Matthew Reinhart is a renowned paper engineer and bona fide STARS WARS aficionado. He created the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling STAR WARS: A POP-UP GUIDE TO THE GALAXY with Lucasfilm, published by Orchard Books. He also created DC SUPER HEROES: THE ULTIMATE POP-UP BOOK and MOMMY? by Maurice Sendak. He has worked with Robert Sabuda on many fantastic pop-up titles such as THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ; ABC DISNEY; the Encyclopedia Mythologica trilogy; and the Encyclopedia Prehistorica trilogy. He lives in New York City.
PW Starred
Children who get the better of monsters are a Sendak specialty,
fromWhere the Wild Things Are toBrundibar . In this light bite of
spine-tingling fare created by Sendak, Yorinks (Hey, Al ) and
Reinhart (Encyclopedia Prehistorica )-sort of a dark twist onAre
You My Mother- -a mischievous boy addresses the title question to
some unmaternal characters. Sendak's quintessential black-haired
boy (with a strong resemblance to Mickey), wearing blue PJs and a
red cap, wanders into a haunted house and naively calls, "Mommy-"
Stylized, softened characters fromNosferatu and Lon Chaney creature
features unfold in 3-D to menace the child, but the boy might as
well be saying, "Trick or treat-," because he pulls pranks on
everyone. A tall Frankenstein's monster gets ready to stomp on him;
in a gatefold at the right-hand side of the spread, the disarming
toddler jerks the bolts from the startled monster's neck. On a
brick roof, the boy surprises a werewolf and a green goblin; the
gatefold reveals the boy yanking down the Wolf Man's jeans to
reveal silly boxer shorts, while the goblin giggles. In Reinhart's
neatest engineering feat-a spinning dowel-and-string
contraption-the not-so-harmless boy spins the white wrappings off
an Egyptian "mummy." The title is the book's only word until the
conclusion, when the Bride of Frankenstein at last replies to the
child's question. Although the illustrious creators' do not appear
until the back cover, readers cannot miss Sendak's signature
graphic style. These gags are not too serious, but the suspenseful
setups pointedly suggest humor's power over fear. All
ages.(Sept.)
Kirkus Starred
Sendak's first foray into the world of pop-up books is a brilliant
success. After Yorinks sets up
the Are You My Mother? theme with a twist, Sendak makes it his own,
and Reinhardt adds the
surprises as a little Mickey-like boy moves through a haunted
house, from monster to monster, looking
for his mother. None of the ghouls stands a chance against the
mischievous tyke, as he unscrews
Frankenstein's monster's bolts, pulls down the werewolf's pants and
spins the Mummy in its own
wrapping. This last action makes the most effective use of the
pop-up possibilities: When the gatefold
is opened, the creature actually spins on a dowel pulled by the
boy. The combined talent of Sendak,
Yorinks and Reinhardt offers some of the best art and artistry in
the genre: As each page is opened,
the spread is filled with multiple pop-ups of everything from a bag
of hands to a snake poking out
of a basket, as well as a side gatefold, also a pop-up,
illustrating each monster's undoing. The text is
only one word Mommy? until she is found in a surprise ending and
answersyou guessed it
B-A-B-Y! Readers will answer, AGAIN! (Pop-up. All ages)
Booklist
Gr. 13. As suggested by the author credit, Scenario by Arthur
Yorinks, Sendak's first pop-up book is more situation than story,
but it's a situation well matched to the artist's cherished themes
and darkest sensibilities. The mostly wordless tale features a
pajama-clad toddler, who seeks his mother in a graveyard crypt (the
titular query, set within speech balloons, comprises most of the
text), encountering a series of Halloween-themed Wild Things along
the way. The ambiguous ending, suggesting either a joyful reunion
or an imminent babynapping by a zombielike Bride of Frankenstein,
is as twisted, in its way, as the crying pig trussed up beneath a
staircase on the first spreada perverse, mostly hidden detail that
will either horrify or amuse those who discover it. Although
contributions by paper engineer Matthew Reinhardt offer some
whimsical moments, Sendak's staunchest fans may object to the way
the mechanics fracture the artwork, compromising their idol's sure
lines and celebrated design sense. Still, the combination of a
legendary ill"
PW Starred
Children who get the better of monsters are a Sendak specialty,
fromWhere the Wild Things Are toBrundibar . In this light bite of
spine-tingling fare created by Sendak, Yorinks (Hey, Al ) and
Reinhart (Encyclopedia Prehistorica )-sort of a dark twist onAre
You My Mother- -a mischievous boy addresses the title question to
some unmaternal characters. Sendak's quintessential black-haired
boy (with a strong resemblance to Mickey), wearing blue PJs and a
red cap, wanders into a haunted house and naively calls, "Mommy-"
Stylized, softened characters fromNosferatu and Lon Chaney creature
features unfold in 3-D to menace the child, but the boy might as
well be saying, "Trick or treat-," because he pulls pranks on
everyone. A tall Frankenstein's monster gets ready to stomp on him;
in a gatefold at the right-hand side of the spread, the disarming
toddler jerks the bolts from the startled monster's neck. On a
brick roof, the boy surprises a werewolf and a green goblin; the
gatefold reveals the boy yanking down the Wolf Man's jeans to
reveal silly boxer shorts, while the goblin giggles. In Reinhart's
neatest engineering feat-a spinning dowel-and-string
contraption-the not-so-harmless boy spins the white wrappings off
an Egyptian "mummy." The title is the book's only word until the
conclusion, when the Bride of Frankenstein at last replies to the
child's question. Although the illustrious creators' do not appear
until the back cover, readers cannot miss Sendak's signature
graphic style. These gags are not too serious, but the suspenseful
setups pointedly suggest humor's power over fear. All
ages.(Sept.)
Kirkus Starred
Sendak's first foray into the world of pop-up books is a brilliant
success. After Yorinks sets up
the Are You My Mother? theme with a twist, Sendak makes it his own,
and Reinhardt adds the
surprises as a little Mickey-like boy moves through a haunted
house, from monster to monster, looking
for his mother. None of the ghouls stands a
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
