The Magic of the Circus [Pop-Up Book]

New York: Derrydale Books / Distributed by Crown Publishers, 1985. Hardcover. Very Good/No Dust Jacket As Issued. Kubasta, V. [Vojtech].

Carefully handled, Text clean, Bindings firm. Hint of Age-toning. All movables / cut paper intact free of tears. Illustrated by V. Kubasta. Oblong 26 cm. by 20 cm. ; 10.25 in. by 7.875 in. 6 double pages; 6 movable items.. Originally published in Czechoslovakia.  First US Edition.

Background Information
Vojtech Kubasta was born in Vienna. His family moved to Prague when he was four years old and he lived there his entire life. He demonstrated his artistic talent at the age of four. He had a great desire to become an artist. His father, however, had different goals for his son. He wanted him to study law.

Nevertheless, the young Vojtech persisted with his aspiration to become an artist and, eventually, his father agreed that his son could become an architect. The study of architecture, at that time, was considered more of an artistic undertaking than a technical discipline.

His career as a professional architect was short. From the early 1940s, he worked as a commercial artist, and also as a book designer. His illustrations became increasingly popular. When the communist government nationalized the entire publishing industry in 1948, Kubasta had to search for new venues to market his artistic talent. He began experimenting with three-dimensional cards and then books.

During the years that followed, Vojtech Kubasta's three-dimensional books made him the publishing house's best-known book designer and illustrator. His pop-up books have been published in 24 different languages and 35 million copies have been sold. Today, original editions of his illustrations and books are sought after by collectors from around the world