Parents' Guide to

Winter's Tale: An Original Pop-Up Journey

By Matt Berman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

3-D walk in winter woods shimmers, glitters.

Book Robert Sabuda Picture Book 2006
Winter's Tale: An Original Pop-Up Journey Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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What's the Story?

A narrator, unseen until the end, walks through the winter woods, describing the sights and creatures. These include a bear trying to catch fish, a family of mice hiding from an owl, a rabbit carrying a clue to the narrator, a moose, beavers, and more, each of which pops up. On the final spread a cabin surrounded by a pine forest has working colored lights, powered by included and replaceable batteries.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Collectors of pop-up books have most of Robert Sabuda's work, and they won't want to miss this one. His paper engineering is simply the best there is. Unlike some of his busier and more active books, this one is calm and contemplative, with a lovely, gentle feel. If his Encyclopedia Prehistorica: Dinosaurs was Rock & Roll, this one is New Age.

As a work for kids, though, it is less successful than some of his adaptations of others' writing. The text is instantly forgettable, and the color scheme is problematic. Some of these animals are so abstract that without color clues children may have difficulty making them out. Nevertheless, the abstraction, gentle prose, and mild mystery of the narrator make this a wonderful book for an adult and child to puzzle out together in front of the fire on a cold winter's night.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about who the narrator is, a secret hinted at on several pages but only subtly revealed on the last spread. Even there it's a bit metaphorical, and younger kids may need help sorting it out. What does the snowman stand for? What hints are there throughout the book?

Book Details

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