DUAL-FUNCTIONING BOOKS

There are some really cool books out there that go beyond being brick-and-mortar "text and illustration" books. They take things to the next level in that the physical book becomes a key part of the experience and incites its own separate experience. I have dubbed these dual-functioning books because––as the name would suggest––these books serve two functions: To be a book and to be something beyond a book. Check out some examples below!

                        

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Favorite Accessory-Dependent Books

ACCESSORY-DEPENDENT BOOKS

Accessory-dependent books are those that rely heavily on an extra tool or element for a more comprehensive reading experience. Such tools can include things like 3D glasses, sunlight, a magnifying glass, and even your surrounding environment. Sometimes the books on this list come with the tool you need, and sometimes you have to rely on your surroundings or preexisting knowledge to make the book work. Let's check out some of my favorites!

                      

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Recode the Barcode

Flip any book over, and you'll see the barcode, the set of vertical black lines in varying widths with numbers around it, all shoved into a white box. This barcode is tied to book-specific information, including the price, so most modern books (and many items available for purchase in general) have one for easy check-out at the register. 

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Favorite Laser Cut Books

LASER CUT BOOKS

Some books have pages or portions of pages with intricately-cut shapes. The process of creating these decorative contours is called laser cutting, which is exactly what it sounds like: a precision laser vaporizes any material (in this case, paper) within the negative space of the image. These laser cuts are especially common in pop-up books and carousel books to provide an extra layer of depth to the images.

                        

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Let's Talk Illustrators #214: Lisk Feng

As a big fan of carousel books, you can imagine my delight when I learned that the duo behind 2020's Our World: A First Book of Geography was creating a companion book! Our Seasons: The World in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn by Sue Lowell Gallion and Lisk Feng takes readers on a 3D trip around the globe to explore the world's seasons. Enjoy my chat with Lisk about this super cool series and its latest installment!

Favorite Carousel Books

CAROUSEL BOOKS

Carousel books, sometimes called 360° books or 3D pop-up books, are a sub-category of pop-up books, but they're so distinct that they deserve their own list here on the site. Carousel books are bound like regular picture books, but the front and back covers are designed to touch so that the book opens all the way into a 360° circle (they usually have ribbons or magnets to connect the front and back covers).

              

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