Peter Pan: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up

Continuing to innovate, Sabuda enhances the already powerful enchantments of J.M. Barrie's classic 1902 tale with astonishing paper engineering. Illustrations suggest a hybrid of period styles, somewhere between arts and crafts, with their rich patterning, and art nouveau, with their Tiffany glass–like outlines and colorations. At first Sabuda's techniques look familiar if splendid. Pop-up story booklets are tucked to the side of imposing pop-ups that dominate a full spread: enormous clouds (these are shaped like characters) billow over a 3-D London nightscape on the opening spread; to the left, the text begins on narrow pages that unfold to include pop-ups of Nana, Wendy stitching Peter's shadow and more. As the book continues, Sabuda's work becomes more surprising—Captain Hook slides down a hollow tree—until, on a final climactic spread, an entire pirate ship pops up, masts, Jolly Roger and all. Not to be missed. All ages. (Nov.)