The Christmas Alphabet
Who can resist opening a door or lifting a flap just to see what’s inside? No one. And that’s why this seasonal, alphabetical pop-up book has become such a Christmas favorite. Beneath each lettered flap is an intricate three-dimensional paper cutout of a holiday-related object that starts with the same letter (A for angel, B for bell, C for candle). The cutouts, emerging from colorful squares, are all made of crisp white paper—creating an origami elegance. Yet the paper sculptures are decidedly joyful and unpredictable, like the exploding shreds of paper beside the title “unwrap” under the letter U. Robert Sabuda made his first pop-up book when he was 8 years old, but abandoned the art when he failed to figure out how to make the cyclone twirl in The Wizard of Oz. Apparently, he’s finally mastered the art of motion, since many of the pop-ups feature movements such as flight for the angel, and the tender joining of lips for the kiss of two reindeer.