A special creative energy hung in the air at the Pop-Up Book workshop at the 12th edition of the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival, as young girls and boys aged 7-13, immersed themselves in cutting, assembling and gluing colourful images to create their own 12-page story book.

Snip, snip, snip – the scissors flew through the colourful images on sheets of papers as the young ones twisted and turned every page to cut out complex shapes and pictures.

“Fold, cut, colour, and glue – these are the basic steps to creating a magical pop-up surprise,” explained Assaad Dumen, who guided the participants in a step-by-step process of making their own three-dimensional works of art with paper.

The first steps were in experimenting with various cuts and folds to engineer the basic pop-up designs. Piecing together the bright and beautiful sun, vibrant flowers, trees and animals – all in eye-popping colours, the children had a fun time gluing the images to illustrate the story of their imagination.

“Whether you are a kid or an adult, the magic of pop-up books never wanes,” said Dumen. “Transforming an ordinary sheet of paper into a moving, three-dimensional creation may seem complex at first, but when you learn the techniques of cutting and folding, there is no limit to the designs you can bring to life.”

He added: “Children love to use colour and design and have an unfettered imagination – pop-up art is a great way to channel that creativity and enhance their skills.”

What basic skills must one have to engage in this craft?  “No previous knowledge is necessary,” said Dumen, “but a bit of playfulness, an open mind and a little patience will certainly help!”

The one-hour Pop-Up Book workshop will be held twice daily until May 29 in Hall 5 at Expo Centre Sharjah at 5.15pm and 7.45pm.