Peter Pan

by Robert Sabuda (Illustrator), J.M. Barrie

Readers will delight in this retelling of the classic story of Neverland, pirates, and flying. Robert Sabuda's elegant text and paper engineering give new life to favorite charcters like Tinkerbell, Wendy, Michael, and John, and, of course, Peter Pan. Sabuda's beautiful pop-ups are further complemented by full color illustrations that pull readers even deeper into the magical world that is Neverland.

Genres: Fantasy, Classics, Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Art, Retellings

16 pages, Novelty Book

First published October 6, 2008

About the author

Robert Sabuda is internationally acclaimed for his stunning pop-up books, including America the Beautiful and The 12 Days of Christmas. He is also the illustrator of Chanukah Lights by Michael J. Rosen. Robert Sabuda lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Sabuda’s Peter Pan Pop-Up Book is excellent. His original story is contained on pages on each page. There are pop-ups on each page of this story, and there are 2-3 pages of the story on each large page which has a large pop-up. Very colorful! Extremely artistic! Unbelievable pop-ups! Congratulations to Robert Sabuda!

[(Katie) Paperbacks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love Robert Sabuda's pop-up versions of classic books, this is the only one that I own...but I would love to have them all someday. Bringing the sweet charming story of Peter, Wendy, John and Michael to life through elaborate and intricate pop-ups.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never actually read Peter Pan and I enjoyed the story. I love the idea of sewing on a shadow. The pop ups were exquisite. The way the book is set up can make the text difficult to read at times.

[Krista · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love these books!

[Annalisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a beautiful book that brings the fairy tale of Peter Pan to life. This story is a classic that helps children and adults alike use their imaginations. The pop ups are so impressive and I can't help but sit and inspect and stare at them too! It feels sturdy, although I still encourage the kids to not touch the tiny details of the pictures. The book is colorful and the doesn't miss any part of the actual story line either. The spine of the book is about 3.5" wide, so that can give you a bit of an indication on how big these pop ups really are. Oh, and every full page pop up has additional little story pages on the sides or corners with additional little pop ups to read and enjoy!

In my Peter Pan Unit I would use the for:
Science- Introducing Shadows
Reading/Language arts- focus on the characters
Art- Designing their own Peter Pan Settings/background
Math- Counting (lost boys, pirated, mermaids and Indians)
Social Studies- maps and landmarks (Have the students walk goon a treasure using real landmarks at the school)

[The Library Mouse Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best pop-up book I have ever seen. Robert Sabuda really brings the story to life with his amazing pop-up designs.
The original story by J.M. Barrie (written in 1911) tells us the tale of Peter Pan, a mischievous boy who can fly and never grows up. He has fantastic adventures on the island of Neverland where he is the leader of the Lost Boys. The story is full of fairies, pirates, mermaids, Native Americans and even some ordinary human children, Wendy, Peter and John Darling. The story is for 0-12 years but I wouldn't recommend this edition for young children as the pop-ups are very complicated and delicate. They could be easily damaged if you are not careful with the book.

[L.B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute and great illustrations. I loved that the little booklets that hold the text also had pop-ups. Do not think that this reflects Disney's Peter Pan, this is a abbreviation of the original story by J.M. Barrie. Unfortunately, the giant pop-ups may not pop-up completely all the way. At least, that was the issue I found in the copy that I read. I also thought that the huge pop-up illustrations made reading the book a bit difficult. Though, despite those two issues, it was an alright book. Good if you enjoy the story of Peter Pan, like pop-up books with giant, detailed illustrations, feeling nostalgic and/or would like some fun.

[Asho · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is our fourth Robert Sabuda pop-up book and they continue to impress. I've never seen any other pop-up books like this. The detail is spellbinding. J keeps buying these for L because she's so pleased with them (partially because she really likes them, but I suspect also partially because she's allowed to read them but her 2-year-old sister is not.)

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly inspiring paper engineering. I did not read the text (we all know Peter Pan’s narrative). Text are secondary to Sabuda’s paper engineering prowess, intricate, delightfully detailed and breath-taking! Large and minuscule scaled (a book within a book) are done with incredible precision.

[Karen Roettger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the retelling of this story & the intricate pop up pictures by Robert Sabuda. This story fulfills my 2023 Pop Sugar Reading Challenge for a book where the main character’s name is in the title.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars for the popups, zero stars for Peter Pan. It gives me the terrible icks and always has. I thought a popup version would help but no. It is still as creepy as ever. (Same as Alice in Wonderland, so expect a copy/paste review.)

[Debra Lowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a beautiful pop-up book designed to go with a classic story. A gorgeous piece of literary art.

[John Dusenberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

While somewhat of a confusing annotated version, the pop-up artwork is like nothing I've ever seen before. My daughter and I both loved reading this book!

[Stephanie Maris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pop-ups are gorgeous, and the story is as timeless as ever!

[Jenna Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

A found the story for this one not as clear

[Willa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art is amazing!
The grown-ups are amazed by this and I had fun!

[Elsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Typical Sabuda: brilliant design, ragged story abridgement.

[Andreja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I own almost all pop up books from Robert Sabuda and they are a delight to read and unfold. These pop up books are perfect for younger children and for adults.

[Celine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's be honest it's a real masterpiece.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a more popular movie for me than a book, though I really enjoyed reading it finally! Wendy, John, and Michael are siblings that go to Neverland with Peter Pan. They have adventures there with the lost boys, Peter, and Captain Hook. Eventually they go back home. The story is more than that. Siblings Wendy, John, and Michael Darling live in London. Mrs. Darling dreams of Neverland and a lost boy Peter Pan. She wakes up to find him in front of her. Peter escapes, leaving his shadow behind. When he comes back for it, he meets the siblings and takes them to Neverland. Wendy takes on a motherly role to him and the lost boys. Captain Hook is a mean pirate who is enemies with Peter and his clan of lost boys. He is also terrified of alligators because one of them ate his hand. He always knows when the alligator is close because of the ticking clock in its stomach. Wendy gets jealous of Tinkerbell, a fairy, because she is so possessive of Peter Pan. Hook captures the boys and Peter has to save them. The siblings almost forgot about their family. All of the boys find their ways home and so do the Darlings. Peter Pan does not grow up and keeps meeting new children. I would read this to kids for a good idea of what fiction, fantasy, and dreams are like from the disney aspect. Disney has a unique take on this area of work and kids could benefit from "studying" it in a way by reading this book then writing their own.

Barrie, J. (2011). Peter Pan. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview Press.

[Brandy Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peter Pan, by Robert James, is a bedtime story that should be read to every child. The book takes place in London, England in the home of the Darlings. Three siblings, Michael, John, and Wendy all share a bedroom together. While growing up they have been able to have many adventures together but now it is time for Wendy to start growing up. One night as her parents are downstairs discussing Wendy’s future. The three siblings are visited by a young boy named Peter Pan through their window. Peter Pan is a boy who left his home and chose to never grow up. He lives in Neverland and with the help of his fairy, Tinkerbelle, Wendy and her brothers are able to fly with Peter to Neverland. Here they meet mermaids, the Lost Boys, and pirates.
I love this classic book and the timeless storyline. While reading I encountered a very enchanted tone and style that allowed the magical aspects of the story to come to life. Peter Pan is filled with many colors help tell the story. There are many dark grays and browns for the dirty streets of London as well as the vivid greens, blues, and reds of Neverland. I love the moral message that each child is able to take away with them after reading Peter Pan. Yes, children are always going to grow up, but it is good for children to realize you are never too old to have an imagination. I thoroughly loved reading this book and recommend it for all readers.

[Autumn E. Thomason · Rating 4 out of 5]

You have not seen true pop-up art until you have seen a work of Robert Sabuda. Peter Pan is a story that has been adapted in every medium because of how colorful it is, like a dream. This version of the tale really adds life to the story. Obviously, it is an abbreviated version as far as the text goes (each page is about an inch thick, accompanied by smaller panels on the side for the bulk of the story). But the thing is, you don't buy a Sabuda book primarily for the text--you buy it for the art, which is extraordinary in color, variety of medium, and size. I believe "dazzle" is a good word for it.

[Shae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Sabuda makes the most amazing pop-up books, something we discovered in our library's "no check out, stays at the library" zone. Santa brought this book and I have to admit that besides being an engineering wonder of paper, the adaptation of this classic novel was very good. There are six sections of this book, each with enough text (usually on a multi-page fold out) to feel almost like a chapter, so we read one seciton a day, but an older child could sit down and go through the entire book in an hour. Hopefully Santa brings us more (I have my eye on Jungle Book.)

[Chase Vombaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing fantasy tale with wonderful pop up pictures. A fantastic book for young children and adults who want to brighten there imagination. The book is extremely colorful and stays true to the original story line. Every full page pop up has an additional story page on the sides and corners with more pop ups for your enjoyment. One of my personal favorite books of all time. A true classic!

[Turrean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular artwork, and a decent retelling of Barrie's original text. Sabuda chose to finish the story with an interesting image – – the lonely, solitary Peter, watching through the window as Wendy and her brothers are reunited with their parents. My students recognized how sad an image this really was.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Robert Sabuda. I love Peter Pan, and it's the perfect subject for a pop-up book. I have it on my coffee table and I keep looking at it over and over again. There's a video that shows some of the pages when you go to the listing on Amazon.com. Amazing stuff!

[Jillybean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like reading a short chapter book with pop-ups . . . will read more like this from this author! Perfect for reading aloud to children just entering the "chapter book phase".

[Michael Haydel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Robert Sabuda great.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my daughter's favorite book of all time, which is saying something.

Includes much of Barrie's original text.

[Leslie Swope]

Pop up book. 'Nough said.