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This Interactive Pop-Up Book Turns Into Six Fully-Functioning Devices

By Kelly Richman-Abdou on May 23, 2018

Given her affinity for “simple things that don't behave as expected,” it comes as no surprise that designer Kelli Anderson has adopted the pop-up book as her main muse. While many of her past projects—including her pinhole camera—exist as stand-alone pieces, she has recently opted to compile her “paper devices” into books, like This Book Is a Planetarium and Other Extraordinary Pop-Up Contraptions.

Part pop-up book and part cabinet of curiosities, This Book Is a Planetarium puts a playful spin on hands-on learning. As you leaf through the one-of-a-kind compilation, you'll find that each page transforms into a fully-functional gizmo, including a portable planetarium, a minimalist musical instrument, a spellbinding spiralgraph, a fun decoder ring, a handy speaker, and a never-ending calendar. Each pop-up is accompanied by easy-to-follow instructions and informative text, culminating in a collection of experiments that are as artistic as they are educational.

This Book Is a Planetarium was inspired by Anderson's observations of the modern material world—and, consequently, a piece of nostalgia for the simplicity of the past. “In their clunky way of functioning, the past's technology served this unacknowledged secondary function to humanity: these objects helped us glimpse—and therefore connect to—the magic of the physical world.”

Perfect for thinkers and tinkerers of all ages, This Book Is a Planetarium and Other Extraordinary Pop-Up Contraptions is available in the My Modern Met Store.