Moby Dick: A Pop-Up Book by Sam Ita [$24.95]

Imagine: the tale of Moby-Dick told — nay — brought to three-dimensional life in a mere eight pages. Sam Ita manages this with comic book-style panels and graphics and masterly pop-up paper art. This humorously beautiful work of story and sculpture is billed for all ages, but I’d warn against allowing a single sticky finger near its artful pages. Nor, despite its clever brevity, will it serve like a Cliff Notes substitute for the lazy college kid. Rather, those worthy of this bound beauty have read the entire Melville masterpiece, endured that long, dreadful journey into the depths of Captain Ahab’s dark obsession, and loved it. Only such stalwart, adventurous souls are qualified to bring this pop-up version down from its shelf on high, and share the full ship and sails, the drunken sailors, the thrashing leviathan — ah, ah! don’t touch! — with those who but dare to dream of such things.