Moby-Dick: A Pop-up Book »

“Call me Ishmael.” Three of the most famous words in all literature, they begin Herman Melville’s masterpiece, Moby-Dick. Now, the epic saga of Captain Ahab’s obsessive quest for the white whale comes vividly to life in this three-dimensional graphic novel, the first of its kind. This phenomenal work is the creation of multi-talented artist Sam Ita, apprentice to Robert Sabuda—one of the world’s master paper engineers. Every amazing element is awe-inspiring: there’s not just one pop-up per spread, but several, surrounded by colorful comic book-style panels that convey the story’s drama.
Some of the pops-ups are huge and incredibly detailed, like the Pequod itself, which rises gloriously from the page, complete with rigging. Others, smaller but no less wonderful, hide beneath flaps and folds. In one instance, readers actually get to look through a 3-D periscope and see Ishmael through the “lens,” drifting in the ocean.
The quality of Ita’s paper engineering is nothing short of breathtaking and will carry you off on an unforgettable adventure.

Children's Literature

In this pop-up version of Herman Melville s classic novel of good and evil played out on the high seas, paper engineer Sam Ita has bravely chosen to present the grim and complicated moral tale as a pop-up book with the story unfolding in comic strip style with word bubbles. Unfortunately for someone encountering Moby Dick for the first time, there are not enough pages in this kind of presentation to capture fully both the adventurous and the psychological aspects of the whole novel. Some previous knowledge of the book is essential, otherwise the reader will be confused by some of the characters and unaware of all that is happening, but as to the pop-ups, they are simply superb! The colors of the illustrations are somber blues, purples, and browns and there is an interesting mix of pop-up actions. The whaling ship Piquod appears twice, both times with complicated constructions of sails and rigging. On one page an unexpectedly large Captain Ahab lurches forward from the bottom of the book, and, on the last page, a single larger-than-life hand rises from the sea to grasp a symbolic piece of wood reminiscent of a light house. Highly recommended, not as an introduction to Melville, but because all collectors and lovers of pop-up books will want to have Sam Ita s first book. We will surely see more work from him in the future. Reviewer: Eleanor Heldrich