Book Review: Gallop! A Scanimation Picture Book
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The second entry in Webster’s New World Dictionary for the word “gimmick” reads as follows:
“An attention-getting device or feature, typically superficial, designed to promote the success of a product, campaign, etc.”
This definition makes me wonder, “what constitutes a children’s literature gimmick?” Does anything besides the words printed on the page fall into the category of “attention-getting device”? A shiny cover? Flashing lights? What about pop-up books? Those are just one giant gimmick, right?
“Ahhem!” (The sound of someone clearing their throat)
“Excuse me…”
Wait. What’s that? Call me crazy, but I think I hear the voice of famous paper engineer Robert Sabuda…
Robert: Pop-up books are not a “gimmick”, my friend.
Scope Notes: Well, I think I agree, but why?
Robert: Because their gimmick defines their genre.
Scope Notes: Come again?
Robert: Let me break it down for you: the pictures pop up, hence the name pop-up books. Do you see a genre called “shiny cover books”?
Scope Notes: I think I’m getting it. If the “attention-getting device” in question is really, really cool, that does the trick.
Robert: No. A gimmick transcends its label when it moves beyond acting as a superficial add-on. It must become an integral part of the story.
Scope Notes: Okay, I think I have it. Thanks, Robert!
The gimmick in “Gallop! A Scanimation Picture Book” truly transcends. A perfect marriage of story and execution. Scanimation is a technology that makes pictures appear as if they were moving; a poor man’s animation, if you will. Each page of the simple text asks the reader a new question about movement: “Can you gallop like a horse?”, “Can you swim like a turtle?”, and so on. Meanwhile, a Scanimation panel shows the reader each animal, fluidly moving in their own distinctive way as the page is turned. Indeed, “Gallop!” wouldn’t be as effective without this remarkable device. Sure to be a winner with youngsters far and wide, and a great choice for a holiday gift.
The third entry in Webster’s New World Dictionary for the word “gimmick” reads as follows:
“any clever little gadget or ruse”
I think from now on I’ll refer to this entry when discussing “Gallop!”, and leave the gimmickry stuff out of the conversation. It just doesn’t apply here.
Also Reviewed By: Readia: Children’s Book Reviews, Wizards Wireless, Edmund’s Saltmines
Find this book at your local library with WorldCat
Filed under: *Best New Books*, Reviews
About Travis Jonker
Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.
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It’s lovely to see another opinion about this book. And I agree… while the Scanimation is gimmicky, I think it’s a well done, and effective gimmick. And thanks for linking to my post… I didn’t even realize it was a review!
The first book to contain this type of animation is
Magic Moving Images – Animated Optical Illusions. (May, 2007)
A video of the book in action can be seen on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5W5JJXtqhw
It has 26 animations of different subjects (3D, Animals, Geometric, Objects etc.) and is less that half the price of Gallop!.
The book is aimed at all children’s age groups and adults.
Available to buy through Amazon
Isbn: 1899618740
Martha.
Magic Moving Images is king of this type of animated book.
I bought it way back in June and everyone I showed it to love it!
It’s more hands on (you move the acetate to control the animation) but it works really well and the animation is smooth and very realistic.
I don’t think I would buy Gallop because of the simplistic text.
Search for the Magic Moving Images book video on You Tube to see the amazing illusion in action!
Tod and Martha,
Thanks for bringing “Magic Moving Images” into the discussion. I watched the YouTube video you spoke of – it shows “Magic Moving Images” as kind of a DIY version of the Scanimation technology found in “Gallop!”. Very cool stuff.
Thanks so much for the information about “Magic Moving Images.” I’ve now seen both books (and actually have compared them side by side)… and have to say that I like Gallop better. Magic Moving Images does have a wider array of pictures… but you have to actually cut the acetate out of the book to get it to work, which essentially destroys the book. Also, you could easily lose the acetate, which makes the book difficult for libraries to circulate. And Magic Moving Images is a cheap paperback that won’t hold up through multiple uses, unlike Gallop which is nicely bound and can withstand treatment by young kids.
The interesting thing about Gallop is that it uses the natural movement of the reader turning pages to make the Scanimation work seamlessly. You don’t see what’s behind it… you just see the magic. I’d recommend Magic Moving Images for someone who really wants to see how Scanimation works, but for everyone else, I’d recommend Gallop.
Good point. I like how you took library circulation into consideration. M.M.I. would be more for home use or individual use, where Gallop! could be added to a library collection for kids and hold up (at least for a while!).
Really, these two books serve different purposes. Gallop! is a great story with a thrilling gimmick, where M.M.I. gives you a behind the scenes look at the gimmick itself. Both are great at what they were intended for.
Magic Moving Images is for the optical illusion enthusiast / connoisseur, Gallop is aimed squarely at kids. The workings of M.M.I is excellent for trying out the effect and seeing different results by holding and moving the acetate at different angles. You can’t do this with the other book as its all set and bound to a specific page movement.
My preference is for Magic Moving Images for its ‘hands on’ approach and tons of different subject matters. (gallop has only a few animations)