From âGuess How Much I Love Youâ  GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOUThe Pop-Up Edition.By Sam McBratney. Illustrated by Anita Jeram. Paper engineering by Corina Fletcher.16 pp. Candlewick Press. $19.99. (Picture book; ages 1 to 5)  Why mess around with an established picture-book favorite – one that seems to land on every newborn’s bookshelf? Because the pop-up version isn’t a mess-up, but rather a beautifully produced, restrained amplification of the original, also sure to wind up a reliable baby shower gift. The story of Little Nutbrown Hare and his adoring father is enhanced here by simple and effective pull-tabs and animated pop-ups. Yes, sticky-fingered 1- and 2-year-olds will eventually shred it to pieces. But they will love doing so.  HOW DO YOU FEED A HUNGRY GIANT?By Caitlin Friedman. Illustrated by Shaw Nielsen.30 pp. Workman Publishing. $18.95. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8)  A boy discovers a hungry giant in his backyard. But instead of inspiring fear, the poor giant, holding a “Food, Please” sign, evokes empathy in the boy — and will in readers, too. Young children will love pulling a tab so the giant can slurp up 15 bottles of chocolate milk. Nielsen’s illustrations are sweet and uncomplicated, and Friedman ably channels the voice of a 6-year-old. She also gets the appetite of a like-minded child: the book includes recipes for pizza, cookies and other giant favorites.  LOTS OF BOTS!A Counting Pop-Up.By David A. Carter and Noelle Carter.16 pp. Robin Corey Books. $14.99. (Picture book; ages 3 to 6)  Credit for resurrecting and revitalizing the pop-up category goes in large part to a one-man pop-up factory, David A. Carter. For young children who like their robots more touchy-feely Wall-E than Destructo Transformer, this sweet counting book features playful rhyming Q. and. A.’s whose answers are revealed with the lift of a flap. (“Who throws a party in the street?” “8 happy Hip-Hop Bots dance to the beat.”) The 10 amazing Acro Bots provide a suitably winning – and spinning – finale.  PUFF THE MAGIC DRAGON POP-UP BOOKBy Peter Yarrow and Lenny Lipton. Illustrated by Eric Puybaret. Paper engineering by Bruce Foster.16 pp. Sterling. $26.95. (Picture book; ages 3 to 8)  What this best-selling-pop-song cum picture-book cum pop-up-book lacks in the number of pages it makes up for in exquisite paper engineering. Bruce Foster, who did the “Harry Potter” pop-up, goes well beyond the old pull-a-tab. It’s not easy saying which image is the best: The little boy joyously swinging by a rope off of Puff’s back? His reaching through a bramble to hug his dragon companion’s neck? This edition also includes a four-song CD by Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul and Mary fame.  3-D THEATER: RAINFORESTBy Kathryn Jewitt. Illustrated by Fiammetta Dogi.20 pp. Kingfisher/Macmillan. $14.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8)  This colorful nonfiction series (“3-D Theater: Ocean” is another recent title) organizes a lot of information attractively and relatively sparingly, creating a dynamic presentation that doesn’t smother young readers in T.M.I. Pop-ups appear only every few pages, with spreads opening to three-dimensional panoramas – a lovely feature for children living far from the storied dioramas of the American Museum of Natural History.  THE MONSTROUS BOOK OF MONSTERSBy Libby Hamilton.Illustrated by Aleksei Bitskoff and Jonny Duddle. Paper engineering by Andy Mansfield.20 pp. Templar Books/Candlewick Press. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 5 to 8)  Like a facetious “Monster Manual” for the lower-elementary-school set, this guide to the slimy, befouled and ghoulish begs to be pored over for hours, its small-scale tabs gleefully pried open and closed. Written by “Dr. Thomas Jelly,” the book includes fail-safe sections on “Monster Record Breakers” (longest tongue, oldest living, greatest gas produced) and “Basic Avoidance Strategy” (including the old run-and-hide). The cartoonish gross-out illustrations are more wacky and gag-inducing than truly horrific. And good news: This engaging interactive book blessedly omits scratch ’n’ sniffs.  WAKE UP, SLOTH!Paper engineering by Anouck Boisrobert and Louis Rigaud. Text by Sophie Strady.16 pp. Roaring Brook Press. $16.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8)  If you’re looking for a plight-of-the-environment pop-up book for children and can’t wait for the pop-up version of “The Lorax” (scheduled to come out early next year), then “Wake Up, Sloth!” should serve your purposes. Arty (originally published in French) but playful (readers are encouraged to search for the tiny sloth on each spread), “Wake Up, Sloth!” tells the story of a rain forest that is steadily felled by relentless machines “with terrible iron teeth.” A lone man replants the trees’ seeds, ending the tale on a hopeful, happy note. Pass it on to Brazil.  ‘CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY’ POP-UP BOOKBy Roald Dahl. Illustrated by Quentin Blake. Paper engineering by Iain Smyth.24 pp. Puffin. $29.99. (Picture book; ages 5 to 12)  Abridging the sacred and profane text of Roald Dahl’s celebrated book might seem an effective strategy for provoking an angry outcry. Then again, Dahl has always elicited strong emotions among readers. Purists may sniff, but the pop-up version is nonetheless lots of fun for young Charlie enthusiasts, preferably those already familiar with the story, whether by book or by DVD. Come on, it’s satisfying to plunge Veruca Salt into the rubbish shoot by the tug of a tab. Golden Ticket included.
A roundup of this seasonâs pop-up childrenâs books, including new pop-up versions of âPuff the Magic Dragonâ and âCharlie and the Chocolate Factory.â