Pop-up books require dexterity from reader

Akron Beacon Journal (MCT) - As if dusting off invisible cobwebs, Mark Soppeland rubbed his hand across the cover of the book. Gently he eased open the cover, anticipating the magic he would discover inside.

''This is my favorite,'' said the University of Akron art professor about his and his wife's collection of some 500 pop-up books.

For those afraid of things like spiders, flying, clowns and heights, Gary Greenberg's "The Pop-Up Book of Phobias," delivers plenty of chills.

Soppeland pulled back the front and back cover and grinned as a spinning dentist drill leapt from the pages.

''Dentophobia ... often manifests itself in the form of paranoid delusions of dentists as torturers,'' read the explanation.

Pop-up books aren't just for kids. And even the ones designed for youngsters can be far too fragile for their eager little hands. Once pieces are ripped off, the pop-ups can peter out.

Soppeland's wife, Barbara Tannenbaum, director of curatorial affairs at the Akron Art Museum, started the couple's collection around 1980 with the purchase of "Haunted House" by Jan Pienkowski. Soppeland credits the author for reviving a golden age of pop-ups.

In the book, Pienkowski, the son of architect parents, uses pop-ups to reveal a ghoul in the cupboard, an octopus in the sink and a crocodile in the bath.

''I had been involved in studying a form of contemporary art known as artist's books. In conjunction with that, a lot of artists treat the books as objects _ and so I began thinking of the book as a kind of art object,'' Tannenbaum explained of when she discovered "Haunted House."

Elaborate pop-up books incorporate amazing engineering and extraordinary illustrations. Because they are assembled by hand, constructing the books is labor-intensive. That's why they are put together in inexpensive labor markets, such as Colombia and China.

Lothar Meggendorfer, a talented illustrator from Munich who died in 1925, is known for his original movable books. He used both comedy and mechanical devices like metal rivets to demonstrate his tales. Though there are inexpensive re-creations of his work, originals that are in good shape can be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

''I've actually held a couple,'' joked Soppeland.

Tannenbaum said she began collecting pop-ups simply because she enjoyed looking at them.

''Where I lived at one point, I had some bookshelves near my phone and I would look through them anytime I was on the phone talking to people,'' she said. ''I looked at them pretty much every day. I loved exploring them and comparing them and trying to figure out how they did some of the amazing techniques.''

Free Catholic PDF's - Home / Parish / School / Bulletin Inserts

Soppeland doesn't profess to being an expert on pop-up books, yet he's certainly knowledgeable about past and present authors and illustrators of the unique art.

Some of the new pop-ups have a large cast of workers producing the products. Several people are competing to be the premier pop-up artist today, but Soppeland believes folks like Robert Sabuda and David A. Carter are leading the pack. These paper architects continue to push themselves to create even more amazing pop-ups to enchant young and old.

''The engineering that goes into a Sabuda book is astonishing,'' Soppeland said. ''And Carter's books are filled with incredible abstract engineering.''

"One Red Dot" by Carter, Soppeland said, really raised the bar.

''Just when you think they've done all that they can, someone does something greater,'' he said.

While the "The Pop-Up Book of Phobias" is her husband's favorite, Tannenbaum likes books that combine learning with the delight in the way they function.

''They require you to have a certain amount of physical dexterity and to be physically involved with the book,'' she said. ''You have to open things, or turn things or pull things. And so they really make you an active reader.''

In the couple's Akron household, there are dozens of shelves filled with books of all kinds. Tannenbaum said they don't spend a lot of money for the books they buy at stores or estate sales. And while they don't have time to examine each book as much as they would like, they are thrilled to share them with guests.

As Soppeland said, ''The idea of a book just sitting around and not sharing them is sad and unfortunate.''

___

© 2009, Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio).