Best Pop-Up Books of 2024 | Collector’s Guide
Beautiful Pop-Up Books 2024
Jump to books on this page:
Pop-Up Books: DC SuperHeroes | Wicked | Godzilla | Monet | Disneyland: Pop-Up Park Tour | The Little Prince Pop-Up Book | Pop-Up Planetarium | The Night Before Christmas | XXL Series | Nightmare Before Christmas | Incredible Pop-Up Bug | Surrealism | Keith Haring | The Four Seasons | Shakespeare and Company | Here Comes Charlie Brown | Bicycles | M+ | Move | Ancient Civilisations
Apocharta Books: Letters from the North Pole | Anne of Green Gables | Moomin Mail
Novelty Titles: Harry Potter Pop-Up Wizard Chess | Harry Potter Pop-Up Holiday Wreath | Everybody Scream | Pokémon Advent Holiday Pop-Up Calendar
Foreign Titles: The Garden of Qi Baishi | The City of Mountains | Goutte à goutte | Jim | Disney Mondes Merveilleux | Loups
Please note that some of the links below are affiliate links for which I may be compensated (this does not affect my reviews nor cost you any money, but helps support my site hosting costs). I deeply appreciate your support of my site if you use these links, but warmly encourage you to buy from your local Indie bookshop if you have the opportunity.
You might also be interested in checking out:
Introduction
Some of my favourite pop-up titles this year were the delightful Wicked pop-up movie replica, a tunnel book showcasing famous Paris bookshop Shakespeare & Company, a whimsical history of the bicycle, and the clever action captured in David A Carter's Move!
A number of collectors were disappointed with a new publishing trend this year which saw a few one-to-two page spreads published as books, notably Godzilla, Nightmare Before Christmas, and Disneyland Pop-Up Park Tour. These have low star ratings on most sites because people anticipated more for their money – but so long as you manage your expectations accordingly, I found the actual paper engineering intricate and enjoyable.
Pop-Up books
Wicked: Replica Pop-Up Book 'The Story of Oz'
The Story of Oz & the Wonderful Wizard is a beautifully illustrated poem told over ten spreads and featuring three large, detailed pop-ups inside. ISBN: 9798886638127.
This is a lovely gold-foiled cloth-bound replica of the prop book used in the 2024 film Wicked – it's very accurate to what you see in the movie, with added bonus pages to complete the story of the Wizard’s arrival in Oz.
Paper Engineer: David Hawcock
Publisher: Insight Editions
Anticipated Publication Date: Dec 4, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ Check our more beautiful editions of The Wizard of Oz
Godzilla: The Official Pop-Up Book
“Reinvented vintage artwork decorates this exploration of the rich history of Godzilla.” ISBN: 9798886636161.
Includes three spreads – two tall monster pop-ups, and a page with a pop-up map and flatlay of removable collector's cards. There are also envelopes with removable ephemera inside the covers.
Paper Engineer: Matthew Reinhart
Publisher: Insight Editions
Anticipated Publication Date: Nov 12, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
DC SuperHeroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book
“The ultimate 3D masterpiece showcasing all your favorite comic book characters from the DC Universe. Fly above Metropolis with Superman, zoom through Gotham with Batman, battle alongside the Amazons with Wonder Woman, and encounter villains such as Lex Luthor and the Joker.”
Note: This is a revised edition of the original 2010 publication, with redrawn illustrations and updated pop-up designs.
Paper Engineer: Matthew Reinhart
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Anticipated Publication Date: Oct 29, 2024 (first edition released in 2010 by Little, Brown)
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Monet - The Pop-Up Book
A 3D rendering of five of Monet's most enduring paintings: Garden at Sainte-Adresse, Poppy Field, Waterlilies and Japanese Bridge, The Artist's House at Argenteuil, and The Bridge at Argenteuil.
Paper Engineer: David Carter
Publisher: Prestel Publishing
Publication Date: Oct 1, 2024
Disneyland: Pop-Up Park Tour - Reinhart Pop-Up Studio
An interactive map of all your favorite locales at the Disney Parks, including locations such as Tomorrowland, Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Adventureland, and more, with doors, flaps and tabs on every page along with fascinating facts, stats and trivia to accompany the pop-up landscapes. ISBN:9798886630244.
Note that this is a single spread pop-up book that unfolds into the diorama pictured below.
Paper Engineer: Matthew Reinhart, co-authored by Charlie Price
Publisher: Insight Editions
Publication Date: Oct 22, 2024
Swan Lake
A classic fairy tale of women cursed to live as swans by day, saved by a charming price with magic, moonlight and the power of friendship and love to overcome all.
ISBN 9781800787278.
Paper Engineer: Richard Ferguson, illustrated by Jenny Zemanek, text by Ruth Symons based on Tchaikovsky's ballet
Publisher: Templar Books
Publication Date: Oct 15, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ Part of the highly recommended Gilded Fairytales series
The Little Prince Pop-Up Book
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's tender and magical classic fable, adapted as a brand-new pop-up book for young readers. ISBN: 9780008595227.
Paper Engineer: [engineer not stated], text based on the story by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, adapted by Louise Greig, illustrated by Sarah Massini
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Children's Books
Anticipated Publication Date: Oct 10, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Pop-Up Planetarium
An introduction to the constellations, from mythology to science. Includes a built-in star wheel cover to find constellations in the sky, and a pop-up star map to turn any room into a planetarium by projecting constellations onto the wall or ceiling. ISBN: 9781250906977.
Paper Engineer: [not stated], text by Lynn Brunelle, illustrated by Sarah Dennis
Publisher: Odd Dot
Publication Date: Oct 8, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Night Before Christmas: Deluxe Pop-Up Edition
A pop-up rendition of beautiful artwork by Charles Santore across 10 spreads, to accompany the classic Christmas Eve poem. ISBN: 9781646432899.
Paper Engineer: [not stated], illustrated by Charles Santore, story by Clement Moore
Publisher: Applesauce Press
Publication Date: Sep 16, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
The Incredible Pop-Up Bug
A treasure trove of bugs and other members of the insect kingdom. 3 gorgeous double page pop-up spreads, the remainder have interactive flaps and dials. ISBN: 9781800784130.
Paper Engineer: [not stated], illustrated by Jasmine Floyd, text by Ben Hoare, story by Clement Moore
Publisher: Templar Books
Publication Date: Sep 12, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
XXL Pop-Ups Series
An oversized, colorful pop-up series that were originally released in French.
Includes Animals, Dinosaurs and Space.
Paper Engineer: David Hawcock, illustrated by Rudolf Farkas
Publisher: NuiNui
Publication Date: Sep 10, 2024
➤ Find Space at Amazon | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find Animals at Amazon | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find Dinosaurs at Amazon | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
ISBN: 9782889754281 (space) / 9782889754274 (animals) / 9782889754267 (dinos)
The Nightmare Before Christmas: Pop-Up Holiday Worlds: Pop-Up Town Tour
Paper Engineer: Matthew Reinhart, illustrated by Rodrigo Tannus
Publisher: Insight Editions
Publication Date: Aug 6, 2024
ISBN: 9798886634037
About
This “pop-up holiday world” provides contrasting journeys through the eerie “Hallowe'en Town” realm of the Pumpkin King, and the festive holiday “Christmas Town” wonderland of Sandy Claws.
Review
I have (and love!) pretty much all of Matthew Reinhart's pop-up creations, so it very much pains me to say I found this one a little underwhelming. The mechanism is of course clever (and very Reinhart!), as you open up to first see the Halloween Town spread, and then simply pull a tab to transform it completely into Christmas Town.
But that's it – there are no more pages, just this one. It's very much designed as a holiday display, rather than the pop-up book I was expecting (to be fair, maybe that's on me – I had higher expectations for the price point). The illustrations are super cute, but the actual display not particularly interactive.
If you really want to explore the world of “The Night Before Christmas”, then I recommend trying to find a copy of Reinhart's earlier (and confusingly similarly named) pop-up book, Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Pop-Up, which is absolutely incredible (I'll link this below as well).
Pop-Up Surrealism
Produced in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou, Monaco brings to life eight works of art by leading surrealists: Salvador Dalì, Victor Brauner, Jean Arp, Man Ray, Joseph Cornell, Dora Maar, René Magritte and André Breton. Short texts introduce each work and its historical context, while hand-painted illustrations bring a new dimension to this revolutionary period in modern art. ISBN 9780500027738.
Paper Engineer: Gérard Lo Monaco
Publisher: Thames and Hudson
Anticipated Publication Date: Jul 18, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Keith Haring Pop Up Book
The officially licensed Keith Haring Pop Up collection features 3D re-creations of iconic pop artist Keith Haring's works, including Sculptures, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Pop Shop Grid, Dog, Silence=Death & Houston Street Mural. The collection includes two book editions (standard edition and a special Altarpiece edition with an alternate silver foil stamped case wrap, housed in a bespoke wooden Altarpiece case), a greeting card and an 18″ x 24″ pop-up poster.
Paper Engineer: Simon Arizpe
Publisher: Poposition Press
Anticipated Publication Date: June 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | Poposition Press
The Four Seasons: A Magical Pop-Up Book
A sturdy pop-up carousel book showing the four seasons in large animated scenes. The pop-up pages capture the colours of each season and show more than 100 species of plants and animals. There are also lift-up flaps for interactivity, and a pull-out booklet at the back that lists all the species. ISBN: 9781912944873.
Paper Engineer: [not stated], illustrated by Qian Ling
Publisher: NQ Publishers
Anticipated Publication Date: May 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Shakespeare and Company: A Tunnel Book
“This double-sided Tunnel Book depicts both the Main Bookshop and upstairs Reading Library. “
A simply delightful way to experience the iconic bookstore, with each scene unfolding like a chapter in a magical world of books.
Paper Engineer: Daniele Catalli
Publisher: Shakespeare and Company
Publication Date: May 2024
➤ Find it at Shakespeare and Company
Here Comes Charlie Brown! A Peanuts Pop-Up Book
A pocket-sized 3D version of the very first Peanuts comic strip, a variation of the Browning sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?”. The publisher has indicated this is intended to be the first in a series, with later books focusing on Snoopy, Lucy, Franklin and the rest of the gang.
Paper Engineer: Gene Kannenberg Jr., comic by Charles M. Schulz
Publisher: Abrams ComicArts
Publication Date: Apr 25, 2024
Bicycles
A brief, whimsical history of the bicycle. English translation of the 2022 French title, with a succession of scenes from the first steps on a balance bike to the legendary Tour de France (nb: sample images below from the French edition).
Paper Engineer: Dominique Ehrhard
Publisher: Prestel Junior
Publication Date: Mar 5, 2024
M+ Pops Up
“See M+, the world's most exciting museum of visual culture, brought to life in eight striking pop-ups that showcase details from its illuminated facade overlooking Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour to its rooftop gardens and vast galleries.”
Paper Engineer: Mario Bataille
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
Publication Date: Mar, 2024
➤ Find it at MPlus
Move!
Colourful pop-up shapes, stripes and spots are ready to come to life as you pull tabs, wind wheels, flip flaps, and more. (Also published as ‘Action!' in French, Gallimard Jeunesse, 2022)
Paper Engineer: David A. Carter
Publisher: Thames and Hudson
Publication Date: Feb 29, 2024
Ancient Civilisations Series
Each title in this new series contains eight 3D reconstructions for readers to explore and discover an ancient civilisation, accompanied by educational text about how the people lived.
Paper Engineer: David Hawcock, illustrations by Javier Joaquin & Margherita Borin
Publisher: NuiNui
Publication Date: Feb 13, 2024
➤ Find Ancient Pompeii at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells
➤ Find Ancient Greece at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells
➤ Find Ancient Rome at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells
➤ Find Ancient Egypt at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells
Pompeii: 9782889754151 / Greece: 9782889754144 / Rome: 9782889754083 / Egypt: 9782889754069
Apocharta (Books with removable letters)
Letters from the North Pole
Five children from all around the world write to Santa Claus with ideas for Christmas gifts and are amazed when he writes back. Beautifully illustrated. ISBN 9781797227689.
Paper Engineer: [not stated], text by Annie Atkins, illustrated by Fia Tobin
Publisher: Magic Cat
Publication Date: Oct 8, 2024
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Anne of Green Gables
Full-page glassine pockets are inserted throughout the unabridged text containing replicas of thirteen items from the story recreated with charming handwriting and attention to historical detail. Discover the notes passed between Anne and her bosom friend Diana in the Avonlea schoolhouse; the official program of the Debating Club, and oMarilla’s recipes for both raspberry cordial and currant wine. ISBN 9781797227689.
Paper Engineer: Barbara Heller, text by L. M. Montgomery
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Publication Date: Sep 10, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
☞ Check out the rest of the Handwritten Letters series
Moomin Mail
An adorable story based on Tove Jansson's beloved Moomin characters with removable letters, recipes and even origami. UK printing 2023, US printing 2024.
Paper Engineer: [not stated], text by Amanda Li, illustrated by Filippa Widlund, based on the books by Tove Jansson.
Publisher: Macmillan / Boxer Books
US Publication Date: Mar 5, 2024
➤ Find UK edition at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
➤ Find US edition at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Pop-Up Novelty Books
Harry Potter: The Pop-Up Wizard Chess Set
In addition to a full set of standard pieces, the set also includes optional alternative pieces featuring Harry, Hermione and-of course-Ron. These pieces can be swapped in so that you can play the game as it was played in the film. ISBN 9798886635119.
Paper Engineer: David Hawcock, illustrated by Richard Davies
Publisher: Insight Editions
Anticipated Publication Date: Oct 8, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Harry Potter Pop-Up Holiday Wreath
A holiday wreath featuring the Hogwarts crest, four interchangeable ornaments with different Harry Potter–inspired icons to hang on the wreath, and a flying Golden Snitch as the bow. ISBN: 9798886630640.
Paper Engineer: Matthew Reinhart
Publisher: Insight Editions
Anticipated Publication Date: Sep 24, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | Waterstones | Blackwellss | Abes | eBay
Everybody Scream! The Nightmare Before Christmas Pop Up, Play, and Display
The iconic world of Tim Burton springs to life in Everybody Scream!: Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. When you pop the characters up and take the jacket off, you can display a scream-filled scene that showcases the residents of Halloween Town. ISBN: 9781419775543.
Paper Engineer: Evie Daye, illustrated by Disney artists
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Anticipated Publication Date: Sep 17, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Waterstones | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Pokémon Advent Holiday Pop-Up Calendar
An illustrated holiday scene a with a 13-in pop-up tree and 24 removable ornaments – each showcasing popular Pokémon. 9781604382495.
Paper Engineer: [engineer not stated]
Publisher: Pikachu Press
Anticipated Publication Date: Aug 20, 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon | B&N | Blackwells | Abes | eBay
Foreign Language Pop-Ups
The Garden of Qi Baishi (Chinese: 的花园)
Chinese text: A beautiful three-dimensional exploration of the delightful floral paintings of Chinese painter Qi Baishi.
Paper Engineer: Zhang Haoyi
Publisher: Rongbaozhai Publishing House, 9787500325802
Publication Date: 2024
➤ [Still looking for a good international distributor, will update when I've found one – I got mine from Taobao.]
The City of Mountains (Open Chongqing) [打开重庆]
An immersive city-culture pop-up featuring six landmark scenes of Chongqing – Hongyadong, Ciqikou, Jiefangbei, Liziba, Raffles City
Paper Engineers: Star Shen
Publisher: Chongqing Publishing House, 9787229181765
Publication Date: Jun 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon
Goutte à goutte [Drop-by-drop]
French text: “Drop by drop, water falls from the sky, trickles down to the earth, irrigates the fields, seeps between the stones and penetrates the layers of soil, before finally rising to the surface and bubbling up as a fountain.”
Review: Beautifully different interpretations for each pop-up scene in the life cycle of water.
Paper Engineer: Philippe UG
Publisher: Grandes Personn, 9782361937652
Publication Date: Nov 2024
Jim
An optical/kinetic pop‑up experiment from the creator of ABC3D, playing with perception, motion and typographic form [French language].
Paper Engineers: Marion Bataille
Publisher: Grandes Personn, 9782361937430 [FR]; Corraini Edizioni, 9791254931486 [IT]
Publication Date: Sep 2024
➤ Find it at Amazon
Disney - Marvellous Worlds (French: Mondes Merveilleux)
French text: “A limited edition exploration of five legendary Disney worlds. Spreads include Rapunzel and her tower, Peter Pan flying over the island of Neverland, Elsa and Anna strolling through Arendelle, Simba's presentation at the top of Lion's Rock, and the Madrigal family playing in their magical house Casita.”
Review: For me, the illustrations feel a bit computer-generated-y (although an individual illustrator is credited, so I guess it's a stylistic thing), but the pop-up spreads are cute.
Paper Engineer: Mathilde Bourgon
Publisher: Hachette Jeunesse, 9782017274421
Publication Date: 2024
Wolves (French: Loups)
French text: “Two young wolves spend an evening exploring the forest before returning to their pack.”
Review: Gorgeous illustrations in stage-set pop-up scenes accompany simple text for very young children.
Paper Engineer: Elena Selena
Publisher: Gallimard Jeune, 9782075195386
Publication Date: 2024
