Matthew Reinhart’s animal, rescue pop-up books among the best

“PUPPIES, KITTENS, AND OTHER POP-UP PETS,” by Matthew Reinhart, Robin Corey Books, August 23, 2011, $6.99 (ages 3 and up) and “RESCUE, POP-UP EMERGENCY VEHICLES,” by Matthew Reinhart, Robin Corey Books, August 23, 2011, $6.99 (ages  and up)

Illustrated with brightly colored  pop-ups, Matthew Reinhart’s children’s books cover topics long loved by children: animals and rescue vehicles.  In “Puppies, Kittens, and Other Pop-up Pets” the reader is asked to consider many possible pets and whether they would be the right animal for them.  In “Rescue, Pop-up Emergency Vehicles,” the reader is introduced to many different rescue vehicles before they head off to do their jobs.

With spare writing and fun visuals, your little ones will enjoy discovering the wonders of each creative page.  While the majority of the pages consist of well thought-out and imaginative pop-ups, some are made up of flaps with hidden pictures or pull-tabs that produce movement.  Though younger children will need help navigating the book to avoid breakage, they will be very excited to experience each intricate creation.

Some pop-up books end up bringing disappointment with their repetitive pages, but Matthew Reinhart’s set-ups provide many different kinds of “wow” for the reader to enjoy along the way.  These are some of the best pop-ups I have seen, especially for the low list price.

***This guest review is by Jamie Wood, a mother of three who enjoys brainwashing her children to read as many books as they can in one day. She does this by sitting on the couch and telling them she can’t talk now because she’s reading a book. So far all has gone well, and they are happily enjoying reading time together.