This file is an INCOMPLETE collection of origami book reviews that were sent to the
origami-l mailling list and to my own mailing address. It lists books in the order
of the number of times they have been recommended/"voted for", but this should not imply that
a book near the bottom is not as good. I think there are some real "sleepers" here, books
that are more obscure or on special topics. The "# of recommendations" is an indication on
how popular a book is with the mailing list subscribers, but the top-listed books aren't
necessarily the best book for YOU. For example, most of the highly-recommended books are for
those who mastered complex folding (and for those who like inspiration). The best way to
select a new book to try is to read the reviews!
Note again that as this list is incomplete, some titles are suspiciously low, i.e. some Montroll
titles, Harbin's "Secrets of Origami", and Gay Merrill Gross's books -- I just haven't searched
for recommendations in the archives for these yet! Also, I haven't double-checked all the title
and publication information yet. Feel free to GENTLY point out errors :->.
I have totaled the number of times that each book was recommended and then included
helpful/useful comments. I had to make a subjective decision sometimes as to whether
the poster of the message was "recommending" the book or just mentioning a title in
reference to something else, i.e. where to find X model. Another decision that I had
to make was if the same person recommended a book multiple times over a space of a few
days, does this count as only 1 recommendation? I decided it did....I have tried to be
careful with my tallying, but I make no guarantees. Another reason not to let the "# of
recommendations" make your decision for you.
When books have the same number of recommendations, they are listed in
alphabetical order...at least, I hope they are :->. When available, I also pulled
the difficulty ratings from OUSAs Origami Source catalog of supplies -- figuring
that these were probably fairly accurate. (I agree that difficulty ratings are a
subjective art.)
Feel free to send me email with additional reviews, corrections, etc....
pat slider
slider@yosemite.net
Go to the contents table
.............................
"The best text on design so far, along with some TOO complex models."
-- Goran Konjevod
.............................
"A must have for its discussion of history and evolution of origami. Distinctive
models include: hummingbird, giraffe, valentine heart, centipede, knight on
horseback and an astou ...
....................
"Especially the discussion in the front of the book."
-- Marsha DuPre (29 Feb 1996)
.............................
"There are about 25 folds presented, including three money folds. The big
difference about this book, is that he spends the first 80 pages or so discussing
the theory of origami and its relation to Escher, Mandelbrot, Yoshizawa, geometry,
mathematics, music, fractals, architecture, art, and yes, even zen.
What I've read is a very well thought-out discussion which does
nothing to detract from the beauty and creativity of origami. He has
managed to examine the bird without killing its song. In addition,
the origami literature is very well researched with a large
bibliography....As for the folds, he shows some very simple ones in his discussion of
the regularity of origami bases (he shows how the kite base, the fish
base, the bird base, and the frog base embody 2, 4, 8, and 16
repetitions of the same pattern respectively. Fold them and unfold them
and look at the patterns of triangles). Once he gets into his
original models, things can get very complex. On many of the models
he recommends using an 18" square piece of paper for your first
attempt, and this looks like pretty good advice. Does anyone know
where to find 18" erasable bond?"
-- Brad Blumenthal (June '89)
............................
"_Folding the Universe_ illustrates models with (currently) unorthodox folding
methods. This is not your typical bird base book. The 24 models are life-like
in their appearance and porportions. They are not easy! It will probaly take
many attempts before most the models are successfully completed. Don't let this
discourage you. After all, Peter Engle did the hard part.
Like most human endevours (origami included), advancement is made by
amalgamating the methods of others, in turn creating new methods. _Folding the
Universe_ excemplfies this process.
I give _Folding the Universe_ by Peter Engle five out of five origami c
...........................
"My first origami book was Peter Engel's, _Folding the Universe_. That
book is fascinating. Even though I was itching to fold the incredible
models, the text really held my attention. Now, whenever I feel
origami becoming too "mechanical", I read his book or others like
Kasahara's. I wish I have the gift for languages and was multi-lingual."
-- Yan K. Lau (Jan '93)
.............................
"Peter Engel's _Folding_the_Universe_ devotes the first half of its length
to the history of origami and to the methodology and philosophy used to go
beyond the historical limits. This book is a must read. However, if you
find it a bit overwhelming (not a math/science person, or whatever), there
is a scaled down version that can be found in Discover (June 1988)
entitled "Origami: The Mathematician's Art" (pp. 55-61)."
-- Joseph Wu (Jan 20, '94)
.............................
"You must get it if you are interested in tying origami to mathematics, the
creative process and metaphysics!"
-- Joseph Wu (Mar 22, '94)
.............................
" Peter Engel's "Folding the Universe" gives a magnificent in depth discussion
about the side of Origami we usually don't think about."
-- Kevin Thorne (Nov 7, '94)
.............................
"Whilst not a fan of his finished folds (too mechanical for my tastes)
the theory presented is stimulating, original & progressive."
-- Nick Robinson (Apr 28, '95)
.............................
"Staying up late reading Peter Engel's _Folding the
Universe_ is sometimes not very good for you. You start to think too
much in that strange self-similarity-seeking mindset you get while
reading Douglas Hofstader's _Godel, Escher, Bach_. %)
.............................
"It contains many beautiful, complex designs.
What I found more interesting, though, were the introductory chapters.
The title is very descriptive -- in addition to origami, the book deals
with such seemin ...
cher, the creative process, Chaos Theory, pattern in nature, musical composition,
and many others.
One of the main themes is the relationship between pattern and
creation. Engel examines the creative process and shows that it can be divided
into three major stages: A pattern generation stage, in which the mind
enumerates possible candidates for a solution; a second stage, in
which a much smaller subset of those candidates, those most likely to
be fruitful, are considered; and, finally, a selection of the best choice.
As an example, Engel considers a chess master. At any stage in the game,
there are countless ways to choose a course of play. The master doesn't
consider all of them, though. Rather, she focuses on a small set of moves
which are reasonable at that point in the game, and finally chooses what
she considers to be the best among them.
With this model in mind, Engel examines how he developed his origami
creations. By focusing on the patterns of creases evident after
unfolding the traditional origami bases, the author discovered that they
involved the repetition of a simple unit cell, consisting of three right
triangles (two of which are identical -- see Joseph Wu's home page using
Netscape 1.1). The Kite base contains two iterations of this cell,
while the Fish base has four, the Bird base eight, and the Frog base
sixteen. By extending and modifying this progression, Engel was able
to create models with great realism and complex structure.
In the course of the discussion, both the history of origami and more
recent developments are covered. Engel's account of his visit in Japan
with origami sensai Akira Yoshizawa is particularly engaging.
Ah, but you wanted a miniature review, so I'd better quit while I'm ahead.
I hope you'll read the book, though. It is truly remarkable."
-- David Eisner (Aug 15, '95)
.............................
"Ditto from me. The folds are complex though. I remember struggling with the wonderful crab
but torn paper. Then I went over to a _very_ large square
cut from foil gift wrap. I succeeded with that (i.e. the tears
were only negligable.) I also managed to fold the famous humming bird
but found myself disappointed with the result --- I thought that
the final form was a bit too heavy for a humming bird. On the
other hand, the fish series at the beginning is about intermediate
level and is thought provoking. The fish forms seem at first glance
to be variations on a single form, however they are folded rather
differently. Highly recommended."
-- Mark Casida (Aug 15, '95)
Go to the contents table
.............................
"Out of print, but worthwhile scouring libraries to find. Quite a bit of modular
and geometric origami--such as a bird which can be inflated to form an
icosahedron. Featured models from Dave Brill, Peter Engel & John Montroll are
also available elsewhere. Masterful models from Toshikazu Kawasaki: fox, rose,
vegetables, shells."
-- Rob Moes
.............................
"I always go back to it. There are some really great models - like kawasaki's
rose, brill's lidded box, and some geometric solids. They are puzzles to be
figured out. I always feel great when I solve one for the first time."
-- Peg Barber
.............................
"It has a bit of everything, without models being too simple, THE origami book
for anyone except the total beginners."
-- Goran Konjevod
.............................
"Quite simply, there's no other origami book like it! It's full of geometric
wonders and leads the reader through real folding *projects*, as opposed to
learning how to fold a single model. It's been a very influencial book for me,
both as an origamist and as a mathe ...
.............................
"I agree with Bruce's suggestions ("Origami for the Connoisseur" and
"Origami Omnibus") as good general books, though. They both have a
good mix of subjects and skill levels (though I'd say that the first
tends more towards complex folds, which the second has some easier
models as well as some complex ones.)"
-- Anne LaVin (Jan 19, '94)
..........................
"....it's interesting, but the design advice seems geared towards geometric models,
(which occupy the first half of the book anyway). The iso-area
folding though is well cool. "
-- Brian Ewins (Jan 20 '94)
.............................
"This is a great book with a nice mix of commentary, folds, and even
some theory. The folds range from fairly easy (not quite beginner
level) to pretty difficult. Most of the folds produce *very* nice
artifacts. There is also some discussion of how to divide paper into
various odd numbers of equal sizes and some theory as to why it works.
There is a mention of Kawasaki's theorem (did I get that right?) which
relates angles of folds to number of resulting points. Folds include
a number of solid geometric shapes, seashells, flowers, dinosaurs,
boxes, etc. There is also a section on modules."
-- Brad Blumenthal (May 23 1988)
.............................
"This is a great book - half geometric figures, half animal and other
"living" figures, intermediate to complex. (I like the rose! It may
not have any counterpart in nature - 4 petal frame as opposed to 3 or
5, but it is quite impressive.)"
-- Elsa Chen (Feb 4, 92)
..............................
"The only bug in this book is a ground beetle by John Montroll (as well
as his stegasaurus :)! I mention it because (1) it's an A #1 awesome book and
(2) Kasahara writes that by "studying" John's beetle, you can create other
beetles of your our. As an example he shows a picture of a stag beetle which
he made by "modifying" John's ground beetle (no instructs right! If you do unfold the ground beetle,
you can open up the head and produce this stag beetle. I managed to do this
after an hour or so of studying the model, and highly encourage everyone
to try it! This is how you learn to create complex-level folds."
-- Tom Hull (Jan. 26, '94)
.............................
"It has many interesting little things, and lots of mathematical theory...."
-- ORIGAMI (Jul 20, '94)
.............................
(As a recommendation for anything by Kasahara)
"His own work is wonderful, plus he exposes other folders with a rare
lack of selfishness."
-- Nick Robinson (Apr 28, '95)
.............................
"A fantastic variety of folds."
-- John Marcolina (Apr '28, '95)
Go to the contents table
............................
"Simply brilliant. Very unusual and detailed models that you can't find elsewhere:
fish in all shapes and sizes, plus shells and crustaceans. Perfect for fans of foil-paper
and for making mobiles."
-- Rob Moes
.............................
"Probably the best topical book so far, contains some of the best models of both
authors."
-- Goran Konjevod
.............................
"My favorite models are those folded from
a single square and yet yield apparently complex end results (any of
Montroll's advanced Sea Life models for example)."
-- Marc Hache (Mar 8, '94)
.............................
"Oh, and it's well worth the hunting! It's one of my favorites!"
-- Cynthia Pettit (Mar 22, '94
.............................
"Set computer diagrams on the map, plus a huge range of clever techniques
for others to adopt. Some unusually beautiful results from two technicians."
-- Nick Robinson (Apr 28 '95)
..................
... ami heavyweights."
-- John Marcolina (Apr 28, '95)
Go to the contents table
.............................
"I need to keep Origami Boxes within arms reach all the time
although I have memorized the simpler models....I've also had fun with Unit
Origami. In recent years my interests have leaned toward the geometric designs
over animals and such. Consequently I get a lot of use out of the Fuse books."
-- John Fisher
.............................
"Just boxes, but surprising variations--assembling the units does require some
patience. Perfect for your fanciest paper and for presenting small gifts.
Squares, hexagons, and octagons. Many of her other books are available in Japanese as well."
-- Rob Moes
.............................
"Origami Boxes has got to be the all time great box book -
everything is very basic and very learnable!"
-- Dee Lynch
.............................
"I have been folding some boxes out of Tomoko Fuse's book "Origami Boxes".
I find that I really must behave and be very precise or the box looks
awful.... Perhaps those of you who teach might like to
demonstate one of these models? They are not too difficult and are fun to
fold, but they do inspire some careful folding."
-- Pat Slider (Dec 30, '95)
.............................
"I have worked with many children as they have progressed from the typical
paper cups and pinwheels, etc. - and when they have completed one of these
boxes, they have treasured it and been very proud - and promptly ran to show
all their friends. Isn't this the same thing we feel when we've mastered
the patience and discipline to accomplish more complicated folds? Speaking for myself,
Tomoko's boxes are absolutely wonderful and my copy of "Or ...
-- ????? (Jan 1, 1996)
.............................
"In fact, aside from some stuff that I remember from my childhood interest in
origami, all I've been doing lately is Fuse boxes. (It was a copy of
Origami Boxes that reawakened my interest in Origami."
-- Florrie Brafman (May 9 '95)
.............................
"It's ancient history, now, but I originally subscribed to this list asking
for help with directions for the neat little inserts pictured in the octagon
box in Tomoko Fuses book "Origami Boxes".
It was a long time ago and I received a few replies of sympathy but nobody
seemed able to point me in a useful direction. I've stayed and learned a lot
in the meanwhile, and I thank you all very much.
Well, now maybe I can help anyone else who could use this information! I was
browsing at the Kinokuniya bookstore in Seattle and found a whole series of
Fuse books in Japanese, some on boxes, one of which contains the directions
for the inserts! Hurrah! Of course, now I feel I should have been able to
figure them out for myself, but my attempts were never so pleasing.
I can't tell the name of the book since I don't know Japanese, but the ISBN
is 4-480-87115-2, and I can guess it's number 5 in some series, because the
front cover begins with a word and the numeral 5. It has an orange spine. It
contains elaborations on the 4- and up sided boxes from the Origami Boxes I
have in English. Of course, the price is a little daunting; I keep telling
myself it's not paper I'm paying for, it's creativity."
-- Julie (Jan 4, '96)
............................
"I am particularly interested in "practical" or "functional" origami. Can
anyone offer ideas for useful designs, either instructions or sources? I
have found Tomoko Fuse's book -Origami Boxes- very satisfying in this
regard but I am hoping to hear of other ideas that put origami to work."
-- John Fisher (Jan 21, '96)
............................
"Jonathan Poh ask books 'origami boxes' and 'quick and easy boxes."
There is some duplication, but every time Fuse does
a book, there are some differences, as she's constantly
revising and improving. But I'd go with the Origami
Boxes and get my paper elsewhere."
-- Valerie Vann (Mar 4, '96)
Go to the contents table
...........................
"(Evil cackle of glee): Yes, Paul, Origami Insects is 100% complex models,
chock-full of closed sinks, edgeless wraps, and other brutally
finger-numbing, tendon-popping maneuvers. If you (or anyone else) would like
a preview, download the Praying Mantis from the archives -- it's in the book,
too! However, the diagrams in Insects should be better and clearer than the
ones in Origami Zoo, since I've had a lot more practice diagramming in the
intervening years."
-- Robert Lang (Feb 26, '95)
..............................
"First off, I must say any one who thinks Montroll's "Animal Origami for
the Enthusiast", should be called "Origami for the Masecist", will no
doubt call this book "Origami for the Desperately Suicidal". Every
single model is advanced! If you have not mastered Montroll, don't even
begin on the models in this book.
Heres an idea! One of the models is a lady bug with spots. Now you may
think you will need to dye some black/white paper red to get a really
good model. Not so, simply use a piece of paper that is black one side and
white on the other. Your torn, abused, frayed, and bleeding fingers will
automatically dye the paper red. :->
Sireously though... Normally when I get a new book, I go right to the
last model and fold it first. Not this time! No way was I going to
tackle that Scorpion right off! So I thumbed thru to see what else would
catch my interest. On a resent v ...
ith the Ant's in the Origami exhibit. I was happy to see they
were diagramed here in this book. So I started in with a red ten inch
square. The only place I had any real troubles was with the middle legs.
I'm not sure I folded them right, but they look OK so maybe I did. The
finished model looks really great. I'm impressed at how large a model I
got, despite the complexity.
Next off I tried the Dragonfly. I used a green paperback foil. I had a
bit more trouble on this one, the leading edges of the wings turned out
a bit ragged, and the Double Rabbit ear, Sinks, and Reverse folds on the
six legs, became pinch and bend. But over all the model looks good. I
did make one minor alteration. Instead of folding the eyes up against
the head, I simply pulled them out perpendicular to the model, forming a
Tee shaped head, much more like a real dragonfly. I also pinched a
couple of existing folds to form a nose, not anatomically correct, but cute.
One thing I really like about this book is the way repeated step are
prominently shown, so you can look ahead and see where you will be
repeating steps.
One question though, Robert. In the preface, you state that "Someone,
somewhere has folded each of these models". Are we to read this as someone
other than yourself. Or are we to assume that in some cases you were
working completely in theory, and were greatly releaved when someone else
proved that these models were in fact actually foldable in real life. :)"
-- Kim Best (Jul 26, '95)
................................
"He might be refering to me, as well as the other people who tested the
models. That's right, I am taking credit for all of the mistakes in the
book. For the record, even before I proofed the book,I found all of the
models to be quite doable (not to mention excellent and inspiring). Good luck."
-- Marc Kirschenbaum (July 26, '95)
................................
"This book, in my opinion, considerably advances the state of the art in p ...
ise; typographical errors (inevitable in a book with 1879 diagrams) are easily worked
around. The photos of his life-sized scale models of his Ant,
Treehopper, and others are impressive.
This book is not for the origami beginner; competency, if not fluency,
with folding complicated models is a must. Folding these models has
been a terrifically frustrating, and rewarding, experience. If you like
your origami models complex, this book is a required addition to your
library."
-- Tim Rueger (Aug 6, '95....see his entire model-by-model review in the archives!)
.............................
"What a great book!!
I've been holding off on comments about this book until I'd folded a few of
the models. I received the book about 3 weeks ago and have been folding
obsessively every chance I got since then (I think my wife's starting to get
annoyed :-).
So far I've successfully folded the Orb Weaver, Ant, Scarab Beetle, Cicada,
Pill Bug, Praying Mantis, Stag Beetle, Samurai Helmet Beetle, and Scorpion,
and I'm working on the Hercules Beetle. I also had failed attempts at the
Butterfly, Black Pine Sawyer, and Paper Wasp :-(.
I think my favorite model is the Ant; it's so wonderfully 3D, and it's also
one of the easiest in the book! Of those I finished, I think the Cicada was
the hardest.
All in all, a fabulous book, and one that has already caused me a lot of
grief. Robert Lang continues to come up with ever more impossible folds to
challenge and punish us (I'll always remember the left-handed behind-the-back
in-your-face nothing-to-grab-onto unsink-from-Hell from the Atlantic Purple
Sea Urchin :-).
And we keep coming back for more..."
--John Marcolina (Aug 17, '95)
............................
"Thanks for all the nice things you've said about Origami Insects (I consider
"I had a wretched time with this model, shredded two reams of paper and
ripped out three handfuls of hair before I finished" to fall into that category).
In follow-up to J ...
he trouble with step 61 of the Butterfly was caused by not completely doing the
"left-handed behind-the-back in-your-face nothing-to-grab-onto unsink-from
hell" in steps 45-47, which crawled out of the Sea Urchin and into this model
when I wasn't looking.
Incidentally, there's a prize (I haven't figured out what just yet) for the
first person to fold a presentable version of the Butterfly where in step 26
you divided each flap into fifths, not thirds; in steps 58-59, the reverse
folds go in and out twice, not once (the first set divides the angle into
quarters, rather than halves); and each of the leg flaps is narrowed in half
once more than in the current version. Any combination of paper and/or tools
are allowed. Virtual models are not.
jm> ..if you said what kind of paper you used for your models in the photos
and if they were wet-folded...
Here lies a problem: I don't know what kind of paper I used for many of the
models. I obtained much of it in the form of various gifts from my Japanese
friends (duly noted in the Acknowledgements) so I don't even know what some
of it is called.
It's very difficult to give recommendations/instructions for wet-folding
beyond suggesting that you try it. I designed all of the models (except the
Cicada) first and foremost to be foldable from standard origami paper since
that's what everyone has readily available. (The Cicada, the exception, was
actually designed to be wet-folded; but I made sure it's still doable with
standard origami paper.) If you're folding from kami, things are pretty
clear-cut; but if you're going to wet-fold the model, the interplay between
the paper (which is constantly changing proportions as its moisture level
varies), you, the folder, and the design is a dynamic and personal thing, and
there is no way I could supply anything more than a hint as to how to
proceed. So the kami-foldable folding sequence is the hint; it's a starting
point, but you need to figure out for yourself when to leave the writ
wn.
jm> And what in the world do you use when folding from a 1 cm square?
Very, very, VERY thin foil, jeweler's tweezers, and a high tolerance for
models pinging across the room when they're halfway done.
jm> And we keep coming back for more...
There's more where that came from!"
-- Robert Lang (Aug 18, '95)
..........................
"The only book I currently have is "Origami Insects and Their Kin" by Lang. It's one of the best books
I've seen and if anyone wants to try out some insects, the models are
quite difficult but well worth the effort."
-- Ashley G. Perrien (Jan 27, '96)
..........................
"I do hope Mr. Lang will take this as a compliment...
Until an "arachnid-free" version of "Origami Insects" is made
available, I regret that I will be unable to purchase or even look
through a copy of this book! Mr. Lang, that is some incredible
folding when just a glimpse of something convincingly arachnid-esque
begins to trigger my (occasional) arachniphobiac response mechanism.
Even though I know it's just a picture of folded paper, I can't look
again.
I've stopped hyperventilating, and my heartbeat is returning to
normal. Now I'm just in exhausted awe of such realistic folding
skills and photography!
This is one occasion when my vote goes to artistic representation, rather than accuracy. :-)"
-- Jennifer Andre (Feb 20, '96)
..........................
"Incredible models from the master."
-- Charles Knuffke
Go to the contents table
...........................
"This was my introduction to modular folding. In fact, it is what
I got re-started in origami with - (I had folded as a kid, but stopped). I found
it truly amazing that I could create these beautiful paper weavings. Fuse
de which is the neatest - I love her book called Spirals... I guess I'd choose Unit Origami over most of the rest
because it's in English... Folding level easy to intermediate, but some of the assemblies are tricky."
-- Peg Barber
............................
"Has anyone read or purchased _Unit Origami_ by
Tomoko Fuse? I have and so far I find it intriguing. The only problem with unit origami
that I can see is the time it takes to fold all those little pieces."
-- Eric Lease Morgan (Mar 17, '91)
.............................
"I have and I love it. I've been fascinated with unit origami ever since
I discovered the instructions for the simplest pattern in a "Hello Kitty"
book (you know, those silly, sappy Japanese "cute" imports). Actually,
I don't have much trouble with the amount of time it takes to fold the
pieces (certainly no longer than some of the more complicated single
sheet folds), although it seems like a long time because it's so repetitious.
The part ...
I have the hardest time with is putting everything together at
the end. You just get three pieces together and then two fall apart.
I especially like working with multicolor models and trying to solve the
puzzle of putting it all together without adjacent pieces sharing the
same color (sort of like the old 4 color map puzzles).
If else anyone enjoys this type of paper folding (some purist might
argue whether it can truly be called Origami), I would highly recommend the
book. Lots of interesting models with numerous basic units."
-- Sheila Wassmer (Mar 18, '91)
..............................
"Right now I am having a ball (literally!) with _Unit Origami_ by Tomoko Fuse."
-- Nancy Nietupski (25 Jul 93)
Go to the contents table
............................
"Difficult to find and expensive. In Jap ...
s known for creating all sorts of points to his creations. A number of
elegant peacock variations. Several challenging masterpieces: his seated deer,
lizard, frog, and demon will delight anyone lucky enough to make or receive one."
-- Rob Moes
................................
"There is a series of hardcover books by Kunihiko Kasahara that are fabulous.
Viva Origami (in collaboration with Jun Maekawa) has an intricate red devil
on the cover - complete with fingers, a tail, wings, ears, and a tongue."
-- VickyAV (Nov 6, '94)
................................
"But the real showcase of Maekawa's work (and only one, as far as
I know) is "Viva Origami!" by Kasahara and Maekawa. This book is the
one with that INSANE devil in it, and I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend this
awesome book -- with precautions. Firstly, it's in Japanese, and hasn't
been translated as far as I know. Second, many of the folds (including
the said devil) skip steps, assuming that you can fill in the gaps.
But WAIT, it's not as bad as you think. In fact, I consider the
diagrams in this book to be excellent, not knowing Japanese proved not
to be a problem, since the pictures were so clear. But it is an
ADVANCED book, and very worth the while to work through (the folds,
though complex, are all very elegant)."
-- Tom Hull (Jan '93)
................................
"The frustrating thing about Viva Origami, though, is the
wonderful write-ups accompanying the models. I do read
Japanese, but not well enough to follow most of the text.
I wish I could understand all that is being discussed."
-- Sheila Davis (Feb 6, '95)
................................
Don't worry about the book being in Japanese. Viva Origami! is a great
book, the diagrams are clear, and the models are pleasantly challenging.
I have a soft spot for Kasahara's stuff. His stuff got me started
folding when I was a little kid, and I didn't read Japanese then either!
(Sti ...
... tarted learning the kana at least, now. So I won't have only the photo of some simple model
to go by when trying to tell if it is, say, a roketsu (rocket) or some
sort of mushroom - an extremely rare sort of dilemma, granted)"
-- Elsa Chen (Feb 7, '95)
.................................
(As a recommendation for anything by Kasahara)
"His own work is wonderful, plus he exposes other folders with a rare
lack of selfishness."
-- Nick Robinson (Apr 28, '95)
Go to the contents table
............................
"This has Montroll's insect base, and includes a bol weevle and an
asparagus beetle. They're very fresh."
-- Tom Hull (Jan 26, '94)
.......................
"As for favorites, Origami Sculptures was my first "real" book, and still one
of my favorites. I definitely like the "3d" models (i.e. ones that stand up
rather than lie flat). Origami Sculptures has a very nice camel/dromedary.
The face/head is perfect! There's also "Montroll's Dog Base" and "Montroll's
Insect Base", which you can use to make lots of different models."
-- Paul Close (Apr 11, '95)
...........................
"I would strongly recommend to people wishing to begin creating new
designs that they read through John Montroll's "Origami Sculptures".
In that book, Mr. Montroll's dog base is used to create three
different dogs, a horse, a bison, a camel and a dromedary (I may be
forgetting a few). His insect base is also modified to create two
distinct insects. I think examining how he modified these bases to
arrive at the different models can be very heuristic for one aspiring to make original designs."
-- Iron Will Dawes (Feb 16, '96)
.......................
"Nice, detailed models, but not as difficult as others, since I folded it straight
through with no problems (first time I had done that), but I've been informed
that it may not be *quite* that easy. Still, I love it. It also containd the
"dog base" which is more accurately a "quadruped base" that, once mastered, gives
you a starting point for a lot of mammals: dog (3 in the book), horse, bison,
camel, etc.
-- Kevin Kinney
.......................
"about a month ago, I got origami sculptures, and it seems to be pretty good.
(the weevil discourages me)"
-- CM (Oct 23, '95)
Go to the contents table
................................
"Encyclopedic, describes very simple napkin folds through some
advanced techniques, such as Max Hulme's incredible box-pleated Jack in the Box.
Many photographs and illustrations: something to tempt everyone."
-- Rob Moes
................................
" Quite simply, there's no other origami book like it! It's an encyclopedia! It
covers all types of origami! It's chock full of fun!"
-- Tom Hull (2/26/96)
................................
Another one to read and not only fold from.
-- Goran Konjevod
................................
"I'd just like to add my opinion to this one, I find it very difficult to
propomote this one because it's a little to liberal for me. I guess I'm
more of a purist than Eric Kenneway is, in that models should be one
square uncut sheet of paper. Many of his models require either cuts or
start with shapes other than squares (usually rectangles). The book does
have some impressive models but the fact that they differ from the norm
so greatly is a terrible distraction."
-- Ashley Perrien
................................
"About Andrew Anselmo's question about where to find a reference for
action origami (flapping b ...
... my head I can think of a section in Eric Kenneway's book
"Complete Origami"."
-- Marco Pavone (Jun 15, '93)
................................
"You might consider acquiring a book called
"Complete Origami" by Eric Kenneway. It is an "encyclopedia" of all kinds
of origami STUFF, including diagramming, bases and techniques."
-- Tom Stamm (Dec 18, '93)
................................
"I strongly recommend Eric Kenneway's book "Complete Origami"
for looking up all these "terms". I find this book quite useful -- sort
of an origami encyclopedia with lots of fun diagrams."
-- pat slider (Jan 19, '96)
Go to the contents table
............................
"Out of print, unfortunately. Massive, nearly 400 pages: almost an encyclopedia. Half
geometric, half representational. Series of masks, cubes, cranes, polyhedra.
Elegant curved fox, llama, panda, dragon, sparrow, Adam & Eve."
-- Rob Moes
..........................
"I agree with Bruce's suggestions ("Origami for the Connoisseur" and
"Origami Omnibus") as good general books, though. They both have a
good mix of subjects and skill levels (though I'd say that the first
tends more towards complex folds, which the second has some easier
models as well as some complex ones.)"
-- Anne LaVin (Jan 19, '94)
..........................
"....worth getting, because it has a wide range of quite
interesting folds."
-- Bruce Stephens (Jan '93)
.............................
(As a recommendation for anything by Kasahara)
"His own work is wonderful, plus he exposes other folders with a rare
lack of selfishness."
-- Nick Robinson (Apr 28, '95)
Go to the contents table
............................
"Charming and whimsical beasts of many kinds, including
photographs of every model. Delightful and very recognizable models include:
scottie dog, roadrunner, skunk, fox, woolly mammoth, bear, eagle, tortoise,
praying mantis, and dog in a doghouse. Something to please every folder.
-- Rob Moes
.............................
"This summer I found Origami Zoo on my shelves ( I have no idea what I have
:-) and started with the camel. Once I managed step 9...after atleast 1/2
hour things went quite smoothly. That step no longer takes 1/2 hour, I'm
happy to say. I seem to enjoy the models in that book as the steps seem to
flow very nicely and smoothly from one stage to the next.
Whew! Enough for now...actually I was going to tell you which were the
difficult steps for me in that camel, but that can be left for another time
if you are interested :-)"
-- Sheldon Ackerman (Jul 19, '94)
.............................
"This has a few bugs, namely a grasshopper (different from Montroll's)
and a praying mantis (different from the one on the archives). The mantis
is made from non-square paper, but it's easier than the one on the archives
and I think it looks better. Oh yeah, there's also a horse fly and paper wasp,
both which use the white side of the paper for the eyes (very hard, but very
good folds. I've actually scared people with these). I think the wasp is
from a non-square. Hey, I think there's an ant in this book too, but I
might be hallucinating. Check it out."
-- Tom Hull (Jan 26, '94)
.............................
"Lots of great animal folds."
-- John Marcolina (Apr. 28 '95)
Go to the contents table
.............................
"Almost 50 models, an excellent value, some very difficult. Outstanding bald eagle,
elephant, biplane, tarantula. Unique action models: viking ship, three musicians,
cuckoo clock."
-- Rob Moes
.............................
"If I never buy another origami book, there's still plenty in this book
to challenge me."
-- John Marcolina (Apr. 28, '95)
.............................
"Lang's first book. It's good, but many models use non-square paper,
and there are a few diagram errors. This is the book with the Tarantula that
someone mentioned previously. There may be other bugs, but I don't recall."
-- Tom Hull (Jan 26 '94)
.............................
"....Indeed with the cuckoo clock, marvellous!"
-- Maarten van Gelder (Jan 26, '94)
.............................
">The house of the cuckoo clock...
I am but lately come to this list, but it seems like _everyone_ is
talking about this cuckoo clock. Can someone post a reference to
it? Is it from a book? None of the ones I've already collected!
The one I'm working on is from Robert Lang's book _The Complete Book of
Origami_, a must for any origami library. The clock is three dimensional and
although doesn't "work" in the traditional sense, it has a lever that
when pulled causes the cuckoo to pop out of the top of the clock. Pretty
awesome.
Thanks to Maarten for the estimated dimensions, I'm looking forward to
hanging it on the living room wall [if my wife lets me, she's not much of
an origami fan :-( ]."
-- Marc Hache (Mar 14, '94)
Go to the contents table
.......................
I just got a copy of Fumiaki Kawahata's NEW dinosaur book, "Origami Fantasy,"
and I gotta tell ya, it's one of the best books to come along in years. This
...
... mbing tendon-popping complex-folding real thing. Front and back covers show wet-folded versions of
a T. Rex (with teeth, claws, and toes) and a Stegosaurus, respectively. Color
plates inside the front show all of the other models, beautifully wet-folded.
Contents are:
Protoceratops
Apatosaurus
Pteranodon
Triceratops
Tyrannosaurus
Allosaurus
Parasauralophus
Corythosaurus
Lambeosaurus
Maiasaurus
Archeopteryx
Styracosaurus
Dimetrodon
Tuojiangosaurus
Ankylosaurus
Stegosaurus
Unicorn
Pegasus
Obviously, there are a few things other than dinosaurs (therapsids, mythical
beings) but it's mostly dinos and they are all STUNNING, if not for the faint
of heart. There are more spikes, plates, teeth, horns, claws, and toes than
you can shake a stick at, and many of the models run well over 100 steps. All
models are folded from one uncut square. The diagrams are clear and sharp but
the verbal instructions are in Japanese. Occasionally an English word is
thrown in ("Open Sink") for the benefit of his foreign readers. I've folded
several of the models and have found no problems. The last few pages describe
Kawahata's design approach, some of which he displayed at the Origami Science
meeting. Of course, it's all in Japanese as well, but you can get the basic
idea from the diagrams, pictures, and mathematical formulas.
If you loved Viva Origami and drooled over Top Origami, you'll go positively
ga-ga over Fantasy Origami.
-- Robert Lang (July 23, '95)
.......................
"A couple weeks ago I got a copy of Fumiaki Kawahata's new book, "Origami
Fantasy". Try and get it, folks. It's really good. Our esteemed
Robert Lang had pumped it up here a few months ago, and the book lives
up to it. It's got lots of cool, *hard* models in it. (I love cool,
*hard* models.) My favorite ones are his Stegosaurus and his
Ankylosaurus.
The Stego is pictured on the back cover of the book; it is remarkably
realistic and quite large for a given size of paper. There are *eleven*
spikes on the tail, good head detail, and the body is nicely rounded out. A 10-inch square
turns into a 5.5-inch long model; quite impressive, given the level of
detail in the model.
The Ankylo is a bit harder to picture. It has a finely detailed grid of
armor (?) plates, looking like a badger with bathroom tiles glued to its
back. This back structure is really neat; I'm not aware of many
examples of folding to achieve texturing effect. It, too, is pretty
large for a 10-inch square, about 5 inches when finished (some of that
is a longish tail). The precreases to achieve the grid are *tedious*; I
counted 53 in all.
By and large, the toughest models in this new book aren't quite as hard
as the toughest ones in Lang's recent Insects book, but they're
definitely not for the faint of heart.
The book is definitely worth seeking out."
-- Tim Rueger (Nov. 15, '95)
............................
"New Japanese book, very costly -- for devotees of dinosaurs and fantasticall
y complex models. Over 150 steps for the fearsome Tyrannosaurus, and
astoundingly spiky Tuojiangosaurus. Unique folding methods as in Dimetrodon, to
delight even the most savvy folder. Almost painstaking in detail, as with
Unicorn and Pegasus, the two non-dinosaurs."
-- Rob Moes
Go to the contents table
............................
"Brand new and truly brilliant -- encompasses over 20 years of his work, well-known
models from the British Origami Society. Elegant
3-dimensional animals for wet-folding: fox-hunt scene with horse, rider, hounds
& fox is breathtaking. Human models (some compound) which are rarely attempted:
three wise men, Hallowe'en witch, Christmas-tree fairy, St. George (slaying dragon)."
-- Rob Moes
.............................
"BTW, his boo ...
... ication by a Japanese company. I've seen the material & it is WONDERFUL. For me, Dave represents the
perfect marriage of technique allied to (but never dominating) artistry."
-- Nick Robinson (Jul. 18, '95)
.............................
"I have to tell you that I haven't folded much from this book yet. I
just got my copy a couple of days ago. So I can't give you great
detail about the quality of the diagrams, ease of folding, etc. But
Dave Brill's models are wonderful, as you will see from the color
illustrations, and the diagrams seem clear. They are hand-drawn, not
computer-drawn, so they have an appealing (to me, at least) rough
character about them.
I did not have any problems with the few things I've folded so far, so
I assume the rest of them are OK, too. Most of the geometrics are from
A4 based paper, and there is a handy page of explanations, sizes, and
ways to get A4 from other shapes. Most of the other models are from
square based paper (i.e., square, triangle, 2 x 1). There are some
interesting helpful hints, suggestions, and discussion about the
models. They are not rated for complexity, but I'd grade them from
Intermediate to Complex.
The book is divided into several sections. Here are some of the 79
models in the 240-page book:
Toys and Working Models, including Exhibitionist (not anatomically
correct), Spectacles and Nut and Bolt
Boxes and Containers, including Gift Box, Bottle, Yacht, Box and Lid,
Cigarette Packet and Matchbox
Modular Origami, including Sunken Silver Cube, Stellated Dodecahedron
and Double Star Flexicube
Animals, including Goose, Foxhound, Horseman, Rhinoceros, Lion, Horse
and Dragon
Human Figures, including Christmas Tree Fairy, Father Christmas, Three
Wise Men, Show Jumper, St. George, Geppetto and Pinocchio
Groups and Scenes, including Ashtray, Reindeer and Square Silver Star
I hope this helps. If anyone else has seen the book, perhaps they can add more."
-- Jan Polish (Feb 15, '96)
...........................
... re (large or small), and get this book! At $20, it's a steal.
Now for a mini review - please realize I haven't done any "new" ones yet
in it, I can just tell you (some of) what's in it. ...
... the "Flasher", the ***Nut & Bolt*** (for those few of us who
don't happen to have der falter #8), his bottle, box w/lid,
working matchbox, an amazing one-piece pack of cigarettes, a
money box (pushka), books, a large selection of cool modular origami, animals
including squirrel, goose, fox, foxhound, a great rhinoceros
and elephant, lion cub, dragon w/flapping wings and from
triangles, his horse, lion, and lioness. Then he's got a whole slew of
human figures, including a great 3-piece witch, santa with
reindeer and sleigh, wise men, etc.
The book is very well presented, with with beautiful color
photos in the front of the book."
-- Yaacov (Feb '16, '96)
.............................
"....is a pretty neat book; I highly recommend it."
-- Jason L. Tibbitts III (Mar 3, '96)
Go to the contents table
............................
"Best introduction on "how to fold" and diagrams symbols that I have
seen yet. The diagrams are so clear that I think the careful beginner can even
fold the high-intermediate models."
-- Pat Slider
.............................
"... and there is a really cool whale!!"
-- Dee Lynch
.............................
"Beautiful book!"
-- Don Shall (May 30 '95)
Go to the contents table
............................
"25 models all with completed photos. Very
pleasing to fold, including walrus, brontosaurus, frog with toes, antelope, a
now in Origami Sea Life."
-- Rob Moes
.............................
"My first Montroll book, and my favorite."
-- Charles Knuffke
.............................
"Montroll has some of the most unbelievable folds I've ever come up
against. Whenever I do something of his, I constantly ask myself,
"*Where* did he come up with *this* one?" Once you get the hang of
them they're not that hard, but they still amaze me. This is a book
of strictly folds at the intermediate to advanceed level and includes
several examples of fish, birds, mammals, rodents, and bugs (always
dear to computer scientists. For luck, I have several bugs guarding
my computers, and an elephant guarding the SCSI connector on my hard
disk :-). It also has a pegasus fold."
-- Brad Blumenthal (May 23, 1988)
.............................
"....just wanted to say that your book Origami for the Enthusiast gave me many
many hours of pleasure, and is the best book on Origami that I've ever read."
-- Lewis Stiller (Oct '90)
.............................
"John's first book. It's awesome. Buy it. Contains a moth, stink bug,
a wonderful grasshopper, and one or two others that I can't remember."
-- Tom Hull (Jan 26 '94)
Go to the contents table
............................
"Clever modular paper ideas -- jack-in-the-box, butterfly ball which flies apart, brilliant
magic star which converts from a ring to a star. Carefully collected models, both
old and new, from around the world. Another book which utilizes decorative paper well."
-- Rob Moes
.............................
"Beautiful book"
-- Janet Hamilton (April 27, 1995)
Go to the contents table
.............................
"Good for beginners."
-- Marsha DuPre (29 Feb 1996)
.............................
"Mostly because of the clear directions for beginners."
-- Terry Hall
.............................
"There are other books, of course, but these two are designed to teach the
basics and to take a novice folder to a higher level of folding. Diagrams
are clear and there is a great deal of explanation."
-- Joseph Wu (Feb 10, '94)
Go to the contents table
.............................
"I though the photos were great, but the diagrams were small and
hard to read and were also missing some of the step by step instructions."
-- Charles Knuffke
.............................
"I have the book and have done some of the models. Some are hard to
follow, but it's generally a fun book! I've memorized the winged
dragon because it's a rather simple model [and fun to make out of
peppermint patty papers in pizza restaurants!]. The pegasis must be
made out of one-color paper [ie the paper has to be the same color on
both sides... :( ]. The elf is fairly easy and a friend of mine gave
up on the Daedalus, but I plodded on and finished it."
-- Cynthia Pettit (Jan '93)
.............................
"Books 1 and 2 of the Origami Today series, edited by Jay Ansill of
"Origami" CD fame, are out. Book 1 is devoted to mythical beings and
has intermediate to complex folds by Lang and other
experts...Cerberus, the 3-headed dog (NOT Cerebus the Aardvark!), lord
Shiva of the many arms, (based on the praying mantis), Daedalus,
various dragons...about 14-15 figures in all. *****Highly recomme ...
Go to the contents table
.............................
"OK. I wrote it. But I can still vote for it, can't I? I still think it's one of the
best beginner's books out there."
-- Tom Hull
.........................
"The models in the book are (hold on - I'm doing this from memory)
Simple Folds: Frog with a Big Mouth, Owl and Owlet, Holy Shield, Abstract
Elephant, Scotty Dog, Simple Wallet Action Folds: Talking Bird, Funky Swan,
Cobra (it strikes!), "Kiss Me", Greeting Card, Raven Mask, Throwing Dart
Modular Folds: Pinwheel-Ring-Pinwheel (the same one as in _The Magic of
Origami_), Ornamental Thingie, Sunburst, Stabile, Squared Square & Cube,
Three Wise Men, Sea Serpent, Chess Set Frog Pond: Frog Head with a Big Mouth,
Frog with a Big Mouth in Flight, Frog with a Big Mouth, Tounge, and Eyes.
Getting Tricky: Elephant I, Angel Fish, His Lady's Voice (a dog), Bald Eagle,
Rabbit, Tesselating Fish, Elephant II
Oh yeah! I forgot to mention the SImple Fish in the Simple Folds chapter!
That's it (unless I forgot any).
All models are new and never-before published (except the Pinwheel-ring, and
the Scotty Dog appeared in a Friends Annual Collection a while back)."
-- Tom Hull (Apr 4, '94)
.............................
"The book contains 32 models, and is way-simple to solid-intermediate level.
The book has 5 chapters:
..............................
"I got a quick look at your new book today and it looks great!
I will pick it up and take it home next pay ...
... ts are quite unique.
I didn't mention the other day (because of my computer problem)
that I was pleasantly surprised at your simple frog. I followed the
written directions quite easily and it gave me a good laugh when I
finished it. He is one of my favorite frogs!
I am not one of those folks who love to fold the altra-technical
type models. I will do it, but i can't say I derive a lot of joy
from it. So when I come across a simple but elegant model, they
are like wonderful gifts."
-- Nancy Nietupski (Apr 5, '94)
...........................
"Tom's book is super! The diagrams are easy, the models are nice, and there is
a creative little story showing all the models. Well done!"
-- Linda Casey (Apr 5, '94)
...........................
""Origami Plain and Simple" has clever and fun models, easy to
understand instructions, and clear layout and format. It has things to
make which are easy and enjoyable -- I'd recommend it highly!"
-- Agnes Tomorrow (June 2, '94)
...........................
"Generally, I don't bother with books that are full of simple
models, but Bob Neale/Tom Hull's book _Origami: Plain and Simple_ is a
great one, and far more apt to catch a neophyte folder's attention than any
other I've seen -- the models are all original (instead of the constantly
rehashed "Flapping Bird, Inflatable Frog" motif), the diagrams are clean,
and the layout highly enjoyable. I always recommend this one when someone
asks about beginner's books."
-- Judd Harris (Apr 30, '95)
...........................
"Well, I don't know about any records for the height or distance
of the jumping frog models, but the ones I make leap a pretty
impressive distance. The are from the book: _Origami, Plain and Simple_"
-- ??? (Dec 9, '95)
Go to the contents table
.............................
"...wonderful because the models look so realistic. They're hard, but not impossible."
-- Peg Barber
.............................
"I love dinosaurs!"
-- John Marcolina (Apr. 28, '95)
Go to the contents table
.............................
"The book that got me started on creating was Kasahara's _Creative_Origami_.
He's got a chapter at the end of the book devoted to
the process of creating ("The Thrill of Creating")."
-- Joseph Wu (Jan 20, '94)
.............................
(As a recommendation for anything by Kasahara)
"His own work is wonderful, plus he exposes other folders with a rare
lack of selfishness."
-- Nick Robinson (Apr 28, '95)
Go to the contents table
.............................
"Maybe I should explain that I am never around experienced folders (except at
the convention) so I am always asked for books for beginners. These two are
the best I know. Sakata is best for rank beginners because of the
exceptional clarity of the photo-illustrations. Gray/Kasahara is better for
those who want a bit more challenge and/or more information. Given my
"audience" a Montroll would be a disaster!"
-- Carol Hall
.............................
"Great for holiday folding. I think there is probably something in that book for every
holiday plus some!! I get a lot out of it for teaching classes. Nothing is too
complex, and it is ultimately a book that I go to when I want to learn something "by heart"
-- Dee Lynch
.............................
(As a recommendation for anything by Kasahara)
"His own work is wonderful, plus he exposes other folders with a rare lack of selfishness."
-- Nick Robinson (Apr 28
Go to the contents table
.............................
"Classic, very large collection of models. As in the Randlett book, very
distinctive works: birds by Montoya, Rohm's see-saw, Cerceda's peacock, Elias'
Dove Cote. Mostly adapted from traditional bases, good for folders working
toward more advanced levels."
-- Rob Moes
.............................
"This is out of print too, I think."
-- Marsha DuPre (29 Feb 1996)
.............................
"My first origami book (and only up to about a week ago) is "Secrets of
Origami: The Japanese art of paper folding" by Robert Harbin. I find it
to be a phenomenal book with around 125 pieces in it (some I still can't do
to this day). The book features folders such as Florence Temko, Robert
Harbin, Ligia Montoya, John M. Nordquist, Jack J. Skillman, Adolfo Cerceda, Neal Elias,
Fred Rohm, Robert Neale, and George Rhoads. The level of difficult ranges
from beginners to difficult. Unfortunately, I have never seen this book any-
where. Which is unfortunate, because my copy is really beat up."
-- John Morin (April '92)
Go to the contents table
.............................
"In particular, I recommend anything by yoshizawa that you can get your hands on. His
models are not, generally, complex, but really make you think about
the creature you're trying to represent. The models frequently take
several tries to get right, as they are always very sensitive to the
angles you choose, and rarely have distinct landmarks. But they're
incredibly rewarding!"
-- Anne LaVin, Jan 19 '94
.............................
"...a beautiful hardback with a ribbon :->. I do think this
book has a high percentage of wowable models!
.............................
"....Lots of variations with subtle differences in the finishing details -- very
interesting. I guess I would call this intermediate to high-intermediate.
I've pointed out a couple of complex models.
Hardback in Japanese (which I do not read). Over 70 models, 158 pages (43
pages are color photographs of finished models in gorgeous elaborate
scenes, not all of which are diagrammed, unfortunately! Example 11
dog-breed variations. Some are in his other books, but the more elaborate
ones are not...)
Begins with bird-base and bird-base variations (square, rhombus,
equilateral triangle, and right angle triangle) with examples of birds.
Simple leaves & flowers: tulip stem, simple leaf variations, cherry
blossom, bamboo leaf, water lily & blossom, 16-petal sunflower, rose hip,
and others.
Insects & plants: 2 nice butterfly variations, onion/fig (?), simple
cicada, carrot, mushroom, jumping frog, simple beetles, dragonfly.
Aquatic life: Fish base & fish variations, sea horse, dolphin-fish
variation (the one with many tiny crimps is very attractive), flying fish,
intricate squid (not quite as difficult as Engel's), complex crab (blintz
frog base), pretty fish with fins.
Birds: baby & adult penguin, baby & adult swan, chicken, long-tail
pheasant, 2 more pheasant variations (one simple, one detailed -- very
pretty!), chicks, simple sparrow, baby & adult owl, two bat variations. My
vote for the best section in the book.
Animals: 3 rabbit variations, squirrel, two-piece husky dog (2 variations)
with pups (2 variations), setter, two-piece panda, simple water buffalo,
mouse, simple boar (?), 2 horse variations, 2 fox variations out of a long
rectangle (many poses!), a couple of very good 2-piece bird base
models -- camel and monkey, tiger, dragon, snake.
Heavenly bodies, objects, people: constellations, 4-point & 5-point
(clever, out of a bird-base) stars, flying seed, hang-glider (from BOS #100
issue), glider, pleated lampshades, man in winter,
(?story), simple angel, simple nun, human faces.
Clearly the idea is to stimulate the reader to come up with his/her own
ideas for poses, finishing details, etc. If I remember right *sosaku*
means creative....
I have two other yoshizawa books, and this is my personal favorite. The
others are probably out-of-print but keep an eye open! Origami Museum
Animals I, in English 0-87040-737-6 (Japanese title is Origami Hakubutsushi
I; there's also II) and Tanoshii (Joyful) Origami, 4-308-00091-2. Hope this helps somebody!"
-- Rob Moes, April 17, '96
.............................
"I too enjoy the book, but I'd have to disagree that this book is
really high-intermediate to complex in status; I'd place it right at the
intermediate level, with the single exception of the "Crab" on pp. 72-3
which is probably accurately placed as high intermediate. It's a beautiful
book, and I like all the models in it, although I rarely fold them. One
thing I do use the book for is this: there is a two-piece, compound
"Camel" on pp. 110-111 which is composed of two bird bases. For folders
under my tutelage who are eager to advance, I like to challenge them to
take what they know of the capability of blintzing and try to make the same
camel from a single sheet of paper. (It's difficult to do exactly, but
even a rough approximation is not difficult to achieve). Does anyone else
do this kind of thing?"
-- Jerry Harris, April 18, '96
Go to the contents table
.............................
"Great stuff! All of it is easy and there is some cool stuff like finger puppets and toys and cars and shows you how to make
greeting cards and all kinds of things! If you ever see it, I would heartily reccommend it!
-- Dee Lynch
.............................
"I recently checked out AMAZING ORIGAMI F ...
... ought the diagrams were very clear and the models
were fun. It ranges from very simple to not quite so simple modulars."
-- Kelly Reed (June 2, '94)
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"I think this is out of print."
-- Marsha DuPre (29 Feb 1996)
.............................
"There are other books, of course, but these two are designed to teach the
basics and to take a novice folder to a higher level of folding. Diagrams
are clear and there is a great deal of explanation."
-- Joseph Wu (Feb 10, '94)
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.............................
"The "Creative..." book is outstanding. It's as diversified an origami book as you'll ever find;
models include Chinese zodiac, flowers, mosaic tile patterns, dogs,
cats and a really cool frill-necked lizard. If you or someone you know
can read Japanese, the textual content is also excellent. Each model
has a small description (not nearly, in my opinion, as enjoyable and
informative as Mr. Montroll's or Mr. Lang's). There is also a very
brief section on the Chinese zodiac and on ikebana (flower arranging).
There are several different types (sorry, but I don't know flower
phylogeny) of flowers presented, all of which are very real-looking."
-- Iron Will Dawes (Sept. 26, '95)
.............................
"A beautiful book! Some flowers, but a large variety of other models.
Don't buy it if all you want is flowers, but a worthwhile book for a
budding intermediate folder."
-- Janet Hamilton (Sept. 26, '95)
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.............................
"A much better airplane book with similar models (i.e. fighter jets, etc)
created with a different folding method is _Exotic_Paper_Airplanes_ by Thay
Yang....The cover price is $9.99. Yang is not a paperfolder, so his
diagramming is slightly unorthodox, but it is clear and concise and
understandable. It seems a shame that a non-folder would do a better job than a folder."
-- Joseph Wu (Aug 15, '94)
.............................
"Maybe not the easiest paper airplanes to trim and fly well, but definitely some
of the best looking. Some interesting techniques/ideas for planes."
-- pat slider
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.............................
"....Although this book is not very big. (Nor was it very expensive, a mere $10.) I have enjoyed it.
It too has many "practical folds", models that are not as artistic as
"traditional" origami, but it is just as facinating."
-- Eric Lease Morgan (Mar '91)
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"I have a book in my collection that I am not sure of the title and
author of (it is all in Japanese), but I believe it is the book you
list above. It is my favorite flower book because it has a wide ...
... e leaves to match. A warning to purists - some use odd shaped paper (triangular, hexagonal, etc)."
-- Janet Hamilton (Sept. 26, 1995)
.............................
"Toshie Takahama's Hana no Origami is probably the most complete book
devoted to folding a variety of flowers. She shows two methods of treating
the stem -- twisting narrow strips of paper, which the Japanese are used to
doing, and using floral tape to attach flowers and leaves to it. The other
method which is commonly used is to treat origami flowers as one would
artificial flowers and use a floral wire as the base of the stem and wrap
floral tape to secure the flower and leaves to the wire and also to wrap
the wire to give it the proper body and color. Sometimes a variety of
boxes and bowls are used to hold the flowers."
-- James Sakoda (Jan. 16, '96)
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"A variety of surprisingly sophisticated-looking models
in a rather unassuming, simple book. Utilizes many effective two-piece models,
such as kangaroo, shark, and astronaut. Especially good for beginning adults who
will appreciate the attention to detail."
-- Rob Moes
.............................
"Another book I go to to find material that isn't too difficult to teach other people.
Not to say there isn't some in there that's complex, but I find Kasahara easy to follow for
the most part, so I also like "Origami for the Connoisseur" - it has harder material in it though.
I don't think I have ever used it for a "general" class. I have taught things out of it for my
origami club - and actually, I DID teach Kawasaki's "Space Shuttle" at a Star Trek convention
once - but it may have been a little difficult for beginners!"
-- Dee Lynch
..........................
"His own work is wonderful, plus he exposes other folders with a rare
lack of selfishness."
-- Nick Robinson (Apr 28, '95)
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"Had to really, since I'm very proud of it. Well & truly stiffed by
the publishers. My first (& probably last) book, available in remainder
shops the world over &:)"
-- Nick Robinson (Apr 28, '95)
.............................
"I most whole heartedly recommend Nick Robinson's fine book "Paper Airplanes"
for models which are both excellent origami and beautiful flyers."
-- Steve Buck (Nov 24, '95)
.............................
"The most thumbed book on my shelf...and my five-year-old's favorite. A nice variety of models
with good tips on how to fly them."
-- Pat Slider
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.............................
"I've misplaced my Honda but, since it was the book that
got me started, I have to rank it quite high."
-- John Fisher
.............................
"Classic from the 1960's, specializes in two-piece compound models, most from
traditional bases, some with a minimum of cutting. Another good value -- over 100 models to try."
-- Rob Moes
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.............................
"Everyone who sees it says it's beautiful."
-- Rona Gurkewitz
.............................
"I have just gotten this book by Rona Gurkewitz and Bennett Arnstein,... and
by the authors. The directions appear clear and it seems to provide pointers so you can understand
what is required to construct the models."
-- Jeanine Meyer (April 3, 1996)
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.............................
"Although I've not created models as an adult (I did as a kid but can't remember
any of them) I found this book to be immensely encouraging on that score. The
models are fun, although some are quite hard to fold."
-- Peg Barber
.............................
"Very Interesting models, but the descriptions of how Origami models were
created is what makes this a fabulous book. If I ever taught a class on
Origami, this would be the text!"
-- Charles Knuffke
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.............................
"I have a Japanese Fuse book "Decoration Boxes" I think is the name... not as easy, but really
interesting - all of the pieces are folded the same... it gives you a preliminary base on the top,
which you can then make a strawberry, seal, sea shell, and about a dozen other things... a lot of
fun mixing and matching!"
-- Dee Lynch
.............................
"It is in Japanese... but the diagrams are pretty well done. It just takes some getting used
to. It helps that there is a section describing the folds... It is interesting too, you
tend to pick up on things, like "Page 8"..."
-- Dee Lynch (Apr 14, '95)
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.............................
"Great to teach from."
-- Janet Hamilton (April 27, 1995)
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.............................
"Just got a copy of a new book by Gay Merrill Gross and Tina
Weintraub called "Easy Origami: Step by step projects that teach
across the curriculum". It is rated as for grades 2-6. I think that
this is an outstanding book for teachers and for people who teach origami
to groups of children. This book fills a void in that it spells out
lots of good and specific ideas on how to use origami models in the
classroom and is more than a book of models.
The book differs from Gross' previous books in that the cover is
in color but the book is black and white. Yet it is presented very
attractively. The diagrams and directions are very clear. The models
selected are mostly traditional and mostly simple except for the
balloon and the crane. Each set of diagrams is followed by a section
on curriculum ideas in such areas as science, language arts, math
and social skills. These ideas are specific and imaginative. There is
also a whole section of the book devoted to different methods of
teaching origami, such as teaching a core group of five and let each
of them in turn teach another group. There is also a brief history
of origami, the story of Sadako and the 1000 cranes and a section
on suggested language for describing origami folds.
This book is aimed at the teacher new to origami, but contains
a lot of material useful for someone who wants to reach young children."
-- Rona Gurkewitz (Jan 11, '96)
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.............................
"I happen to think that this is a wonderful book; that something of its kind is
long overdue. Let me explain...
The first thing that should be pointed out is that this is NOT a standard
origami book. The title suggests that this is an encyclopedia, rather than
a volume of folds for you to do. In fact, there are only 3 or 4 folds in the
whole book! My point is that this bopo (sorry) book shouldn't be judged on
the same grounds as other origami books. To crticise the book for having
pictures of folds without instructions as to how to do them is quite silly.
Why? Because Jackson's purpose in the book is to 1) provide an overview of
the types of sculpture techniques that can be achieved with just paper and
2) showcase some of the fascinating artwork that is being done with the
paper medium. Point 1) is met with chapters on how to fold paper, how to
do paper mache, how to construct pop-up designs, and such. Point 2) is
met with chapters of pictures (each described in detail) of recent paper
artwork, a good portion of which is origami. Various David Brill folds
and some amazing stuff by Akira Yoshizawa (who achieves a softness and
realism that has to be seen to be believed) are shown, as well as some of
Fujimoto's "crystallagraphic flat origami" stuff and some other paperfolders
whom I never heard of before!
It is this showcase portion of the book that I find so intriguing. The
distinction between origami as a craft/puzzle and origami as sculpture is
one that has interested me greatly (and is something we could debate about
here for quite a while, I'm sure). To finally see ways in which sculptists
have incorporated origami into their work is a great joy! It exposes one
to greater possibilities of the art.
In this light, of course not everything in the book is going to be diagrammed.
Most of the models are in fact are produced after painting/tex
fects the final "look" of the piece.
Trying to reproduce all this in diagrams would be silly. Of course, some wild
technical challenges can be seen by studying the pictures, and most of these
folds can be worked out if you hammer at it long enough (Paul Jackson's
"Buldge", for example, is a fun little exercise). But clearly Paul Jackson
was not intending this to be another book of folds. Rather, he wanted to
communicate to the world what was happening in the papercraft/paperfolding
scene , which could end up drawing more people to origami than any
straightforward origami book would!"
-- Tom Hull (Jan '93)
.............................
"The "Encyclopedia of Papercraft and Origami" (or some similar title) is a very
inspiring book."
-- Comet (July '93)
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.............................
"My first origami book. This is a little pocket book that has both
traditional and creative origami. Most of the folds are fairly
simple, but some of them are rather challenging, and many of them are
either very attractive, very useful (boxes and such), or very
traditional (traditional crane, eagle, etc). It's surprisingly good for an introductory book."
-- Brad Blumenthal (May 23, 1988)
.............................
"The book is a bit small, (approx. 4" x 6") but contains many figures in it's 123 pages.
Photographs also contrast the creative versus the traditional folding method."
-- Andreas Meyer (20 Mar 92)
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.............................
"....fairly simple, but has some nice folds in it, and has a nice graphic representation of the
relationship between the various bases."
-- Brad Blumenthal (April 1989)
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.............................
"The best money book so far."
-- Charles Knuffke
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.............................
"The book that first showed me what Origami was capable of. A favorite,
though presently out print ;-(. "
-- Charles Knuffke
.............................
"I remember going into a store with my mother (I was in
elementary school at the time, I think), and I was
attracted to the depictions of origami. We ended up
getting some paper and an origami book (Sakoda's _Modern
Origami_, which I still love best of all; it's yellowed
now, and some of the pages are coming out (it was
softbound))."
-- arien kismet del'tai (Jul. 14, '94)
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.............................
"Particularly clear for beginners and it indicates things like paper sizes."
-- MaryRose Hoare
.............................
"Nice selection of easy models."
-- Marsha DuPre (29 Feb 1996)
.............................
(perhaps these reviews are for two different titles???)
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.............................
"Incredible inside-out creations by Patricia Crawford ---
if only the grand piano were here too..."
-- Goran Konjevod
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.............................
"This book is out of print, and only the first edition has any bugs.
I mention it because these bugs (a spider and a fly) really turned me on
when I first did them! Look for it in your local libraries. You might get
lucky (or snail me something that you like, and I'll send you copies :).
They are non-square, but they look SO COOL when you fold them with foil
paper that I don't care! These bugs are by Max Hulme."
-- Tom Hull (Jan 26, '94)
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.............................
"I must confess that I have desktop publilshed a few hundred copies of a
book titled Origami Flower Arrangement, but it is now out of print and
awaits my republishing it after making some revisions. In addition to
flowers it features stems which are folded from strips of foil paperin
triangular tubes, part of which is left open for insertion of short stems
holding flowers and leaves. The rest of the stem is folded solid for
insertion into a second or third stem. lThe vase is folded from poster
boards and has a small hole at the top to hold the stems and grooves along
the edges at the bottom to hold the bottom of the stems. The vase was
originally square, when seen from the top, but I plan to add pentagon and
hexagon shapes. The flower arrangement section discusses traditional
Japanese Ikebana techniques for arranging a relatively small number of
flowers in a natural appearing form."
-- James Sakoda (Jan. 16, '96)
.............................
"Every model in this book is a gem. According to the preface it's a
workbook that was created for a workshop."
-- CThackeray (Mar. 18
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.............................
"Momotani has a Japanese book entitled _Origami_Flowers_ ... which is quite good."
-- Joseph Wu (July 18, 1994)
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.............................
"Giunta has a book with diagrams for the models you described. It is
_Origami_Gli_Insetti_ (in Italian, no ISBN, available from the Origami
Source). There are some nice models, but most of the more complex pieces
are folded from long rectangles (for you purists out there). The folding
technique "feels" awkward and simplistic, however, and I would recommend
that anyone interested in insect forms should wait for Robert J. Lang's
upcoming _Origami_Insects_. I've seen a few of the models, and they are
much better."
-- Joseph Wu (July 22, '94)
.............................
"Many of the models in it are very good, some of the best origami insects
that I've seen. Since I have no idea what is written, I just follow the
symbols, but sometimes special inserts are written which I just have to guess
at by looking at the next figures. This is a group of possible models
that hasn't been touched yet. 4 out of every 5 creatures is an insect. And
with just under 1 million different species to choose from, I don't think
we will ever run out of new models to create."
-- Kevin Thorne (May 8, '95)
.............................
"Everyone (including myself) seems to love Robert Lang's new book,
"Origami Insects and their Kin". For those of you "insectophiles" (to
quote Mr. Lang's introduction to the aforementioned book), I would
like to recommend Giunta's Italian book "Origami gli Insetti". It's
diagrammed clearly enough so that the Italian text is (merci ...
... s difficult as Mr. Lang's,
they are extremely complex and look very lifelike when finished. Some
models which were not also done by Mr. Lang are: rhinoceros beetle,
sacred scarab, housefly, caterpillar, moth and a scorpion-like
creature with pincers instead of stinger (I don't know its species;
"D***it, Jim, I'm an engineer, not an entymologist!"). It's advertised
by OUSA is only runs $23. Try it out!"
-- "Iron Will" Dawes (Aug 10, '95)
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.............................
"The book is in Japanese, from the "Origami Land" series.
The models are (surprise :-) insects that vary from simple to intermediate,
most being modular. They're very impressive looking when complete, though. They
must be, or I wouldn't have bought the book twice. :-)
-- Sheila Davis (Nov 8, '94)
......................................
"I like "Origami Insects" a lot, because it shows great realistic
insects, which are simple to intermediate to fold. This is achieve
by taking a modular approach - for example: An ant from five papers.
There are also a scorpion (5 sheets), a spider, a praying mantis and
their like. The cicada is one piece though."
-- Oded Streigold (Jan 22, '96)
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.............................
"One of the few books in English from the Japanese master, for fans of simple, elegant Japanese style. Butterfly,
dragon, rabbit, raccoon, hermit crab and a number of birds are quite pleasing.
Some very s ...
... such as gorilla."
-- Rob Moes
.............................
"In particular, I recommend anything by yoshizawa that you can get your hands on. His
models are not, generally, complex, but really make you think about
the creature you're trying to represent. The models frequently take
several tries to get right, as they are always very sensitive to the
angles you choose, and rarely have distinct landmarks. But they're
incredibly rewarding!"
-- Anne LaVin, Jan 19 '94
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.............................
"A large variety of cars, trucks, and airplanes (not all of them fly, mind you). Most of
the models are somewhat abstract. Some favorites are the moped, dump truck, cement mixer,
helicopter and prop plane."
-- Pat Slider
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.............................
"Some of my best new books are the conference proceedings
from the last four years of the Origami Center's annual conferences.
The folds range from very simple to extremely complex and include,
much to my delight, an armadillo (one of the hardest folds I've ever
come across, but well worth the trouble). Some of the folds are
unremarkable, but there are a number of real gems in these books, and
maybe the best thing is that they are ring bound so they *stay flat*
while you're working from them."
-- Brad Blumenthal (Jan. 1989)
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.............................
"...which I really enjoy because it gives me a chance to practice origami and
Spanish at the same time."
-- Sonya Manes (Feb 7, '95)
.............................
"Clemente's book is excellent!"
-- Elsa Chen
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.............................
"This is an English language book, wire bound, and it comes in a little box that also has about 100
sheets of paper (really nice stuff, too bright colors, some is double sided, and
VERY square! (I would really like to know who distributes the paper for
this series of books, I have NEVER had problems with the paper not
being square)....It is a pricey little book, $17.00 plus tax ... but it's pretty good. I enjoyed it!"
-- Dee Lynch (Apr 14, '95)
...............................
"Jonathan Poh asked about duplication of material in
the Fuse Box books 'origami boxes' and 'quick and easy boxes."
There is some duplication, but every time Fuse does
a book, there are some differences, as she's constantly
revising and improving. But I'd go with the Origami
Boxes and get my paper elsewhere."
-- Valerie Vann (Mar 4, '96)
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.............................
"....there is a new book from John Collins, Thay Yang, and Don Garwood that advertises an interactive CD-ROM on
the cover. I haven't checked out the CD-ROM (no CD drive, sorry) but the
book is pretty worthwhile. It's called "Return to the Fold" from McGraw
Hill, if anyone is ...
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.............................
"In addition to his "Complete Origami", Eric Kenneway wrote a column in the
BOS magazine, going from A to Z, there are all sorts of intriguing
pieces of information. All these columns have been assembled into a single
booklet, together with some updates by John Smith and others. This new
booklet is available from BOS Supplies. It is every bit as fascinating as
"Complete Origami" (but it does not contain any models). If I was having
to assemble a set of trivial pursuit questions for origami, this would be my first source."
-- Richard Kennedy (Jan 22, '96)
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.............................
"Momotani has a whole series of new flower books. There are at least four
books in the seasons collection (of which the "Origami Flowers of Early
Summer" is a part), as well as books on various locations (I have the "Alpine Flowers" book)."
-- Joseph Wu (Oct 13, '95)
.............................
"Day-Lily, Alpine Rose Bay, Maianthemum, Dryas, Dwarf Cornel,
Edelweiss, Bleeding-heart, Black Lily, Bilberry, Clematis,
Tripetaleia, Alpine Wintergreen, Globe-Flower, Bramble,
Cransebill, Campanula, Arctic Bellflower, Gentian, Primrose"
-- Pamela Saalbach (Oct 16, '95)
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.............................
"Classic but difficult to find except used. Remarkable models from around the
world: Ligia Montoya's leaf, Fred R ...
... amingo, Neal Elias' rabbit and others."
-- Rob Moes
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.............................
"Fun and useful!"
-- Janet Hamilton (April 27, 1995)
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.............................
I found Tuyen's book interesting, though it does have problems. But I think
Joseph slightly missed the point of some of it. The title "Classic Origami" and
the references to "basic forms" confused me at first too. After I read the text
and saw what his philosophy is, ie that the "classic" means "purist" (square,
paper as the material, no cuts, etc.) and that most of the "basic forms" were
not the traditional ones we've all come to know, but slightly more advanced (ie
further along in the folding sequence) that he developed as the jumping off
point for multiple models of his own.
I do wish he had named the "combination folds", which are traditional. But it
appears that this is a person who experienced a large part of his early origami
life without the aid of books, being taught in the traditional way by his
grandfather, and experimenting on his own without much contact with the origami
"establishment". The models are not meant to be permanent sculptures, but the
sort of ephemeral thing used to entertain a child or where the greatest pleasure
is in the folding...
The drawings are quite good (he's an architect & it shows), but have some
problems: sometimes the color indicating the side of the paper used is
misleading, and some models use 1/3 divisions etc that are not expained. Perhaps
he eye-balls these; I used to before I started using parallel lines (to avoid
...
... ric method").
At any rate, this is not a trivial book. It has a lot more substance (26 models)
than many recent books I've got (many like coffee table books with lots of arty
photos and white space, but few models...), and the bases are interesting to
explore. And in keeping with his philosophy, all of the models I've tried are
quite successful, ie stay folded well, when made of ordinary 6 inch kami origami
PAPER. I like the turtle, dragonfly, rooster & hen, elephant, and the rose. His
Form III makes nice letter folds for instance.
The biggest diappointment to me was that the nifty flower on p. 8 in the general
text part of the book is not diagrammed. For anyone who needs a hint, Start with step 9 of Form X ...
-- Valerie Vann (July 3, '95)
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.............................
"In Spanish, most likely out of print. Interesting
styles mostly from Spain and Latin America. A number of ornate bowls, birds, and
versions of the famous Pajarita bird. Neal Elias' bullfighter, Fred Rohm's angry
goose, and Carlos Costa's rhinoceros are worth finding."
-- Rob Moes
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.............................
"Momotani has a whole series of new flower books. There are at least four
books in the seasons collection (of which the "Origami Flowers of Early
Summer" is a part), as well as books on various locations (I have the
"Alpine Flowers" book)."
-- Joseph Wu (Oct 13, '95)
.............................
"Ornamental Kale, Ume: Japanese Apricot, Japanese Quince, Peach
Flower, Inflorescence of Butterbur, Christmas Rose, Japanese
Allspice, Adonis, Wild Anemone, Japanes Hamamelis, Barrenwort,
Cymbidium, Daphne, Narcissus, Asarabacca
-- Pamela Saalbach (Oct 16, '95)
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.............................
"Beautiful artwork lifts the book above most others. The designs are
perhaps not very stimulating, but clean & economical in the main."
-- Nick Robinson (Apr. 22, '95)
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.............................
"A nice book, color pictures, also includes stems, leaves, and an
origami vase. My second favorite flower book."
-- Janet Hamilton (Sept. 26, 1995)
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.............................
"This book has money folds for every letter in the alphabet (multiple variations on the same theme),
as well as lots of other money folds (chicken, peacock, elephant, clothing, etc.)."
-- Brad Blumenthal (April 1989)
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.............................
"One of the best methods I have discovered for working with YOUNG children and
beginning adults is Math in Motion.
For the first time I am able to follow the clear and easy instructions. You
will find the magazine box, frog, picture frame, a journal and more.There
is a Cultural Enrichment section that includes Haiku and other FUN stuff for kids."
-- Nani (May 6, '95)
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.............................
"Maybe I should explain that I am never around experienced folders (except at
the convention) so I am always asked for books for beginners. These two are
the best I know. Sakata is best for rank beginners because of the
exceptional clarity of the photo-illustrations. Gray/Kasahara is better for
those who want a bit more challenge and/or more information. Given my
"audience" a Montroll would be a disaster!"
-- Carol Hall
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.............................
"My copy is a bad yellowed paperback which won't stay open but he really explains a lot about folds."
-- MaryRose Hoare
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.............................
"Flowers covered: Amaranth, Glaucidium, Rhododendron,
Bindweed, Rose, Small Anemone, Creeping Lady's Sorrel, White Clover, Peony,
Hydrangea, Lily, I ...
... rchid, Weigela.
I haven't listed of the very specific types of these flowers."
-- Pamela Saalbach (Oct 12 '95)
............................
"Momotani has a whole series of new flower books. There are at least four
books in the seasons collection (of which the "Origami Flowers of Early
Summer" is a part), as well as books on various locations (I have the
"Alpine Flowers" book)."
-- Joseph Wu (Oct 13, '95)
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.............................
"I was given my first origami book as a gift,... I
found it a very clear (and colorful) introduction to origami."
-- Andreas Meyer (Mar 20, 1992)
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.............................
"Momotani has a whole series of new flower books. There are at least four
books in the seasons collection (of which the "Origami Flowers of Early
Summer" is a part), as well as books on various locations (I have the "Alpine Flowers" book)."
-- Joseph Wu (Oct 13, '95)
.............................
"Vetch, Bird's Trefoil, Corydalis, Mazus, Japanese Honeysuckle,
Violet, Coastal Bindweed, Flower of Lagwort, Ca ...
... unk Cabbage, Houttuynie, Harb-Paris, Blue-Eyed
Grass, Fan Columbine, Dwarf Lilyturf"
-- Pamela Saalbach (Oct 16, '95)
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.............................
"I discovered a new book last week that I thought I'd tell you all about it (I'd
never seen it before). It's called "Prehistoric Aussiegami", and as the name
suggests, it includes models of various dinosaurs and ice age beasties from Down Under. The
diagrams for the twelve models in the book are very clear and
easy to follow, and the resulting figures are quite nice, although
not too complex. It's about the same level of difficulty as
"The World of Origami" (by Honda? -- I've forgotten the author momentarily). At
$12.95, it was a bit expensive, but I'm a sucker for origami animals."
-- Sheila Wassmer (Jun 6 '91)
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.............................
"a BOS publication full of exquisite geometric work. Set me off on my creative journey back in '84."
-- Nick Robinson (Apr 28, '95)
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"Superb draughtsmanship & elegant, ingenious folds. (OK, so one is mine!)"
-- Nick Robinson (Apr. 28, '95)
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"Lavish, full of color photos. Mostly decorative
designs which show off ornate paper such as giftwrap well. Many ideas for cards,
tableware, jewelry and boxes. Good choice for people who want to try a fancy
paper project with not much previous folding experience."
-- Rob Moes
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PJ presents from an artists point of view, not a craftperson. He looks for style & beauty first"
-- Nick Robinson (Apr 28, '95)
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"While many of the models aren't strict origami (one involves some cutting), as the title
implies, all the models fly. It also contains one of my favorite
models, a dollar-bill glider (pg. 31 if you have the book)."
-- Andreas Meyer (20 Mar 92)
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"If you're into modulars, get World Unit Origami by Tomoko
Fuse. I am borrowing it from a friend right now, and it has some incredible
stuff in it. It's in Japanese, but Fuse's directions are so clear, it doesn't
really matter what language they're in."
-- *ACPQ* (Feb 27, '93)
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"It doesn't have many models and they are very ...
... nd she did very well with it."
-- Kelly Reed (June 2, '94)
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Last update: 13 August 2008
Comment via: Email to Manager of Origami Information
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