Carousel books, sometimes called 360° books or 3D pop-up books, are a sub-category of pop-up books, but they’re so distinct that they deserve their own list here on the site. Carousel books are bound like regular picture books, but the front and back covers are designed to touch so that the book opens all the way into a 360° circle (they usually have ribbons or magnets to connect the front and back covers).
click on a book cover to see more
By Gérard Lo Monaco
This book is not only a pop-up book, but it’s also a carousel book, which means that it can be opened accordion-style so that it forms a circle around the spine of the book. Read more about this book here.
Written by Sue Lowell Gallon and illustrated by Lisk Feng
This innovative board book is also a 360° book: both ends meet to form a 360° experience, or in this case a globe!. The ends stay connected to each other with soft magnets, which is brilliant, so the book can stand up on its own as they travel around the world to experience all types of geography.
360° Book: Snow White
Illustrated by Yusuke Oono and Seigensha
This 3.5" x 3.5" book essentially captures the essence of "Snow White" by showing a 360° view of one scene. This kind of book is called a carousel book––or a 360 book––because you touch the front and back covers to form a circle with the book (some carousel books even have ribbons to tie the front and back together). The cut-outs are exquisite, and the book sticks with a simple color palette of green, white, and red to keep everything universal and concise, with one side of each page green and one side white. The book itself comes inside a slightly larger container for easy storage.
Written by Chaumet and illustrated and engineered by Hélène Druvert
This beautiful six-scene carousel book has a ribbon to tie both boards together and a beautiful story in between about a mother and daughter. The images are layered laser cuts (Druvert’s specialty) so there are a ton of details to explore on every "spread" as readers turn the book and take in the story. Many of the images are comprised of gold foil or covered in a faux glitter, too, to give the book an extra gifty feel.
Written by Hazel Maskell and illustrated by Eleanor Taylor
Experience the four seasons in carousel form with this nature-loving book. Divided into four sections that each feature facts about animals and plants during each of the four seasons. Peep-holes and layered pop-ups create depth and detail, giving readers an excuse to pull the book out time and time again and twirl it to see how flora and fauna survive and thrive throughout the year.
Created by Emily Rand
Primarily featuring shades of blue and orange, this five-scene pop-up takes readers below the ocean’s surface and into the life of a little fish who’s swimming home as best he can. The images are all heavily patterned and bright, and the pop-ups are expertly cut to look like coral and seaweed, with die-cuts that allow for peeping.
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February 23, 2022 at 11:31AM noreply@blogger.com (Mel Schuit)
