriguing in how these scenes are designed;would be what the scene in the printing shop must be like where these books are printed and assembled.
On other Pop-Up books,I have commented on the fragile hinges these books have; and how prone to cracking and spliting they are. It seems that this problem has beed recognized and in this book a cloth spline and hinges have been incorporated;a positive improvement.