“As a parent, I know that reading with your child is an important part of their mental and emotional development,” said Mrs. Blagojevich. “I started this program to encourage parents to read with their children, and I hope our recommended reading list helps parents find books that the whole family can enjoy.”

Moby-Dick: A Pop-Up Book
by Sam Ita

Book Description:

"Call me Ishmael." Three of the most famous words in all literature, they begin Herman Melville’s masterpiece, Moby-Dick. Now, the epic saga of Captain Ahab’s obsessive quest for the white whale comes vividly to life in this three-dimensional graphic novel, the first of its kind. This phenomenal work is the creation of multi-talented artist Sam Ita, apprentice to Robert Sabuda—one of the world’s master paper engineers. Every amazing element is awe-inspiring: there’s not just one pop-up per spread, but several, surrounded by colorful comic book-style panels that convey the story’s drama. Some of the pops-ups are huge and incredibly detailed, like the Pequod itself, which rises gloriously from the page, complete with rigging. Others, smaller but no less wonderful, hide beneath flaps and folds. In one instance, readers actually get to look through a 3-D periscope and see Ishmael through the “lens,” drifting in the ocean. The quality of Ita’s paper engineering is nothing short of breathtaking and will carry you off on an unforgettable adventure

Author Biography:

Sam Ita studied graphic design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. He apprenticed for five years with Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart on best-selling pop-up titles including America the Beautiful, Encyclopedia Prehistorica, and Mommy, and on Christmas cards for the Museum of Modern Art. He went on to work at Americhip creating paper-engineered product for Discovery Channel, TBS, and Target.

Additional Information:

For special recording request please call the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic at (312) 236-8715 or visit www.rfbd.org

Moby-Dick: A Pop-Up Book by Sam Ita. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced without written permission from Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 387 Park Avenue South, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10016

Treasure Island
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Book Description:

Treasure Island Robert Louis Stevenson is one of the most frequently dramatized of all novels. It tells a story of young Jim Hawkins who is caught up with the pirate Long John Silver in search of the buried treasure of the buccaneer Captain Flint.

Author Biography:

Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, and travel writer, and a leading representative of Neo-romanticism in English literature. He is best known for Treasure Island, his first widely popular book; Kidnapped; and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the story which established his wider reputation

Additional Information:

The audio version of the book is available from the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, so that all children can join in the fun. www.rfbd.org