World's cities come alive in 3D

The history of three-dimensional books reportedly goes back to the 13th century when Benedictine monk Matthew Paris included in his illuminated history, Chronica Majora, a paper wheel with moveable pointers for the calculation of holy days.

They were serious works compiled for adults, usually those in positions of power or authority.

Books with moveable parts as entertainments for children came into fashion in the 18th century. In the 20th century, Jan Pienkowski, a Polish-born illustrator, created a big hit for publisher Heinemann with his Haunted House pop-up book.

Last year Bradford-born children’s book illustrator Stephen Waterhouse had a three-month exhibition of 40 pieces of his work at Halifax’s Dean Clough business and arts complex.

This year sees the publication of a Templar pop-up book featuring 70 cities of the world, for which Stephen provided the pictures and graphics. Like the previous book on which he worked – a pop-up world atlas which sold rather well – this one was created in Britain but manufactured in Malaysia.

I think the world atlas contains too much written information. Although the continents are charmingly drawn and coloured, the borders between countries are not easy to identify.

The new book also contains a good deal of written information, but it looks better ordered and therefore easier to read. The pop-up format lends itself much more readily to cities than an entire continent. So New York has skyscrapers, Sydney the Opera House and the bridge, Paris the Eiffel Tower and London St Paul’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament.

The cities are categorised not according to nationality but geographic location, size, architecture and culture. Skyscraper Cities includes New York; Coastal Cities, Sydney; Religious Cities, Jerusalem; Historic Cities, London; Scenic Cities, Paris; Super-Sized Cities, Tokyo; and Extreme Cities, Venice.

Scenic Cities and Super-Sized Cities both have a concealed wheel containing information and pictures which can be seen through a window by turning the wheel. This creation of this volvelle, as it’s called, was attributed to Matthew Paris.

You won’t find any mention of Berlin, Florence, Cairo, Los Angeles, Liverpool or Beijing – but in 14 pages there is only so much that can be included.

There are curiosities, however, such as Derinkuyu in Turkey, an underground city hacked out with ancient tools 3,000 years ago. Up to 20,000 people are thought to have lived in this subterranean city, though why they did is not evident.

The final entry belongs to the City of the Future: Masdar in the United Arab Emirates. “When finished it will run on solar power, have no cars, and be totally waste-free, with everything recycled.” It’s being built to accommodate 40,000 people by 2025.

Stephen, who lives and works in Liversedge, spent months on each of the 14 double-page spreads. Historic Cities and Scenic Cities each have an extra fold-over section, the kind of unexpected feature designed to appeal to the imagination of children.

The same is true of Stephen’s pictures and Andy Mansfield’s pop-up arrangements, which include an information pull-out tab in the front and several fold-over sections you may not spot when leafing through the book. It’s all designed to intrigue – successfully, I would say.