Curriculum Laboratory Teaching Ideas Showcase: Toy and Movable (Pop-Up) Books...Two Cross Curricular Crafts (Egg Pop-Up Book and Small Crawling and Flying Animals Pop-Up Cards)

For further assistance in using any of the resources in the Lab, please ask at Curriculum Lab Information Services Desk

(This handout is part of a presentation  given by the author at various Teacher's Conventions and Workshops.  As well it has been used for a number of presentations to elementary students around Southern Alberta.) 

To view the QuickTime movie files on this page, please download the Quicktime Plug-In
 
 

Objectives of Handout/Workshop

• Define "toy and movable books (i.e. pop-up books)," and the different types of movable pages which can be found in these types of books
• Advantages and disadvantages of toy and movable books
• Survey the history of toy and movable books
• Look at the potential cross curricular connections in creating a toy and movable book pages
• Understand how to properly handle these types of books
• Survey (and enjoy) some of the best toy and movable books from the Curriculum Laboratory collection
• Survey (and share) some of the best books, based on either the eggs craft, or the small crawling and flying creatures craft.
• Create one of two pop-up crafts:
  • a toy and movable book sampler, based on the eggs theme, or
  • create one of five small crawling and flying creatures pop-up cards, based on the grade two Alberta science curriculum

 

• (Movie of the Toy and Movable Book Sampler made by the Grade 1-2 Class at Lomond School) Large: 7.0MB | Small: 3.5MB

List of Materials

• General supplies:
  • Masking tape and scotch tape
  • scissors for each group
  • Pencil crayons or crayons, and a black felt pen
  • Glue sticks
  • White sheets of paper
  • Scotch tape
• Introduction to toy and movable books:
  • Books listed in this handout, or similar ones, grouped by the 9 types of toy and movable books
  • One egg and two rags to clean up the mess!
• Create a toy and movable book sampler , based on the eggs theme:
  • Books that deal with the subject "eggs," similar to the ones listed in this handout
  • Worksheets:  "Toy and Movable Books Sampler Worksheets"
  • Worksheets:  "Storyboard Exercise:  What Words Will I Use In My Story?"
  • Materials for front and back cover, and title page
• Create one of five pop-up cards, based on the small crawling and flying creatures topic for grade 2 science in Alberta:
  • Definitions poster for small crawling and flying creatures
  • Recommended books that deal with small crawling and flying creatures, similar to the ones listed in this handout
  • Pop-up cards crafts for grade 2 science:
    • Worms
    • Mollusks
    • Crustaceans
    • Arachnids
    • Insects

     

Definition of "Toy and Movable Books"

• Toy and movable books are any books which contain text or illustrations that can be moved, more than is done in the turning of an ordinary sized book page.
• They are also called action books, pop-ups, special effects books, and surprise books.
• "Toy and movable books" is the subject heading used in many libraries for these types of books, so these treasures are easy to find in a library.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Toy and Movable Books

Roxane Holmes, teacher with the Horizon School Division, discusses the use of toy and movable books in the classroom Large: 6.5MB | Small: 3.9MB

• Advantages:
• These types of books can help bridge the gap between subject content and literature  e.g. mathematics and literature, or science and literature
• They can help bridge the gap between the abstract world of literature, and the concrete world of real objects.
• In a world saturated with media, these types of action books can bridge the gap to more involved, better quality literature.
• Popular with children, including reluctant readers.
• Great medium to enhance more traditional instruction.
• Promote hands-on learning:  "I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand (ancient Chinese proverb)."
• Books of this type appeal to children because of their incongruity, their surprise element.
• Disadvantages: 
• These types of books can have low literary quality, because the emphasis is often on the pop-up elements, the story or textual content may be of lesser quality.
• Are the toy and movable parts there for the sake of being there, or do they add something to the whole, that words or 2D pictures would not do just as well, if not better?

History of "Toy and Movable Books"

• 2500 B.C. -- The first books were Egyptian papyrus scrolls.  Papyrus was too brittle to fold, like our books today, so they were rolled up.
• 800 A.D. -- Accordion books were published.
• 1500s -- The first pop-up books were published.
• 1760s -- Robert Sayer created flap or door books.
• 1885-1910 -- The first golden age of toy and movable books.  Nister and Meggendorfer were well know authors of these types of books.
• 1980s-present -- The second golden age of toy and movable books.  Many of these books are assembled outside the country, since each may have up to 100 individual parts that need to be put together.

Bonn, Franz.  TITLE The children's theatre : a reproduction of the antique pop-up book.   Four pop-up illustrations depict scenes from family theater versions of Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, the Nativity, and Christmas Eve.    CURLB 792 Bon 

Cinderella. NOTE Originally issued in series: Dean & Son's pantomime toy books : with five set scenes and nine trick changes. CURLB 398.2 Cin 

Nister, Ernest.  TITLE Images pour enfants sages.  NOTE "Ce livre est la reproduction de l'album The Children's Tableaux, publie a Londres en 1896, par Ernest Nister"--Back cover.  CURLB 843.8 Nis 

Potential Curriculum Connections in This Handout/Workshop

• Science topic 2E:  Small crawling and flying animals
• Science topic 3E:  Animal life cycles
• Art, grades 1-6 (Taken from the Elementary Art Program of Studies, p. C1): 
• REFLECTION--responses to visual forms in nature,designed objects and artworks..  It includes analyzing structures in nature, assessing designed objects, and appreciating art.
• COMPOSITION--organization of images and their qualities in the creation of unified statements.  In Composition, the image-making skills developed in Depiction are employed to create integrated artworks.
• EXPRESSION--use of art materials as a vehicle or medium for saying something in a meaningful way.  In Expression, the focus is on purpose, theme and subject matter, as well as on media and techniques. 
• Mathematics:  K-12 Shape and Space (3-D Objects and 2-D Shapes) Strand, Shape and Space (Transformations) Strand,  Shape and Space (Measurement) Strand
• English Language Arts:  According  to Alberta Education's Program of Studies, "students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent" to achieve 5 general outcomes:
• explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences,
• comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts,
• manage ideas and information,
• enhance the clarity and artistry of communication, and 
• respect, support and collaborate with others.

The "Care and Feeding" of "Toy and Movable Books: " an Object Lesson

• Visit the Lomond School Grade 1/2 class webpage (Roxane Holmes is their teacher), to see their work with the "eggs" theme (For example, see "Raising Ringnecks").
• Hold an egg in your hand, which happens to be the subject of the toy and movable book sampler to be created.
• Ask the students to compare an egg and a pop-up book:

EGG:	POP-UP BOOK:
Food	Food for the brain
Life	Gives life to information
Hard outer shell (Protection)	Cover of book
Fragile inside	Handle very gently (Don't pull too hard on tabs, etc.)

• Have a student break the egg in your hand, and compare the results to handling toy and movable books roughly.

Browse and Classify Some of the Best "Toy and Movable Books" From the Curriculum Laboratory Collection

Directions: 

• Pictures of Lomond School Grade 1-4 students browsing the pop-up books:

• In 9 groups, take 10 minutes to browse these 9 types of toy and movable books. 
• In 10 minutes, be prepared to share your favorite page from one of the books. 
• Keep in mind that a good page in a toy and movable book should add something that ordinary words or pictures could not do alone.  For example, does the page allow you to interact more with the subject than an ordinary book would?

There are 9 types of pages found in these books:
1) Pop-Up Pages:  Pictures literally pop-up off the page at you, when you open the page.

Crowther, Robert.  TITLE  Robert Crowther's amazing pop-up house of inventions : hundreds of fabulous facts about where you live.  CURLB 609 Cro

Faulkner, Keith.  TITLE The wide-mouthed frog : a pop-up book. NOTE A wide-mouthed frog is interested in what other animals eat--until he meets a creature that eats only wide-mouthed frogs! CURLB F Fau

Hawcock, David.  TITLE The amazing pull-out pop-up body in a book.  CURLB 611 Haw 

Jones, Frances.  TITLE Nature's deadly creatures : a pop-up exploration. NOTE Text and pop-up illustrations depict six of the world's deadliest creatures, including the scorpion fish, black widow, and cobra. CURLB 591.6.

Sabuda, Robert. TITLE Alice's adventures in wonderland. F Sab

Stickland, Paul.  TITLE Truck jam.  NOTE Pop-up pictures depict several trucks engaged in various activities such as pouring sand, getting stuck in traffic, and being towed.  CURLAB F Sti
 

2) Accordion Pages:  Long or big pages, to show extra size

Carle, Eric.  TITLE Papa, please get the moon for me.  NOTE Monica's father fulfills her request for the moon by taking it down after it is small enough to carry, but it continues to change in size. Some pages fold out to display particularly large pictures.  CURLB F Car

Day, Trevor.  TITLE Youch! it bites! : real-life monsters, up close.  NOTE Close-up photographs and text about dangerous insects, snakes, reptiles, fish, and other animals. Includes movable flaps.  CURLB 591.65 Day 

Young, Ed.  TITLE Mouse match : a Chinese folktale.  NOTE Printed on both sides of one continuous sheet bound at front cover, folded accordian style with the original Chinese story on the other side.  CURLB 398.2 You 

3) Flap or Door Pages:  Open the flap, and find a hidden treasure

De Bourgoing, Pascale.  TITLE The egg.  NOTE Some pages are transparency overlays.  CURLB 591.33 Deb Gr.3 

De Bourgoing, Pascale.  TITLE The ladybird.  NOTE Some pages are transparency overlays.  CURLB 595.76 Deb Gr.2 

AUTHOR Edwards, Richard.  TITLE Amazing animal alphabet.  NOTE Brief verses describe animals in alphabetical order and illustrations provide clues to their identities, which can be checked by lifting the flap on each page.  CURLB 590 Edw

Hill, Eric.  TITLE Spot's first walk.  NOTE A puppy finds many animals and surprises when his mother sends him out on his first walk. Flaps conceal parts of the illustrations.  CURLB F Hil 

Seeger, Laura. TITLE The hidden alpphabet. An alphabet book in which windows open to reveal the letters hidden within each picture. CURLAB 421.1 See

Simmons, Jane.  TITLE Daisy's hide-and-seek : a lift-the-flap book.  CURLB F Sim
 
 

4) Shape and Feel Pages:  Pages are shaped, or feel, like real objects

Campbell, Rod.  TITLE Misty's mischief.  NOTE Brief text and illustrations follow the adventures of Misty the cat as she climbs trees, teases the dog, plays with kittens, 
and finally curls up to take a nap.  CURLB F Cam 

Carle, Eric.  TITLE The very busy spider.  NOTE The farm animals try to divert a busy little spider from spinning her web, but she persists and produces a thing of both beauty and usefulness. The pictures may be felt as well as seen.  CURLB F Car

Ehlert, Lois.  TITLE Hands.  NOTE Book covers are life-sized photographs of work gloves with interior page flaps and shapes. CURLB F Ehl 

Pelham, David.  TITLE Sam's surprise.  See also Sam's Sandwich and Sam's Pizza.  While supposedly helping his sister Samantha make a delicious sandwich, mischievous Sam sneaks some rather unpleasant ingredients into it. Features flaps and unfolding illustrations.  CURLB F Pel 

Van Fleet, Matthew.  TITLE Fuzzy yellow ducklings : fold-out fun with textures, colors, shapes, animals.  NOTE Uses fold-out illustrations and simple text to introduce different textures, colors, shapes, and animals.  CURLB F Van

Wells, Rosemary.  TITLE Goodnight Max.  NOTE On board pages, with materials to touch and feel.  CURLB F Wel
 
 

5) Step-cut Pages:  Smaller pages that hide something behind them

Carle, Eric.  TITLE The very hungry caterpillar.  CURLB PBK F Car 

Hooper, Meredith.  TITLE Seven eggs.  NOTE Presents seven different eggs whose contents are revealed when the reader lifts the flaps on which they are drawn.  CURLB F Hoo

Jonas, Ann.  TITLE Where can it be?  NOTE A child looks all over the house for her missing blanket. Uses flaps to reveal what the child finds behind closed doors.  CURLB F Jon 

Scarborough, Kate.  TITLE Hornets' nest. NOTE Follows the step-by-step process of a hornets' nest being built.  Features step-cut pages to emphasize the way things get bigger as they grow.  CURLB 595.798 Sca 
 
 

6) Hole Pages:  A hole shows a secret behind it

Ehlert, Lois.  TITLE Color zoo. NOTE Introduces colors and shapes with illustrations of shapes on die-cut pages that form animal faces when placed on top of one another.  NOTE Caldecott Honor book, 1990.  CURLB 152.14 Ehl 

Emberley, Ed.  TITLE Go away, big green monster!  NOTE Die-cut pages through which bits of a monster are revealed are designed to help a child control nighttime fears of monster.  CURLB F Emb 

Hoban, Tana.  TITLE Take another look.  NOTE By viewing nine subjects both in full-page photos and through  die-cut pages, the reader learns that things may be perceived in different ways.  CURLB 152.14 Hob 
 
 

7)  Other formats -- Multiple Format Toy and Movable Books, including:

Pull-Tab Pages:  Pull a tab to move an object

Wheel Pages:  Turn the wheel and see what happens

Baum, L. Frank.  TITLE The wonderful wizard of Oz.  NOTE A pop-up version of the classic story with a shorter version of the text.  CURLB F Bau

Cony, Frances.  TITLE Old McDonald had a farm.  NOTE Includes tabs, flaps, and dials to manipulate.  CURLB 782.42 Con

Crowther, Robert.  TITLE Robert Crowther's most amazing hide-and-seek alphabet book.  CURLB 421.1 Cro

Crowther, Robert.  TITLE  Robert Crowther's pop Goes the weasel!  And 25 more pop-up nursery rhymes.  CURLB 398.8 Cro

Crowther, Robert.  TITLE  Robert Crowther's Pop-up Olympics. CURLB 796.48 Cro

Kish, Ely. Dinoaur babies. Movable features depict a variety of dinosaurs in different stages of development, from hatchlings to juveniles ready to migrate with the herd. 567.91 Kis

Sabuda, Robert.  TITLE The Christmas alphabet.  CURLB 394.2663 Sab
 
 

8) Eye Trick Pages:  Helps us see objects in a new and different way

Anno, Mitsumasa.  TITLE Anno's magical ABC : an anamorphic alphabet. CURLB 421.1 Ann 

Gardner, Beau.  TITLE The turn about, think about, look about book. NOTE Presents graphics that can be viewed in four different ways by holding the book on each side.  CURLB 152.14 Gar 

Gukova, Julia.  TITLE All mixed-up! : a mixed-up matching book.  NOTE Composed of split pages that can be mixed and matched to form different pictures.  CURLB F Guk

Jonas, Ann.  TITLE Round trip.  NOTE Black and white illustrations and text record the sights on a day  trip to the city and back home again to the country. The trip to the city is read from front to back and the return trip, from back to front, upside down.  CURLB F Jon 

Oakley, Graham.  TITLE Graham Oakley's magical changes.  NOTE Illustrations without text depict a variety of humorous situations. Pages cut horizontally across the middle enable the reader to mix up the scenes. CURLB F Oak

9) How to Make Toy and Movable Books:  Shows you how to make your own toy and movable books

Carter, David A.  TITLE The elements of pop-up : a pop-up book for aspiring paper engineers. CURLB 745.54 Car 

Crowther, Robert.  Robert Crowther's pop-up book of amazing facts and feats:  deep down underground.  CURLB 624.19 Cro

Irvine, Joan.  TITLE How to make pop-ups.  CURLB 745.54 Irv 

Irvine, Joan.  TITLE How to make holiday pop-up cards. NOTE Provides instructions for making pop-ups for special events, particularly holidays which kids are involved in celebrating and for which they exchange cards.  CALL 745.54 Irv

Irvine, Joan.  TITLE How to make super pop-ups.  CURLB 745.54 Irv 

Johnson, Paul. Making books: over 30 practical book-making projects for children. CURLB 741.64 Joh

Silver, Donald M. TITLE Lift & look science : mini-books and manipulatives NOTE 15 reproducible flap books, fold-outs, pull-throughs, and mini-books that make science come alive for young learners.  NOTE For grades K-2.  CURLB 502 Sil 

Valenta, Barbara.  TITLE Pop-o-mania : how to create your own pop-ups.
NOTE Provides instructions for creating all kinds of pop-up pictures, books, invitations, and more.  CURLAB 745.54 Val

Craft #1: Who Lays Eggs Pop-Up Book: Researching Your Topic

Before each of the 9 groups can create their own toy and movable book page on the topic, "Who Lays Eggs?" they need to find pictures and information on the different kinds of animals that lay eggs.  The groups can browse their own library under the Dewey Decimal numbers below, or use some of these books from the Curriculum Laboratory collection:
 

Isenbart, Hans-Heinrich.  TITLE A duckling is born. NOTE Follows the development of a mallard duckling from the mating of his parents to his first swim, less than an hour after birth.  CURLB 598.41 Ise 

Heller, Ruth.  TITLE Chickens aren't the only ones.  NOTE A pictorial introduction to the animals that lay eggs, including chickens as well as other birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes,insects, and even a few mammals.  CURLB 591.16 Hel

Kalman Bobbie & Smithyman, Kathryn. TITLE The life cycle of a spider. NOTE Presents information about spiders, including different species, reproduction, differences between males and females, and some ways to protect spiders from environmental damage. CURLB 595.44 Kal

Lauber, Patricia.  TITLE What's hatching out of that egg? NOTE Text and illustrations introduce a variety of eggs and the animals that hatch out of them. Includes ostrich, python, bullfrog, and monarch butterfly eggs among others.  CURLB 591.39 Lau

Mound, L. A. (Laurence Alfred)  TITLE Amazing insects.  CURLB 595.7 Mou Gr.2

Pope, Joyce.  TITLE Reptiles.  NOTE Describes the physical characteristics and habits of lizards,snakes, crocodiles, turtles, and other reptiles.  CURLB 597.9 Pop

Seed, Deborah. TITLE The amazing egg book. CURLB 574.33 See

Selsam, Millicent Ellis.  TITLE A first look at bird nests.  NOTE An introduction to the many places birds make their nests, suchas chimneys, cliffs, bushes, traffic lights, and window ledges,and the unusual things that might be built into the nests.  CURLB 598.256 Sel

Tesar, Jenny E.  TITLE Insects.  NOTE Examines the physical characteristics, senses, metabolism, andlife cycle of insects and discusses how they fit into the food chain.  CURLB 595.7 Tes Gr.2 

Tesar, Jenny E.  TITLE Spiders. NOTE Explores the physical characteristics, senses, metabolism, reproduction, and growth of spiders.  CURLB 595.44 Tes 

Wallace, Karen.  TITLE Imagine you are a crocodile.  CURLB 597.98 Wal

Watts, Barrie.  TITLE Birds' nest.  CURLB 598.8 Wat

Craft #1: Who Lays Eggs Pop-Up Book Create the Pages

• Movie of the Toy and Movable Book Sampler made by the Grade 1-2 Class at Lomond School Large: 7.0MB | Small: 3.5MB

• Pictures of Lomond School's completed pop-up book pages:

Directions:
1) Give each of 9 groups one set of page sets 1 to 9 from the "Toy and Movable Books Sampler Worksheets."
2) Walk them through what the finished sampler may look like, by clicking on Lomond School sampler movie, above.
3) As a whole group, use the worksheets, as well as the "Storyboard Exercise:  What Words Will I Use In My Story?" write a story to go with the worksheets.
4) Have each group construct one of pages from the worksheets.  HINT:  It is easier to draw and color your toy and movable book pages before you do the cutting and folding, as outlined on each each page.
5)  Page sets 10-12 are optional, as they are more difficult than some of the earlier page sets.
5) Glue the individual pages together back-to-back, to make a finished book.  You may want
to make a nice front and back cover for the book, and a title page.

Craft #2: Small Crawling and Flying Creatures Pop-Up Cards Researching Your Topic

Below are some recommended books related to the five types of small crawling and flying creatures crafts students can create. The groups can browse their own library under the Dewey Decimal numbers below, or perhaps use some of these books from the Curriculum Laboratory collection:

Craft #2 Small Crawling and Flying Creatures Pop-Up Cards: Create the Cards

Create one of five pop-up cards, based on the small crawling and flying creatures topic for grade 2 science in Alberta:

• Definitions poster for small crawling and flying creatures -- The students will need a copy of this poster to fill in the blanks on each card, once they have completed the card.
• Pop-up card crafts for grade 2 science -- The instructions for each card are included. The cards could be integrated into a introduction or review book for the unit.
• Worms
• Mollusks
• Crustaceans
• Arachnids
• Insects
• Pictures of completed pop-up cards:

		Small Crawling and Flying Creatures Pop-Up Page Examples

Search for Pop-Up Craft Ideas on the Web

• Search "pop-up" on some lesson plans sites at: http://www.uleth.ca/edu/currlab/lessonplan.cfm

• Templates for the pop-ups in "The Elements of Pop-Up" (Click on the surprise box)
• A virtual history of pop-up and movable books
• Joan Irvine's How To Make A Pop-Up Page
• Robert Sabuda's Explore Pop-Ups
• The pop-up world of Ann Montanaro
• ThinkQuest's pop-up book instructions
• A variety of holiday pop-up card crafts from Enchanted Learning

Works Cited:

     Bohning, G., Radencich, M. (1989, Sept.).  Action books:  Pages for learning and laughter.  Young children, 62-66.

     Bohning, G., Radencich, M. (1988).  A handbook for using movable action books. ERIC document ED294162.

     Huse, V.E., Bluemel, N.L. & Taylor, R.H. (1994, Sept.) Making connections:  From paper to pop-up books. Teaching children mathematics, 14-17. 

     Johnson, P. (1993).  Literacy through the book arts. Portsmouth:  Heinemann.

     Lake, J. (1993).  Pop-up books. In Imagine: A literature-based approach to science. (pp. 59-65).

     Nevin, Mary Lou (1993).  I do and I understand.  Contemporary Education, 65. (1), 16-18. 

     Shannon P., Samuels, B. (1985).  Developing an understanding of literacy through production of pop-up books. Reading Horizons, 25. (3), 213-221.

ODE TO YOUR CLASSROOM MOUSE (R.I.P)

Said the Lomond school kids to the dead mouse hidden in their classroom:

"Dead, dead mouse
Where are you?
You're in my nostrils,
But elsewhere, too!

We've searched the classroom
Through and through,
But still your perfume sticks like glue!"

"I'll be sure to show myself,
Your smelly pest,
But only when you have 
A classroom guest!"

  January, 2002.  Updated December 2006.