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"Prince of the Pop-ups"
"Acknowledged Patriarch of Paper Engineering"
"Leonardo of this Art"
Without a doubt, Robert Sabuda is the most wellknown creator of pop-up books ever. A visionary in the field of this artistic format, Sabuda has shown that almost anything can be transformed into a pop-up. And, as he comments in a video on the Barnes and Noble website (featured in the Extension Ideas), the real trick isn't to make something pop up; it is much harder to make it "pop shut."
Robert Sabuda was born March 8,1965, in Pinckney, Michigan, and currently resides in New York City. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. A list of online resources that connect to biographical information about Sabuda are included in this article.
His first pop-up book was The Christmas Alphabet published by Orchard Books in 1994. More recently, books by Sabuda are often done with partner Matthew Reinhart, who also creates children's books.
Although this article focuses on Sabuda's pop-up books, his artistic creativity has been exhibited in other ways, such as linoleumcut illustrations in Walt Whitman (Philomel, 1991 ); tissue paper collage in Marguerite W. Davol's The Paper Dragon (Atheneum, 1997); cut paper and ink on papyrus in Tutankhamen's Gift (Atheneum, 1994); and cut paper in the form of mosaic tiles in Saint Valentine (Atheneum, 1992).
Extension Ideas
* Visit Robert Sabuda's website (http://www.robertsabuda.com/), "Lesson Plans" (http://robert sabuda.com/lesson_plans.html), and "More Lesson Plans" (http://robertsabuda.com/sabuda.pdf). This website is outstanding and features numerous patterns and tons of information. Take time to explore it!
* The Barnes and Noble website features Robert Sabuda in a biography, a text interview, and also a six-minute interview video. Go to their writer's page (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/writers/ writers) and on the left side click on "Writer s by Genre" and find the "Children's Writers and Illustrators List." (Find Sabuda by Genre so that you can see all the other children's writers and illustrators that Barnes and Noble has featured, several with either audio or video interviews.) Sabuda discusses his artistic techniques and the process of creating a pop-up for young people in an excellent video. It is highly recommended. Matthew Reinhart is also featured on the page and in a video.
* Read an online interview by Jessica...