Robert Sabuda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Sabuda
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Sabuda in 2014
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| Born | Robert James Sabuda March 8, 1965 Wyandotte, Michigan, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
Robert Sabuda, born on March 8, 1965, is a famous American artist. He creates amazing pop-up books for children. He is also known as a "paper engineer" because his designs are so clever and detailed. Many people, including The New York Times, have called him "the king of pop-ups" because of his incredible work.
Contents
The Story of Robert Sabuda
His Early Life and Inspiration
Robert Sabuda grew up in Pinckney, Michigan. His father was a builder, working as a mason and a carpenter. This taught Robert to appreciate careful and precise construction. His mother worked for the Ford Motor Company. She often brought home manila folders. Young Robert used these folders to make his own art projects, like pop-up cards and books.
He later moved to New York City to study art. He attended Pratt Institute and earned a degree in design in 1987.
Becoming a Pop-Up Book Artist
Robert Sabuda's love for paper engineering started when he was a child. He read a special version of Cinderella with pop-up illustrations by Vojtěch Kubašta. This inspired him greatly. He even made his very first pop-up book when he was only eight years old!
His professional journey in book illustration began with an internship at Dial Books for Young Readers while he was still at Pratt. He first worked on designing packages. In 1987, he illustrated his first children's book series, called Bulky Board Books.
Robert Sabuda became widely recognized in 1994. This was when he designed his first pop-up books for children, starting with The Christmas Alphabet.
Amazing Techniques in His Books
Robert Sabuda uses many cool and creative techniques in his books. Some examples include:
- Creating illustrations that look like fake stained glass, as seen in Arthur and the Sword (1995).
- Using the style of batik, which is a special way of dyeing fabric, in Blizzard's Robe (1999).
- Making illustrations that feel like ancient papyrus paper, used in Tutankhamen's Gift (1994).
- Designing large, detailed pictures, like murals, for books such as Saint Valentine (1992).
Awards and Acclaim
Today, Robert Sabuda works from his studio in New York City. He is always busy with many projects that involve movable paper. He has won the Meggendorfer Prize for Best Paper Engineering three times. This award is given by the Movable Book Society to recognize the best pop-up book designs.
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. They are published in over 25 different languages around the world.
Book critic Ted Chapin once called Sabuda an "amazing creator of pop-up books." He also described him as "an artistic and engineering genius" in The New York Times. An article in The Wall Street Journal from 2011 said that Sabuda is "a master at making books come to life." It even called him "the reigning prince of pop-up books."
His versions of classic stories are especially popular. These include The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (published in 2000) and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (published in 2003). Graphic designer Steven Heller said that the clever paper tricks in Alice are "awesome."
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