Ode to be trapped inside Matthew Reinhart’s mind. Reinhart is an author and pop-up book genius. He’s constructed dozens of pop-up books that make you want to be a piece of paper just so he can engineer it becoming whatever magical thing might come to life in his books. We first discovered his work in Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs and Encyclopedia Sharks and Other Sea Monsters. These, and his other pop-up books are the stuff of legend and will engross anyone aged 5 and up. They’re also very complex, so if you value your books you’ll want to handle them yourself when looking at them with children under 10. Star Wars, The Ultimate Pop-Up Galaxy lives up to its name and is now our favorite Reinhart book. It maintains the intricate pop-up aspects of his other work, but digs down into many Star Wars elements that pop off of the page.
When you first open The Ultimate Pop-Up Galaxy you’ll be treated to a scene from The Clone Wars. There’s a massive pop-up Imperial Destroyer in the middle of the page with four smaller pop-ups in each corner of the pages. On those smaller pop-ups there’s a primer on what’s happening in universe. We learn about the menace on Naboo, clones of Kamino, war on Geonosis and more. Carefully, very carefully turn the page and you’ll see two pages that resemble deep space. These pages are reprinted a couple of times in the book and have a grander purpose.
The next pop-up page has the Death Star, as well as four smaller, but still incredibly intricate pop-ups. The Millennium Falcon, Luke’s cruiser on Tatooine and a peek at how it all started in Rogue One are shown. The forest moon of Endor, where the Ewoks live is our favorite scene. It’s the tallest, most intricate in the book and has something for any fan.
On all of the pages there are tabs with arrows that you’re invited to gently pull on. Once you pull them something will happen within the greater pop-up structure. Han Solo gets frozen in Carbonite, a speeder bike zips through the trees, vehicles on the ice planet Hoth take down an AT-AT and so many more. This is a pop-up book that’s interactive far beyond the obvious elements that come off the pages when you turn them.
Again, carefully turn the page and you’ll visit Jakku. When you pull the tab you’ll see the Millennium Falcon engage in a chase through the remnants of an Imperial Destroyer. The engineer elements that went into this book are stunning and will twist your mind if you think too much about it. How a book can contain so many elements that engage the tactile senses, without even factoring in the written words is stunning.
Those black pages that separate the major pop-up pages allow the book to fold out into a massive, spine-free, Star Wars map that lays out on the floor. It’s not as difficult as folding a map in the car, don’t be intimidated. The spine on the book does exist, but it latches magnetically to the back cover when it’s closed. Like an old school road trip, there are instructions on how to unfold the book so that you can see all of the pop-ups at one time.
Every time I look at Star Wars, The Ultimate Pop-Up Galaxy I see something new. On some sights you’ll see the book retailing for $85, don’t freak out. With just a couple searches you’ll find it online from various sources, including Insight Editions, for around $44. This is a great, entertaining book that extends past that which would be just a ‘fan’ experience. It is delicate and even adults might damage the book if they open it too quickly or yank on a tab the wrong direction. Think of it as a Rubik’s Cube that’s already solved, but with gorgeous art set against a fan favorite film series.
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