Customer Reviews
Impressive format -- better content needed! 
2008-02-15
When you first pick up this book, you'll be impressed. Inside are numerous small working examples of many pop-up techniques and volvelles (rotating disc image mechanisms). Alongside each sample is a short formula for designing your own, i.e. "the angle folds AB and CD are equal". At the back of the book is a storyboard demonstrating the highlights of designing a pop-up for commercial production.
The book could be vastly improved by providing step-by-step directions for each technique along with pitfalls to avoid. The authors provide a link for a web site where the templates used in the book can be downloaded. They are not intuitive, and no further instructions are given. An analytical and creative person will be able to design their own pop-ups based on the ones in the book -- but it takes time & lots of trial-and errors.
When I started using this book, only 3 of my first 15 tries were successful. But by using this book in combination with 2 or 3 others, I'm now finally enjoying the gratification of designing my own pop-ups.
AWESOME! POP UP BOOK 
2007-12-02
This book has it all. It is very complete. If you are at all interested in pop up, for fun, scrapbooking or cardmaking- this is the book to get!
Great book plus author's website has bonus dies to download 2007-07-31
I love this book. It's an excellent learning tool. The almost explosive front pop-up incorporates all the elements in the book, then each one is explained and demonstrated separately. I particularly liked the noise making pop-up, which had a saw-toothed mechanism. In visiting the author's web site I found he had dies (pdf models to cut out) for the elements in the book under "surprise". I think, considering the hand made nature of the book, and production costs, its price is not unreasonable. Another good book for learning paper engineering in which you construct the models is Paper Engineering for Pop-Up Books and Cards
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2007-01-04
Even if you have no intention whatsoever of making a pop-up book in your entire life, this book is marvellous fun. I flip through it again and again just enjoying the fun flaps and wheels and folds. If you do intend to make a pop-up book, this has everything you will ever need for the paper engineering aspect of your project and then some. Brilliant layout, simple instructions--a treasure trove. Every possible type of flap or fold you can imagine (and some that I have never seen before) is shown in isolation so that you can immediately and easily understand its basic principles. I cannot praise this book highly enough. Buy it at once.
Delivers lots more than it promises. 2006-07-17
This, as the title says, shows a variety of elementary paper popups - the cute little folded thingies in books and cards that stand up when the page is opened. The book's a real strength that it includes an actual, working specimen of each structure it describes. Except for one or two demonstratons, the popup folds never pass the basic, and never show the incredible breadth of artistry that can go into the best of popups. Still, it's readable and gives you an unambiguous idea of how the finished product will look, work, and be assembled. From that point forward, combining ideas, adapting them to your application, and decorating the paper surface are all up to your creative expression.
But wait, there's more! This includes not just standard popup folds, but lots of little pull-the-tab, spin-the-wheel, and other bits of paper gadgetry, also in the form of working demonstrations, with variations on many of the themes.
It's a great book for the paper crafter, whether for personal enjoyment or professional inspiration. Yes, I know that the old pro will already be familiar with a lot of what's here - but that's not true for the student, and even masters might like to have their memories jogged when they're looking for inspiration. There's a lot of fun here, for both the recipient of the made thing and for its maker.
//wiredweird
Learning Pop ups 2005-09-11
Here at last is the definitive book on how to make a pop-up. Every aspect of the creation of a pop-up, known as paper engineering, is clearly and thoroughly covered. All types of parallel folds, angle folds, wheels, and pull tabs are accurately detailed verbally and visually, flat and in dimension. Also included is a history of pop-ups and a step-by-step photographic essay on how a pop-up is made from start to finish. This guided tour is perfect for aspiring pop-up creators, paper engineers, students, and appreciators of this unique art form.
The strength of this book lies in its website 2004-04-29
Elements of Pop Up is one of the few How To Make Pop-Ups books that features patterns for moving parts like wheel/tab mechanisms, which is why I purchased it. However, don't expect to be able to create anything extrememly fancy with this one. The examples are made of simple shapes that expect the user to expand upon them as necessary--this can be a detriment when you're trying to figure out how to alter the pattern to make something more complicated. The most useful part of the book, ironically, isn't even in the book: it's online at www.popupbooks.com, Carter's website. In the Surprise section, one can download all the patterns for making every example shown. Don't pass up buying the book, though. You'll most likely need Elements of Pop Up at your side to figure out how to assemble all your cut out pieces correctly. If you'd rather follow instructions and complete specific projects, I'd recommend Carter/Diaz's other book, Let's Make It Pop-Up! (ISBN 0-689-86508-2), which has pre-printed pictures and contains projects like Blooming Flower and Huggy Bear.
Very Well Done 2003-02-12
I found this book in the special archives section at my university, and was very impressed. This book is clear, well thought out, and beautifully presented. If you are at all interested in this medium, buy this book.
A great book for students. 2002-12-14
I have been teaching pop-up book design in my college 3-D Design class for about 6 years. My students have created many wonderful and beautiful projects. They not only create the mechanisms, but also fine artwork to match them. One of the most time-consuming aspects of the project is learning the specifics of mechanical design, This book illustrates in three dimensions the underlying concepts. It is very easy for a novice to gain an understanding of simple mechanics, proportions, and gluing methods.
Elements of Pop-Up is a simple book. It alone is not enough to teach high quality design. Well-done artful books are a must. There are many excellent examples such as A POP-UP BOOK of PHOBIAS, FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT IN POP-UP, A VICTORIAN FARMHOUSE, THE 12 DAYS of CHRISTMAS: A POP-UP CELEBRATION (by Robert Sabuda), any of the National Geographic pop-up book collection, and those by Chuck Murphy.
great, but elementary 2002-04-04
i liked the whoile lay-out of the book...very simple, very low-key.
i would have liked to see more examples of how pop-up have been or could be used.
