Flipbook facts for kids

A flipbook is a special kind of paper book that creates the illusion of movement. It's filled with a series of drawings or pictures that change slightly from one page to the next. When you quickly flip through the pages, your brain sees the pictures blend together, making them look like a short, moving animation. Think of it like a very simple, old-fashioned movie!

What is a Flipbook?

A flipbook, also known as a flick book or kineograph, is a small book with a sequence of images. Each image is a tiny bit different from the one before it. When you hold the book in one hand and quickly flip the pages with your thumb, the images flash by. This quick succession of images tricks your eyes and brain into thinking you are watching a continuous motion. It's a fun way to see how animation works!

How Do Flipbooks Work?

The magic behind a flipbook is called persistence of vision. This is a cool trick your brain plays! When you see an image, your brain holds onto that image for a tiny fraction of a second, even after the image is gone. If another image appears very quickly after the first one, your brain connects them. It doesn't see them as separate pictures, but as one smooth, moving scene. Flipbooks use this trick by showing you many slightly different pictures one after another, fast enough for your brain to blend them into a moving picture.

The Science of Sight

Your eyes and brain work together to create what you see. When light hits your eye, it sends signals to your brain. For a flipbook to work, the images need to be flipped at a certain speed. Usually, around 10 to 12 frames (or pictures) per second is enough for the human eye to see smooth motion. This is similar to how old movies and cartoons were made, using many individual drawings shown quickly.

The History of Flipbooks

Flipbooks have been around for a long time, even before modern movies were invented! They are one of the earliest forms of animation.

Who Invented the Flipbook?

The first flipbook was patented in 1868 by an American named John Barnes Linnett. He called his invention the "kineograph," which means "moving picture." Linnett's kineograph was a simple stack of cards with pictures that could be flipped to create motion. It was a clever idea that showed how simple drawings could come to life.

Early Animation Toys

Before Linnett's invention, people were already experimenting with ways to make pictures move. Toys like the thaumatrope (a spinning disc with two images that combine when spun) and the zoopraxiscope (a device that projected images from a spinning disc) were popular. The flipbook was a simpler, more portable way to enjoy animated images, making it a hit with people of all ages.

Making Your Own Flipbook

Creating a flipbook is a fun and easy way to understand animation. All you need is a small pad of paper, a pencil, and an idea!

Steps to Create a Flipbook

• Get your paper: Use a small notepad or cut a stack of paper into small, uniform rectangles. Make sure the pages are attached on one side, like a small book.
• Plan your animation: Think of a simple action. Maybe a ball bouncing, a stick figure waving, or a flower blooming. Keep it simple for your first try.
• Draw your first frame: On the very last page of your pad, draw the final image of your animation.
• Draw the next frames: Go to the second to last page. Draw the image that comes just before your final image. Make it slightly different. Continue working backward, drawing each image on the page before the last one you drew. Each drawing should be a tiny step in your animation.
• Flip and enjoy: Once you've drawn all your frames, hold the pad firmly and quickly flip through the pages with your thumb. Watch your drawings come to life!

Tips for Better Flipbooks

• Keep it simple: Start with very basic movements.
• Small changes: Make only tiny changes between each drawing. Big changes will make the animation look jumpy.
• Use a light box: If you have one, a light box can help you see through the paper to trace parts of your previous drawing, making it easier to keep things consistent.
• Practice makes perfect: The more you try, the better your flipbooks will become!

Flipbooks and Modern Animation

Even though flipbooks are simple, they use the same basic principles as modern animation and movies. Every movie you watch, whether it's a cartoon or a live-action film, is made up of many still pictures shown very quickly.

From Flipbooks to Films

Early filmmakers used cameras to take many pictures per second, just like the drawings in a flipbook. When these pictures were projected onto a screen at a fast speed, they created the illusion of movement. This is how the first movies were born! So, in a way, flipbooks are like the great-grandparents of all the movies and animated shows we enjoy today. They teach us about the magic of bringing still images to life.

Images for kids

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  Illustration of the Kineograph in Linnett's 1868 patent

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  A flip book