Robert Sabuda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Sabuda
|
|
|---|---|
Sabuda in 2014
|
|
| Born | Robert James Sabuda March 8, 1965 Wyandotte, Michigan, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
Robert James Sabuda, born on March 8, 1965, is a super talented artist and "paper engineer" who creates amazing pop-up books for kids. He's known for his clever and detailed designs. The New York Times even called him "indisputably the king of pop-ups" in 2003 because his books are so special.
Robert Sabuda's Early Life
Robert Sabuda grew up in Michigan. His dad was a builder, which taught Robert to appreciate careful and precise work. His mom worked for Ford Motor Company and often brought home manila folders. Young Robert used these folders to make his own art projects, like pop-up cards and books.
He later went to the Pratt Institute in New York City. In 1987, he earned a degree in communications design.
Robert Sabuda's Career in Pop-Up Books
Robert Sabuda's love for paper engineering started when he was a kid. He read a version of Cinderella that had cool pop-up illustrations by Vojtěch Kubašta. This inspired him to create his very first pop-up book when he was just eight years old!
His professional journey in book illustration began with an internship at Dial Books for Young Readers. He started by designing packages. In 1987, he illustrated his first children's book series, called Bulky Board Books. He really started to get noticed in 1994 when he designed his first pop-up book for children, The Christmas Alphabet.
Robert Sabuda uses many cool techniques in his books. Some examples include:
- Making pages look like stained glass (in Arthur and the Sword, 1995).
- Using a special fabric-dyeing style called batik (in Blizzard's Robe, 1999).
- Creating illustrations that feel like ancient papyrus (in Tutankhamen's Gift, 1994).
- Designing pages that unfold into big murals (in Saint Valentine, 1992).
Awards and Recognition for Robert Sabuda
Robert Sabuda works from his studio in New York City. He is involved in many different projects that use movable paper. He has won the Meggendorfer Prize for Best Paper Engineering three times. This award is given by the Movable Book Society, which celebrates amazing pop-up books.
He is also a multiple No. 1 New York Times best-selling children's book creator. More than five million of his books have been printed and published in over 25 languages around the world!
Book critics have praised his work a lot. Ted Chapin from The New York Times called him a "prolific master of the pop-up book" and an "artistic and engineering genius." The Wall Street Journal said in 2011 that Sabuda is "a master at making books come to life." They even called him "the reigning prince of pop-up books."
Two of his most famous pop-up books are The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (published in 2000) and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (published in 2003). People especially love these. Graphic designer Steven Heller said that the clever paper tricks in Alice are "awesome."
