For Your Child and Your Inner Child - Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs Review
The Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs takes you into a three-dimensional journey through the Jurassic world. It is a masterpiece of pure engineering that gives life to some of the most beautiful dinosaurs through pop-up art. This tribute to those magnificent creatures was made real by Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, famous for their many pop-up books.
Great Variety of Pop-up Dinosaurs
One of the models that stacks up the most is the Tyrannosaurs. It’s just an incredible evil creature that jumps up from the page in a colorful angry roar. If you have a heart condition I recommend you to skip that page. The details of the Ankylosaurus, Triceratops, and Brachiosaurus are almost beyond description. From the dinosaurs' vertebrae to the scales, from the teeth to the tails, Sabuda and Reinhart didn’t let any detail to escape.
Facts and Good Humor
While the pop-up art steals the show, the information about the various species of dinosaur makes Encyclopedia Prehistoria: Dinosaurs more than just a encyclopedia. Details with subtle humor relating to each featured animals habits, diet, and place in history make the title much more than a picture book, they make it an experience.
Features and Specs
- It is has a length of 10 inches
- Six large pop-ups
- Several booklets of small pop-ups and text
- Dinosaurs facts
- Some history of paleontology
Customer Reviews and Scores
Encyclopedia Prehistoria: Dinosaurs has been reviewed 363 times and received 4.9 out of 5 stars. One concern that some of the reviewers have is about its durability. For example, James W. Picht bought it for his little boy and considers that “some of the pop-ups are so complex that they're hard to put back properly.” That is the level of detail of the different structures. The majority of reviewers agree that to avoid another extinction, children under 5 years old should be supervised by an adult. Others consider the text too advanced for little children: “it reads like an encyclopedia”. The title of the book includes the word “encyclopedia” because it is an encyclopedia, a very colorful one though. The maturity of the text makes this book a perfect option for mature children in transition to more difficult reading.
Conclusion
Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs is a wonderful piece of artwork. It is visual adventure that will enlighten your imagination and nurture your knowledge with the world’s most beloved extinct animals. This is a "must-have" for people learning how to make pop-ups and perhaps frustrated paleontologists.
For Endless Creativity - Kirigami: The Art of 3-Dimensional Paper Cutting Review
Pop-up art in its most pure form is called Kirigami. The Kirigami: The Art of 3-Dimensional Paper Cutting book has plenty of basic patterns that only require one sheet of paper. So if you are on budget, but still think you are Picasso, this book is your way out. Laura Badalucco, its author, created more than 45 different step-by-step patterns with colored pictures and complete instructions so you can transform a flat paper into a wonderful paper structure.
What Tools You Need
The first part of the book shows various tools that are needed for kirigami as well as several examples of paper to use. Then all you need is to practice so you can become an expert paper surgeon. In case your hands are not your friends, Badalucco in her book, Kirigami: The Art of 3-dimensional Paper Cutting, included many pages showing basic techniques and defining terms. For example, The "typology of folds" showed a variety of different cuts. This chapter is very interesting and would begin to influence what specifically you want to accomplish.
Tips all over
Another great feature about this book, is that it has lots of tips, for every different pattern. For example, the section "Handy tips" has helpful suggestions such as what to do if you have a cut in the wrong place or prolong a cut more than necessary. After this, there are six chapters on making kirigami pieces (with colored images of each) and a section of patterns.
Features and Specs
- It contains 45 kirigami patterns
- Written instructions
- Colorful images
- Technique tips
Customer Reviews and Scores
Kirigami: The Art of 3-dimensional Paper Cutting has been reviewed only 8 times and received 4.9 out of 5 stars. It is clearly not a very popular book, but those who have bought it love it. The only 4 stars review, by the user “The Bear”, says “some of [the patterns] require blowing up to a size which will require me to go to the FedEx or Staples printing department due to the larger copy size.” However, you don’t have to make the cards following the exact recommended size in the book. The pattern is a reference, then you make big or small copies of it.
Conclusion
For those art attacks and for times when you are out of ideas but you still want to make feel someone special, the Kirigami: The Art of 3-dimensional Paper Cutting is the canon for your creativity. You don’t have to be an artist to give it a try.
