I absolutely love spending the holiday season with my kids just as my parents spent the weeks before Christmas with me. I fondly remember watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for the first time with my dad and brother. Now both my kids love watching the holiday special with me. When recently offered the chance to review Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet in exchange for my honest opinion, I eagerly accepted the opportunity to add two new titles to my home library.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first aired over 50 years ago in 1964. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book written by Lisa Marsoli and illustrated by Keith Andrew Finch retells the beloved Christmas tale through a pop-up edition. The impressive large-scale pop-ups re-create classic scenes using actual movie stills as all the classic characters join Rudolph for his North Pole adventure. Recommended for readers age 3 and older in preschool and up, the 12-page hardback book from Silver Dolphin Books currently costs $16.50 through Amazon Prime with a list price of $19.95.
Author Lisa Marsoli has written 150 children’s books and has been creating children’s content for entertainment, publishing, and toy companies for 30 years. She lives in Glendale, California. Illustrator Keith Andrew Finch has more than 17 years of experience designing paper-engineering books. He enjoys making kid-friendly pop-ups while residing in Hampshire, United Kingdom.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet
Warm up your crochet hook for adorable amigurumi figures from the classic television special with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet edited by Kati Gálusz. The kit contains all the materials needed to create Rudolph and Santa. The colorful photos and step-by-step directions in the 76-page instruction booklet also provide the guidance needed to create the Bumble, Charlie-in-the-Box, Dolly, Spotted Elephant, Hermey, King Moonracer, Mrs. Claus, Clarice, Sam the Snowman, and Yukon Cornelius. The crochet kit from Thunder Bay Press currently costs $16.37 on Amazon with a list price of $24.99.
Editor Kati Gálusz discovered the world of amigurumi when she wanted to make a unique gift for a toy-collector friend. What started as a quick fling has grown into the love of a lifetime, allowing her to combine her need for creativity with her two main interests, animals and great books and movies. When not crocheting, she can be usually found with a book in her hand, surrounded by her dogs in her home near Budapest, Hungary.
Evaluation
When my kids first saw me pull out Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet, both got extremely excited. My toddler son especially adores Rudolph at the moment, and he immediately wanted to look through the pop-up book with me. I started by reading the story aloud to him while he looked at the pictures. As soon as I reached the end, he shouted, “Again! Again!” We looked through the book three times in a row. He absolutely loves the pop-up illustrations. He especially enjoys pointing out his favorite characters including Rudolph, Santa, and the Bumble. My kindergartener daughter also enjoys reading and looking at the illustrations in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book.
As an avid reader and connoisseur of children’s books, I also quite enjoy the pop-up pictures in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book. The pictures are straight out of the television special. My favorite spread is the last two pages of the 12-page book: the reindeer with Rudolph at the lead pull Santa in his sleigh over the castle at the North Pole while the rest of the characters look on from below. All the pop-ups work pretty well. I do recommend laying the book flat while reading. If you are holding the book upright, some of the moveable pieces get a little stuck, a problem which resolves when you lay the book down. My only real complaint about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book is that the story is a little abrupt. The retelling of the story could be a little more fluid than as presented in the book.
I started crocheting when I was in junior high. I can do basic stitches and projects. One year, I even crocheted hats for all my cousins (almost two dozen in total). I therefore consider myself an intermediate crocheter. Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small, stuffed yarn creatures. The paperback instruction book in the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet kit provides instructions for making twelve characters from the television special. The instructions are not for beginner crocheters, but intermediate and expert crafters should be able to figure out the step-by-step guides. The kit comes with materials for Rudolph and Santa. My only wish is that the kit came with materials for all the projects.
Final Verdict
If you are a fan of Rudolph, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book written by Lisa Marsoli and illustrated by Keith Andrew Finch is a fun addition to your holiday reading collection. the impressive large-scale pop-ups re-create classic scenes using actual stills from the television special. My toddler son in particular loves looking at the pictures over and over again. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet edited by Kati Gálusz is perfect for the holiday crafter with advanced crocheting skills. If you are searching for some new additions to your holiday season, I definitely recommend checking out Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet.
Purchase Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet on Amazon via my affiliate links. Follow Silver Dolphin Books on Facebook and Twitter. Follow Thunder Bay Press on Facebook and Twitter.
Image Credits
‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book’ and ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet’ Book Review © 2016 Heather Johnson
Cover of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book’ © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pop-Up Book’ © 2016 Heather Johnson
‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet’ Kit © 2016 Heather Johnson
‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet’ Materials © 2016 Heather Johnson
Cover of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet’ © 2016 Heather Johnson
Inside Pages of ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Crochet’ © 2016 Heather Johnson