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Successful pop-up book team Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart discuss their craft and more

Date published: 8/3/2006

By BRITTANY ROUSH

YOUTH CORRESPONDENT

Around Christmastime last year, while shopping for myself in Borders, I wandered into the children's section to see what new and fun things they had to offer. I spotted a book decorated with various dinosaurs. But this wasn't just any book. It was the newest Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart pop-up.

I opened the book and a gigantic T-Rex head popped out at me. Amused, I continued flipping through, page after page, quickly becoming enthralled with the beautiful colors and wonderful designs. There were flying beasts with a breathtaking color scheme, fighting dinosaurs and even one dinosaur eating another.

Amazed, I bought "Dinosaurs," the first in a series of three "Encyclopedia Prehistorica." But my purchases didn't stop there. I soon coveted "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," both delightful pop-up renditions of two of my favorite stories.

It wasn't until the release of "Sharks," the newest of Sabuda and Reinhart's collection, that I decided to interview the two pop-up masters. Several weeks later I received the number, and it was time.

With a nervous flutter in my stomach, I dialed the number for Sabuda's New York studio. An assistant answered and quickly brought Sabuda to the phone. Reinhart, Sabuda's assistant, jumped on the line next, and the interview was under way:

Q : Does one do the writing and the other do the pop-up part of the book?

Sabuda : We both do both!

Reinhart : I wrote the text for ["Sharks"] while Robert did the artwork.

Sabuda: But we often do both. We'll work back and forth, we'll discuss artwork together.

Q : Is this something that you always wanted to do?

Sabuda: I've always been an artist. I don't ever recall a time when I wasn't making something or drawing or painting something, and I love children's books.

Date published: 8/3/2006