This version of the story is only twelve pages long, but the book is about three inches thick. That is because it is a “Pop-Up Adventure”. Each double-spread has a really magnificent paper pop-up, displaying a scene from The Jungle Book. The one with the monkeys climbing all over the temple claims to be the highest pop-up ever, the elephants are really solid-looking and impressive, but the best has to be Bagheera, leaping out of the book at the reader.
The blurb says that this is a “Classic Collectible”, “unsuitable for children up to 36 months due to small parts”. Absolutely right; it’s unsuitable for any child who may treat such books roughly or who wants to find out how they are put together – that is, if you consider the book to be a collectible to be passed on, used as an heirloom and brought out only on special occasions.
Within those limits, it is great fun, truly a spectacular example of the paper-folder’s art (“printed and hand assembled in China”) and well worth the money. We don’t suppose that the text will be read that much, as it is more of a looking-at book, but it uses American spelling.
Reinhart, M. The Jungle Book Simon and Schuster
ISBN 1-416-92639-9
£18.99