The arrival of crisp weather and bright colors also heralds the arrival of vibrant pop-up books.  Below are two standout selections. 

“One Spotted Giraffe,” by Petr Horácek; Candlewick Press, $15.99, 20 pages, ages 2 and up.

Learning to count becomes an exciting trip into the wild in the latest book by veteran illustrator Petr Horácek (“Beep Beep”; “Silly Suzy Goose”). This gorgeous gift of color and texture is delightful and charming.  Children will adore pointing out the animals – from “One spotted giraffe,” to  "Ten swimming fish.“  Meanwhile, a fold-over flap awaits on each page, offering a corresponding furry, spotted, or scaly three-dimensional numeral. Horácek’s boldly pigmented mixed-media illustrations on white background bring young readers focus directly to the whimsical creatures and numbers.

“Cinderella; a Three-Dimensional Fairy-Tale Theater,” by Jane Ray; Candlewick Press,  $19.99, 12 pages, ages 4 and up. 

Author-illustrator Jane Ray creates a whimsical fairytale theater similar to her 2007 three-dimensional adaptation of “Snow White”.  Layered cut-paper artwork tells the classic story of the underappreciated diamond in the rough. The sumptuous backgrounds, ornate decoration and biracial characters seem to conjure a magical port city in the American South. (I’d like to think it may be New Orleans.) Budding engineers might want to disassemble the book to figure out how all the pieces work together.  As the title suggests, the pages evoke theater sets, and the side panels hiding the text resemble stage curtains. “Cinderella” would be a beautiful and thoughtful gift for the serious pop-up collector and fairytale aficionado.

(On Sale September 25, 2012)