Poster for Fall 2011 Appearances

Wow. I can’t believe I’ve let several months pass without an update here!  I’ve been so busy, not only with new projects, but also with an extraordinarily large number of school visits, appearances, and book signings! Its so incredibly rewarding getting out to share my work with new people, visiting new schools especially, but now I’m taking a deep breath and giving some updates.

So, first up, my new release of the fall, Puff, the Magic Dragon. Published by Sterling Publishers, I was delighted to be able to adapt the best selling Peter Yarrow/Lenny Lipton/Eric Puybaret picture book into pop up form. While rising costs of manufacturing prevented all of my ideas from being implemented, Puff was a delight to work with. With magnificent paintings by Mr. Puybaret and a cd of four songs from Peter Yarrow himself, this book is a must have for fans of pop up books and folk songs alike.  Our book has been well received, as in this wonderful review posted recently in the New York Times.  Check back soon as I’ll be creating a page on my website of images of the interior spreads soon.

Work continues on my next large book, a magnificent look at the major national parks of North America. Featuring incredibly detailed illustrations by the talented Dave Ember and the insights and guidance of Don Compton (wwwest Publishing), this book is on track to be released next spring. It will feature 6 major parks and glimpses at several more. More on this soon!

Of immediate note, The Museum of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX has asked me to deliver a presentation and workshop Sunday, May 6. Additionally they have created a display of some of my work and processes. If you are in the area, please consider coming by. Would love to meet you! While there, be sure to enjoy the traveling exhibition of the work of Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart. I don’t have to tell you how exciting their work is!

And a month later, The Museum of Fine Arts in Dallas has invited me to give a presentation and workshop at their annual BooksmART Festival. Click here for more information on this exciting event. There will be many exciting authors and illustrators in attendance!

Bruce meeting a young pop up fan.

I mentioned that I have been visiting schools and telling the students all about the Magic of Paper Engineering. They were all wonderful. So I’d like to thank you all from the bottom of my heart!  Here’s a huge Thank You to the staff and students at:  The Branch School of Houston; St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Elementary; from Tomball ISD: Canyon Pointe Elementary, Creekside Forest Elementary, Lakewood Elementary, Rosehill Elementary, Tomball Elementary, and Willow Creek Elementary; from CyFair ISD in Houston:  Holmsley Elementary, Reed Elementary, Wilbern Elementary, and Robison Elementary; from Katy ISD in Katy, TX: Hutsell Elementary, West Memorial Elementary, Nottingham Elementary, Memorial Parkway Elementary, Hayes Elementary, Alexander Elementary, Rylander Elementary, Pattison Elementary, King Elementary, and Katy Elementary; and from the Lamar Consolidated ISD, McNeill Elementary.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Also a  few days ago I was privileged to be asked to join my frequent collaborator, Chuck Fischer, on a radio interview with the San Francisco Book Review‘s Kaye Cloutman. Thank you Chuck and Kaye for a delightful session. You can visit Kaye’s blog and listen to the interview. In it we discuss A Christmas Carol, our collaborations, and our different alternative projects, including Chuck’s new IPad Apps for A Christmas Carol and The Night Before Christmas as well as my other current release, Harry Potter, and other works now in development.

And even though Christmas is closing in fast, I will be doing one more signing this week here in Houston. Winestyles of Cypress is hosting a book signing and wine tasting this Monday, December 20 at 6:30. Quantities of Harry Potter and A Christmas Carol are in limited supply so get there early!

And finally, a giant, no, GINORMOUS, thank you to all my new friends at Matzke Elementary, who invited me to visit their school this past Friday. We had a blast! The students, teachers, and PTO volunteers were wonderful and SO enthusiastic!

By MiChelle Jones/ Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News….Nashville-based writer MiChelle Jones really wants to see that pop-up exhibition in D.C.

Movable books have fascinated people for centuries; modern pop-ups have become increasingly elaborate and often include miniature versions to augment the larger jaw-dropping spreads.

Pop-up books are simulated in commercials and mimicked in department store holiday windows. They are the subject of an exhibition at the National Museum of American History in Washington and are being adapted for electronic applications.

Houston-based paper engineer Bruce Foster was involved with the Smithsonian exhibition, but you won’t find him reaching for an iPad or smart phone to read a pop-up book, at least not yet.

“Maybe one of these days when they can do real 3-D holographic stuff out in your lap, I’ll be more excited,” Foster says by phone from his studio. “You have to have a sense of the volumes of the things right there in your lap for you to get the real experience.”

Foster is among the pop-up elite, one of the foremost paper engineers in the world. The Tennessee native has called Texas home since 1986. This year he adds two books to the 40 he has previously published – A Christmas Carol (Little, Brown, $30) with artist and writer Chuck Fischer, and Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book (Insight Editions, $34.95) with illustrator Andrew Williamson and writer Lucy Kee.

Surprisingly, Foster wasn’t obsessed with pop-up books as a child. His introduction to the genre came when he was working as a graphic designer and was searching for a way to jazz up an ad campaign for Hi-C juices.

He frequently makes presentations in schools, explaining what paper engineers do and how they work with artists and writers to create pop-up books. He begins by talking about Disney’s film Enchanted, for which he designed the opening pop-up scenes, and ends the talk with something that never fails to delight his young audiences – Harry Potter.

Read the entire article here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Harry Potter, A Pop-Up Book

Advance reviews have been very positive and I am bursting at the seams to share this magical book with you. The illustrations by Andrew Williamson (concept artist for the movies themselves) are phenomenal and the text by Lucy Kee is entertaining and informative.  I will be making several appearances this fall to present this book, along with my new collaboration with Chuck Fischer: A Christmas Carol. I hope both books will find their way into your family’s personal library.

Dates are still firming up, but a couple of events have been set:  First up,  Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, November 18 at 5 pm. It has also been confirmed that I will be appearing November 20 at Books of Wonder in New York, along with my great friend and pop-up maestro, Robert Sabuda, as well as Matt van Fleet, author of many wonderful interactive children’s books, like his new Cats.  The timing of this event couldn’t be better, being the morning after the debut of the latest movie.

For a sneak peek at Harry Potter, A Pop-Up Book, click here or look under the Book Profiles link above.

See photos and read more about it on the Film and TV page!