Review Detail

A masterpiece of folded paper engineering, loaded with a wealth of interesting LEGO history and facts.

From its humble beginnings in 1950’s Denmark, LEGO has grown and developed into an empire of unparalleled success. This book sets out to educate readers on the origins, evolution, and cultural accommodations of what is, arguably, the world’s most ingenious, adaptive, and potentially enduring toy. And while it is a non-fiction piece, the creativity used to present it quite literally leaps off the page.

Fun factoids include:

-Where the word LEGO comes from.
-How many ways just six 2x4 bricks can be put together.
-How many separate pieces make up a standard minifigure.
-Which uniformed profession was chosen for the very first LEGO minifigure.
-What four-legged animal came first in the LEGO menagerie.

The book contains five impressively complex and interactive scenes—one of which managing to stand nearly 24 inches high when fully unfolded. Each spread contains several different contact points that can be pulled, flipped, spun, lifted, or unfurled (as per instructions) to enhance this already vibrant medium. Children may not even realize they are learning as they go.

Due to the delicate nature of this product, I wouldn’t recommend it for persons under 7 years—and even then, not without careful instruction and adult supervision. (As is true with most pop-up books.) A treasure like this will need to be handled with care and respect if it’s to be preserved for continued enjoyment.

Inherent fragility aside, diehard LEGO fans and trivia buffs alike are sure to appreciate this brilliant and interactive presentation of a book.