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As is true of many of these mechanical and movable books, the collaboration between a single illustrator and a publisher created the Blue Ribbon pop-up series. In this section, illustrator Harold Lentz and the American publishing company Blue Ribbon produced a number of works animating fairytales, Mother Goose stories, and Disney characters. Lentz was particularly skilled at isolating dramatic moments within a story and translating these into striking scenes. Consider, for example, his manipulation of scale in choosing to place little Jack at the feet of the seated giant and Pinocchio and Gepetto in the cavernous mouth of the enormous Dog-fish, Atilla.
Drawing on the precedents of the British Bookano series with its cheaper and more primitive production methods, the Blue Ribbon Pleasure Books fought to increase book sales during the Depression. Ultimately, many of the mechanics in these books were taken directly from the Bookano models, in spite of that company's patents. This explains the similar appearances of the two series. Nevertheless, Blue Ribbon pioneered the term "pop-up," zeroing in on the surprise and unexpectedness of turning a page and confronting gaping jaws, leaping mice, and flapping wings.
This small format Blue Ribbon has only three pop-ups and therefore lower production costs. The circus setting creates the perfect arena for Annie, the popular Depression-era orphan, to steal the show.
Lentz, Harold B., illus. Jack the Giant Killer and Other Tales. New York: Blue Ribbon, 1932.
This book's endpapers show us "A Map of Giant Land," apparently located close to Cornwall on the British coast. From here, the book invites us to join Jack in his adventures with the giant. Lentz capitalizes on the discrepancy in sizeća boy facing down a monster, even if Jack's horse out-sizes the giant.
Lentz, Harold B., illus. The "Pop-Up" Cinderella and Other Tales. New York: Blue Ribbon, 1933.
The green hypnotic cat eyes, the sharp teeth, the claws, and the club all give the mouse plenty of reason to leap in fear in this impressive pop-up from "Puss in Boots." Lentz has the cat towering over its prey and even the book itself.
Lentz, Harold B., illus. The "Pop-Up" Mother Goose. New York: Blue Ribbon, 1933.
Pop-up novelty effects work well with the simple rhymes of Mother Goose. Lentz revitalizes the familiar lines, "Old Mother Goose, when she wanted to wander/ Would ride through the air on a very fine gander" as we turn the page and suddenly see the large white bird outlined against the night sky.
Lentz's illustrations focus on the grotesque and comic features of this long-nosed wooden doll, while simultaneously making sympathetic Pinocchio's travails. In this scene, the illustrator cleverly creates a bird's-eye perspective, placing us above the giant fish by drawing to scale a nearby seagull in mid-flight.
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