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20 Best Pop-Up Books for Kids

Introduce kids to the wonder and magic of reading with these interactive pop-up books for kids of all ages.

20 Best Pop-Up Books for Kids

Pop-up books have an almost magical quality. They can bring kids into the world of reading, even kids who don’t have a particular interest in books. 

For smaller children, pop-up books are interactive. They get to experience tactile learning while hearing a story. Pop-up books can hold their attention. They are also helpful for early readers. These books can help them make predictions about the text and enhance comprehension.

Even older kids enjoy pop-up books. Some of them contain an entire novel with elaborate pop-ups and intricate details.

Below are some of the best pop-up books for kids.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: A Pop-Up Adaptation

1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: A Pop-Up Adaptation

By Lewis Carroll / Robert Sabuda

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

Sabuda is known for his many beautiful pop-up books and Alice in Wonderland is certainly one of his best. The illustrations allude to the originals by John Tenniel while still creating something fresh and modern.

While the entire story isn’t included, all text is taken directly from Carroll’s original story. It’s a great book to introduce younger kids to the classic story. Older kids who’ve already read the story will marvel at Sabuda’s intricate designs.

Colors: My First Pop-Up!

2. Colors: My First Pop-Up!

By Matthew Reinhart

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

Reinhart is known for his elaborately-crafted pop-ups, but this pop-up for the preschool set is simple yet still done with great detail.

Each page takes kids through another color with pop-ups and other interactive elements. You and your child will be delighted.

Believe: A Pop-Up Book of Possibilities

3. Believe: A Pop-Up Book of Possibilities

By Robert Sabuda

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

Pop-up books are all about beauty and wonder. Believe is genuinely a work of art. Each page spread features a possibility, such as an egg. The following page shows what the possibility may become, like a flock of birds.

Kids will enjoy trying to predict what comes next in this beautiful book that can be appreciated by readers of all ages.

The Ultimate Construction Site Book

4. The Ultimate Construction Site Book

By Anne-Sophie Baumann

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

The Ultimate Construction Site Book is one of our favorite pop-up books for toddlers. It features over 60 interactive parts that let kids explore exciting construction sites and vehicles. There are pop-ups, lift-the-flaps, foldout pages, turning wheels, and more.

Younger children will love exploring the images on each page. Early elementary children will enjoy learning about how various structures like bridges and rollercoasters are made.

Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs

5. Encyclopedia Prehistorica Dinosaurs 

By Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

If your child is passionate about dinosaurs, then they’ll love this pop-up book by two of the biggest names in paper engineering. The box is made up of six spreads, each with an intricately-crafted dinosaur.

The book is also a delightful read with fascinating facts along with humor and whimsy. Your child will treasure it for a long time.

Shells: A Pop-Up Book of Wonder

6. Shells: A Pop-Up Book of Wonder

By Janet Lawler

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

Kids are often fascinated by shells. If you can’t go to the beach and look for some, this book is the next best thing. It contains seven full-page spreads with pictures of different types of shells.

The text also reveals interesting facts about shells, their shapes, and how they protect sea creatures.

The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings

7. The Color Monster: A Pop-Up Book of Feelings

By Anna Llenas

Buy the Book: Amazon

If you have a toddler, you know all too well how challenging it is for them to express their feelings. They often have tantrums because they don’t know how to say what’s wrong. 
The Color Monster uses colors to describe feelings. Each page has fun pop-ups to enhance the illustrations.

The Ultimate Book of Planet Earth

8. The Ultimate Book of Planet Earth

By Anne-Sophie Baumann

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

The Ultimate Book of Planet Earth is a great addition to any science library. It covers a variety of topics including geology and weather. Kids can see what’s inside the earth’s core, how a volcano erupts, and what causes a tornado.

Large pop-ups help to give these concepts meaning by making them three-dimensional.

Flora: A Botanical Pop-Up Book

9. Flora: A Botanical Pop-Up Book

By Yoojin Kim

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

Flora has seven spreads with pop-ups of gorgeous flowers. It also contains pull tabs with even more pictures. There are also lots of facts about flowers and the important role they play in nature.

It’s a great book to bring out in springtime when all the flowers are blooming.

Pop-Up Peekaboo! Bedtime

10. Pop-Up Peekaboo! Bedtime

DK Publishing

Buy the Book: Amazon 

The Pop-Up Peekaboo! series has a book for almost any topic that interests toddlers. The bedtime book features Bunny, who is getting ready for bed. All of the other animals are hiding. 

Little ones will like lifting the flaps on each page to find the hiding animals. Bright pictures and rhyming text make this a great option for bedtime.

Pop-Up & Build: National Parks

11. Pop-Up & Build: National Parks

By Mike Graf

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

For kids who like making things, Pop-Up and Build: National Parks is a fun spin on traditional pop-up books. The book covers all 59 of the U.S.’s National Parks. Five of those parks are pops that can be punched out and assembled.

The Wide-Mouthed Frog

12. The Wide-Mouthed Frog

By Keith Faulkner

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

The Wide-Mouthed Frog is a folktale about a frog with a big mouth who wants to learn about what other creatures eat. The animal pop-ups enhance the colorful illustrations on each spread.

This book is a good choice for teaching adjectives. Students between 1st and 2nd will love the funny story and can pick out the describing words as they read.

My First Pop-Up Mythological Monsters

13. My First Pop-Up Mythological Monsters

By Owen Davey

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

Mythological creatures and cryptids are fascinating on their own, but when made in pop-up form, they become works of art.

Each page of this book features a pop of a monster along with its country of origin and a simple description. It’s a fun way to teach younger kids about different cultures.

The Pop-Up Guide: Space

14. The Pop-Up Guide: Space

By Sophie Dussaussois

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

Space is a fascinating topic for kids of all ages. This pop-up book covers several astronomy topics, including the solar system, astronauts, and the possibilities of space travel. There are ten spreads, each with an elaborate pop-up.

The book also comes with a band that allows kids to keep the book open on their favorite spread for display.

Jack and the Beanstalk

15. Jack and the Beanstalk

By Tiger Tales

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

Jack and the Beanstalk is a classic fairy tale that young kids love. This book brings the story to life with exciting pop-up surprises and lift-the-flaps that reveal more of the story. 

Jack and the Beanstalk is a board book, making it a good option for smaller children who are just learning how to handle books with care.

Kitty Cones: Make Your Own Pop-Up Book

16. Kitty Cones: Make Your Own Pop-Up Book

By Ralph Cosentino

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

If your child loves pop-up books and has an artistic streak, they may be compelled to make their own.

The book has several cute kittens and ice cream cones that kids get to color, cut, fold, and glue. In the end, they’ll have a pop-up book they made on their own. This book is great for helping kids understand the basics.

Pop-Up Earth

17. Pop-Up Earth

By Anne Jankeliowitch

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

Pop-Up Earth is another stunning book about our planet. This one focuses more on geology, including how the Earth formed, the shifting of tectonic plates, and more. 

It also includes some important facts about climate change and can be a great teaching tool for young environmentalists. The book has five awesome pop-ups to illustrate concepts.

This Book Is a Planetarium

18. This Book Is a Planetarium

By Kelli Anderson

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

This Book is a Planetarium proves that not all picture books are for young children. It’s designed for older kids but will also be enjoyed by teens and adults. The book contains six spreads that transform into six amazing contraptions – a planetarium, speaker, calendar, and more.

The book is highly interactive. It also contains detailed explanations of the physics behind each of the objects.

Bugs: A Stunning Pop-Up Look at Insects, Spiders, and Other Creepy-Crawlies

19. Bugs: A Stunning Pop-Up Look at Insects, Spiders, and Other Creepy-Crawlies

By George McGavin

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

Many kids are fascinated by bugs. Bugs gives kids a close-up look at the fascinating creatures. Pop-ups show insects in stunning detail while flaps and pull tabs reveal even more exciting images.

There’s also plenty of factual information and fun trivia to help kids learn more about the world of bugs.

Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Hogwarts

20. Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Guide to Hogwarts

By Matthew Reinhart

Buy the Book: Amazon | Bookshop

If your child is a fan of the Harry Potter series, then this book will be a wonderful gift. The book opens up to make a large replica of Hogwarts. There are larger and smaller pop-ups throughout the book featuring some of the most famous locations from the films.

There’s also text giving more insight into each of the places. This book is best for older kids, as it’s more of a keepsake and needs to be handled with care. Younger kids may enjoy it with an adult.

Use Pop-Up Books With Kids of All Ages

Many of the best pop-up books appeal to a wide range of ages. Younger kids enjoy the magic of pop-ups while older kids can appreciate the art and skill that goes into making them. You can make great family memories by sharing these pop-up books with your children.

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About Lisa

Lisa Holliman has been teaching and writing curriculum for 12 years at an innovative private school in MS. She has two small boys who love to learn and try new things.

More articles by Lisa

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