Founded in 1916, the National Park System protects 84 million acres of mountains, rivers, forests, seashores, lakeshores, battlefields, monuments and parkways. In this unforgettable, drop-your-jaw twist on reality, those vast holdings have been shrunk down to 22 book pages, which assemble into three-dimensional paper landscapes. Turn a page and the geysers of Yellowstone explode upward, complete with swirling clouds of mist and galloping buffalo. Turn the next page and a mountain goat sits atop the striated peaks of Glacier National Park. Yes, the book is appealing to kids (just try and find a child who doesn't love pop-ups). But there's plenty to learn for adults, including bits of wildlife lore (manatees in the Everglades can remain submerged for 20 minutes), park trivia (the Grand Canyon was called "the divine abyss" by naturalist John Burroughs), and plain old, useful-to-know history of the parks. The artwork is inspired by antique park posters from 1930s—and as a bonus, $8 for every book sold on their website, NationalParksPopUp.com is donated to the National Parks Conservation Association. A must-read—and must-flip.
— Leigh Newman
