Moby-Dick. A Pop-Up Book

New York: Sterling Publishing C., 2007. Hardcover. Near Fine. Hardcover. Call me Ishmael." Three of the most famous words in all literature, they begin Herman Melville's masterpiece, Moby-Dick the epic saga of Captain Ahab's obsessive quest for the white whale comes vividly to life in this three-dimensional pop-up book by Sam Ita, the well-known paper engineer and artist. Ita studied graphic design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn before following his passion for paper engineering. He draws inspiration from comics, origami, and machines, applying his craft to publishing, advertising, animation, display, and toy design. His pop-up book creations include Christmas Tree In-a-Box, The Odyssey, Moby Dick, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Frankenstein. In this inventive production, there's not just one pop-up per spread, but several, surrounded by colorful comic book-style panels that convey the novel's drama.Some of the pops-ups are large and incredibly detailed, like the Pequod itself, which rises gloriously from the page, complete with rigging. Others, smaller but no less terrific, hide beneath flaps and folds. In one instance, readers actually get to look through a 3-D periscope and see Ishmael through the "lens," drifting in the ocean. Bound in glossy illustrated covers with a dark blue cloth spine, with the title in silver. The rear cover has an image from the book and a description of the contents. With six two page spreads revealing the pop-ups. Holiday gift inscription in ink on front pastedown. In near fine condition. Measures 9 x 11.25 inches. Unpaginated. CHILD/080724.