"Founded in 1916, the National Park System protects 84 million acres of mountains, rivers, forests, seashores, lakeshores, battlefields, monuments and parkways. In this unforgettable, drop-your-jaw twist on reality, those vast holdings have been shrunk down to 22 book pages, which assemble into three-dimensional paper landscapes. Turn a page and the geysers of Yellowstone explode upward, complete with swirling clouds of mist and galloping buffalo. Turn the next page and a mountain goat sits atop the striated peaks of Glacier National Park. Yes, the book is appealing to kids (just try and find a child who doesn't love pop-ups). But there's plenty to learn for adults, including bits of wildlife lore (manatees in the Everglades can remain submerged for 20 minutes), park trivia (the Grand Canyon was called "the divine abyss" by naturalist John Burroughs), and plain old, useful-to-know history of the parks. The artwork is inspired by antique park posters from 1930s.... A must-read—and must-flip."

Leigh Newman, Oprah.com Book of the Week

"If you like national parks, you admire them for their beauty, wonder and impressive landscapes. Depending on where you live, getting to a national park can be difficult and looking at pictures in a book, well, that's so one-dimensional. However, a recent publication features some of the best national parks in three dimensions. Introducing one of the coolest pop-up books to be printed in a long time: America's National Parks: a Pop-Up Book.

Popping off the pages with detailed images and eye-catching 3D constructions, the book features six stunning full-color pop-ups of the Everglades, Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Glacier and Yosemite National Parks. An additional 12 parks, including Shenandoah, Grand Teton, Death Valley, Mammoth Cave and Crater Lake, are featured with short written descriptions containing facts and information. Although not depicted as a pop-up, Utah's own Zion National Park is highlighted with a nice description and historic poster.

The first pop-up page features the Everglades. It shows a family boating through the swampy green waters of Florida surrounded by a host of birds, animals, plants and reptiles. The 3D constructions transport the reader to the park in a way not possible with a photograph. Can you see the endangered Florida panther peering out from the cypress grove?

The most impressive pop-up in the book is Yellowstone National Park. The famous geyser, Old Faithful, explodes off the page measuring more than a full foot high. The famous mineral pools, hot springs and wildlife are all present. Be sure to explore every inch of the book because smaller pop-ups hide behind flaps and pull-out panels. You might even find a photo or two.

Illustrator Dave Ember did the artwork throughout the entire book. It was designed to mirror the 1930s retro-style national park posters created by the Works Progress Association, a New Deal-reform program developed under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Even the detailed pop-up constructions bear the familiar color styles from this earlier age.

Is this a book worthy of your time and money? Absolutely. The quality and beauty is one of a kind.... This is just the type of book that might be highly collectible one day."

Ryan Morgenegg, Deseret News

"Online classes and e-books may define education's tech revolution, but don't dismiss an old-school delight like America's National Parks: a Pop-Up Book (W.W. West, 2013). Six of the book's 13 featured parks erupt from the pages, spewing playful factoids and historical anecdotes in the style of 1930s WPA posters."

Mackenzie Mount, sierraclub.org

"America's National Parks: a Pop-Up Book features unique depictions of some of our most beloved national parks.

When you hear 'pop up book,' you immediately think of children. However, adults can find just as much joy in America's National Parks: a Pop-Up Book as their young counterparts.

Innovative book design:

America's National Parks: a Pop-Up Book is not your every day coffee table book. It takes readers on a tour of some of America's most famous national parks, through pop-up art. The art literally comes off the page to offer a 3-D glimpse of the parks you just don't see in other books. The design team of the book includes concept and text by Don Compton, paper engineer Bruce Foster, and award-winning illustrator Dave Ember.

Because the pop art is the focal point of the book, text on each page is cleverly placed in foldout sections, which contain yet more pop art. The overall design is drawn from 1930s WPA posters, giving the book a timeless feel.

The stunning visuals of this pop-up book make it fun for everyone to learn about national parks.

Fun yet functional book:

America's National Parks: a Pop-Up Book is educational as well as fun to look at. It contains information on 18 national parks, 6 of which include the titular pop-ups. From Florida's Everglades National Park to California's Yosemite, this book is overflowing with information, presented in a way that is fun but not overwhelming.

The Great Smoky Mountains, along with several other national parks, are presented in vivid 3D form.

I have the page open to Yellowstone as I write this. I've never been to Yellowstone National Park, but with Old Faithful rising a foot off the page and a huge bison coming at me, I can only imagine what it's like. I'm not much of a 'picture book' person, but I enjoyed this pop-up book, and imagine it will become a well-loved part of my collection."

-Melanie Conrad, for What A Trip

America's National Parks features six National Parks: 1) Everglades; 2) Great Smoky Mountains; 3) Grand Canyon; 4) Yellowstone; 5) Glacier and 6) Yosemite. The book begins with a most informative introduction to our National Parks. Did you know there are 58 National Parks and close to 400 preserved places the National Park System is responsible for protecting? Next to the intro you will find a letter from the President of the National Park Conservation Association. But the real thrill begins when you open up the first two-page pop-up spread. Here you'll be greeted by Everglades National Park, ironically, the National Park closest to my home and my heart. The detail of the pop-up River of Grass is phenomenal, from the tree hammock to the canoe and die cut birds. There's even a small side card that, when opened, up pops a gator and what appears to me to be a Great Blue Heron.

Along with each pop-up spread are fascinating facts about each park. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park spread features spring flower pop-ups and some cool information about the American Black Bear. The impressive orange-colored Grand Canyon spread will leave you feeling the sheer massiveness of this sprawling natural wonder from the imposing mountains to the plunging valleys and meandering waters inside. Open the Yellowstone pages and see Old Faithful rise before your eyes. Feel the vast diversity of Glacier National Park from the soaring peaks to the meadows and all the animals that call this park home. The Yosemite spread's towering cliffs and panoramic vistas give you insight into the grandiose nature of one of our nation's most visited parks.

Because this book could not possibly cover every one of our National Parks in pop-up spreads, there are written pages dedicated to other Eastern, Central and Western USA National Parks. Short descriptions of each park give us clues into the natural wonders – from animals to terrain – of each destination. In the back of the book is a useful map of America highlighting our parks' locations.

The concept for this book is credited to the author, Don Compton, who has penned 13 books about America's National Parks. He is a collector of antique pop-up books, and used many of his own personal travel experiences in the descriptions he writes in America's National Parks. This was the first pop-up book artist Dave Ember ever illustrated, but you wouldn't know that by the outstanding job he did. The paper engineer who masterfully designed the pop-ups of this and other spectacular books is Bruce Foster. Oh how I would love to interview him to find out what this daunting task required! The entire team should be so proud of what they've accomplished here.

Describing America's National Parks simply cannot do it justice. This is a book you must see for yourself to truly appreciate. It's unlikely that you've ever seen a pop-up book as unforgettable as this, and I for one cannot think of a better way to spend $34.95. It's the next best thing to being there.

Note: Although this book was created for adults, children who are advanced readers will also enjoy it. However, due to the fragile nature of the pop-up pages, the book must be treated gently and with extra care.

-Debbie S. Glade, Smart Books for Smart Kids

"America's National Parks: A Pop-Up Book — aka the coolest book I've ever read.

The book is absolutely gorgeous. This picture I've included with this blog post doesn't even come close to doing it justice, and the details of the illustrations are something that can be studied over and over again. The worst thing about this book? It's making me want to plan lengthy trips to each of the parks, in order to see all of the beauty that's described. This book will definitely have a place on my living room coffee table for years to come."

-Cheryl Sadler, The News-Herald

"Of the many good reasons to travel, the sheer awesomeness of what you can see ranks at the top. Nothing conveys that excuse to travel better than Bruce Foster's pop-ups of America's alfresco splendor. From the vivid reds and oranges of the Grand Canyon to the hanging moss and treetop snakes of the Everglades, the scenes draw you in and make you want to be there, snakes and all. The pop-ups are dazzling, but the text is also very informative about lesser-known parks like Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio (not lesser-known nearby, apparently, as the book notes that 2.5 million visitors go there annually). This is the perfect gift for inspiration to test the great outdoors."

Frank Lipsius, MetroKids magazine

"Boy do these pages spring to life as you turn the page open fully and the three-dimensional scenes pop up. My kids oohed and awed, too. It really captured our interest to want to open the extra “envelopes” on each pop up page and read more."

-Michele Zavatsky, kidslovetravel.com

"America's National Parks is a top-of-the-line pop-up book, where you open pages of parks and go, 'Wow!'"

-Terry Richard, The Oregonian

"A three-dimensional tour of America's national parks unfolds in this well-designed pop-up book. Ember's arresting artwork is an exercise in nostalgia, rendered in the style of vintage WPA posters. Six seamless pop-ups give a sense of topography to the rusty buttes of the Grand Canyon, the humid swampland of the Everglades, and the icy blue Smoky Mountains, among other locales. Abundant information about each park is integrated via mini booklets, while tabs, moving parts, and mini pop-ups offer add additional layers and texture. Detailed text spreads describe other parks and include reproductions of WPA posters. Quotations from authors, historians, and political figures dot the pages, while Compton's prose underscores the majesty of these locations: 'Touring Death Valley National Park is far more than hiking across sand dunes. There are miles of otherworldly salt flats, golden-hued and rainbow-colored canyons... and a spring-fed waterfall flowing year-round—in a desert.' All ages.

-Publishers Weekly starred review