Low-tech pop-up books are a delight for children

In a world where "interactive" is invariably synonymous with "electronic," you might expect paper pop-up books to seem hopelessly analog.

But today's kids, raised on the touch-screens and prerecorded audio of LeapPad and Reader Rabbit, are likely to be surprised and delighted by the deliberately low-tech magic found in the current crop of pop-up books. And parents with fond memories of the pop-ups they read a quarter-century ago will likely be impressed at just how elaborate these paper creations have become.

"In a way, there's been a bit of a backlash against technology," says Robert Sabuda, one of the country's best-selling pop-up artists, about the growing market for intricate pop-up books. "Parents sometimes feel guilty about the amount of electronics that are invading their children's lives. Whenever they get the opportunity, they want their children to have books."

Computers do play a role in the creation of today's pop-ups. But "designing the actual pop-ups themselves, it's old-school," says Sabuda. "We do it all by hand. We fold the paper, we glue it, we tape it."

That time-consuming craftsmanship is a central part of these books' appeal. Mechanical engineers have lined up alongside kids and parents at book signing appearances by Sabuda and his creative partner, Matthew Reinhart, just to ask how they do their work, which includes the three-part "Encyclopedia Prehistorica" series.

Here are some new pop-up books:

— "Chewy, Gooey, Rumble, Plop" by Steve Alton and Nick Sharratt (Dial Books for Young Readers, October 2007, $17.99)

For all their whimsy, this book's wonderfully cartoonish 3-D illustrations offer a surprising amount of useful information about how the human body digests food. The details may be lost on the littlest readers, who will be busy giggling over the goofiest of the pop-ups and the weirdly lifelike synthetic tongue embedded in the book's cover. But it's a book that will grow with kids, teaching more to them as they get older.

— "Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy" by Matthew Reinhart (Orchard Books, October 2007, $32.99)

Reinhart says the early "Star Wars" films inspired his fascination with creative artwork, and he pays homage to George Lucas' sci-fi creation in this densely packed, detail-rich book. The largest pop-ups at the center of the book, which depict everything from the Millennium Falcon in flight to the bustling cantina on Mos Eisley, are meticulously detailed. And amid all this old-school paper folding, Reinhart offers a nod to the groundbreaking special effects of the original "Star Wars" films: Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker brandish light sabers that actually light up when the pages are opened.