The Christmas Story

As in 2011’s Chanukah Lights, the elaborate pop-ups that Sabuda crafts in this striking pop-up retelling of the Nativity story are constructed almost entirely from plain white paper, save for a few gold accents. Over six spreads, Sabuda shows Mary and Joseph dwarfed by towering mountains as they travel to Bethlehem, animals peering from around a stable wall at the newborn baby, and razorlike beams of golden light accompanying a spinning star that towers over the wise men below. Solid backdrops in creamy shades of mauve, peach, green, and blue create sharp contrasts with the white paper constructions, and although Sabuda opts for minimalism over intricacy, the resulting structures have a stark power. Ages 5–8. (Sept.)