Puff, the Magic Dragon Pop-Up Book

From Barnes & Noble

"Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea/ And frolicked in the autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee..." For almost half a century, this song by Peter Yarrow and Leonard Lipton has been lulling children to sleep and pleasing audiences at singalongs. Now this beloved song appears as a pretty pop-up picture enhanced by a four-song CD recorded by Yarrow himself.

Publishers Weekly

Puybaret’s capricious paintings combine elegantly with pop-up engineering by Bruce Foster in a condensed, interactive version of this bestselling 2007 picture book. The story unfolds in six graceful pop-up scenes, some of which have side panels that conceal additional pop-up effects. Dolphins wearing red-and-white striped shirts and graduation caps frolic alongside Jackie and Puff’s pop-up ship with “billowed sail,” and a gatefold flap reveals three friendly pirates who “lower their flag when Puff roared out his name.” Foster’s pop-ups place strong emphasis on the interactions between Puff and the children—both Jackie Paper and a girl who takes his place in the final scene. Includes a four-song CD recording. Agent: Screenland Literary Associates. Ages 3–up. (Jan.)

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2—In this pop-up version of the classic song's 2007 print edition, Puybaret's softly hued scenes of the big green dragon and his human buddy, Jackie Paper, cavorting over land and sea have been engineered into six low-relief 3-D tableaux, plus three side flaps. Aside from pirates bowing and lowering their flag behind one flap, hardly anything moves, and as in the original book, the three sparsely worded verses and seven repetitions of the chorus are the only text—though the final illustration points to a happier ending than the lyrics themselves suggest. Packaged as previously with a four-track CD (including a performance by Yarrow and his daughter of "Blue Tail Fly," this edition is suitable for display, and it joins its earlier iteration in being a visually low-key way for parents or grandparents to share a favorite song from their youth.—John Peters, formerly at New York Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

The magic dragon rides again, this time incarnated in a pop-up. In 2007, this artist and publisher did quite a nice picture book of the lyrics to the song written by Yarrow (of Peter, Paul & Mary) and Lipton. This is pretty much the same version, gussied up a little with pop-ups. Mostly, they take Puybaret's gentle, smooth-edged, muted greens, browns, and blues and layer them three-dimensionally. Dolphins with mortarboards and gondolier shirts frolic, as do the peopleflies instead of dragonflies. In the end, it is a little girl (perhaps Jackie's daughter, as he isn't present) who comes to Honalee to awaken Puff once again to frolic in the autumn mist. A CD with four tunes is included, two of them versions of "Puff" but neither of those the original: One is a much-less-spirited version with Yarrow and his daughter Bethany singing; one is an instrumental. The other two numbers, also on the less-energetic side, are "Froggie Went A-Courtin' " and "The Blue Tail Fly." The latter, although sung by generations of children, does have historical lyrics with ambiguous meanings related to slavery, and one wonders about its inclusion here. While this pop-up version adds little to Puff's enduring charm, at least it does not distract. (Pop-up/picture book. 3-6)

Pamela Paul

…exquisite paper engineering. Bruce Foster…goes well beyond the old pull-a-tab.
—The New York Times