Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 6-up. Joining the recent surge in origami books, these three titles offer craft ideas for the dexterous artist. Nguyen's title gives the most complete advice for beginners, with an introduction that takes them step-by-step through the basic folds. Subsequent projects, displayed in colorful, easily followed spreads, are relatively advanced, and they are not rated according to difficulty. Experienced and talented artists will appreciate Nguyen's suggestion to add painted details and create a "fantasy" environment for the pieces. Boursin, author of the adult title Advanced Origami (2000), offers some beginning information before delving into neatly outlined projects featuring airplanes or animals that are clearly labeled for difficulty. With their range of project subjects and complexities, all three titles offer plenty of material for origami enthusiasts. --Gillian Engberg
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-7-Using standard origami notation, Nguyen offers directions for 16 paper figures, including a ferocious-looking rattlesnake; a sinuous, spiky "Oriental" dragon; and a five-piece cowboy, hat, and bucking bronco assembly. Though the author opens with several introductory folds, these models are not for beginners. Many require pleats, tiny squash folds, and other challenging techniques, plus the ability to turn what are, after all, abstract forms into recognizable creatures by finding just the right angles and postures. Origami purists will be displeased to discover that most of these creations require scissors and glue; more problematic, some of the color photos show finished models that were folded differently, the same photo is used to illustrate two different basic folds, and some of the scissors work, such as cutting off the tips of the sand crab's legs, seems superfluous. Still, Nguyen's designs have a distinctive look, and intrepid paper artists will enjoy tackling them.-John Peters, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
