One Big Book!
Courtesy of Joshua White
A page from Luceros y Penumbras, the giant pop-up book that is now on display at the Central Library in Los Angeles, California.
Some stories leap right off the pages of books. That’s especially true in a pop-up book, where the illustrations literally pop out as a page is revealed! A new pop-up book, now on display at the Central Library in Los Angeles, California, is the largest ever made. It’s so big that you could almost wander right into the pages.
The book, called Luceros y Penumbras (Spanish for “starlight and shadows”), was created in honor of the Central Library’s 100th birthday. It’s 31 feet (9 meters) wide, with pop-up images more than 11 feet (3 meters) tall.
Luceros y Penumbras features the work of artist Daniel González. Matthew Reinhart, a paper engineer, figured out how to make Gonzalez’s illustrations three-dimensional.
Courtesy of Joshua White
Luceros y Penumbras is so large that people can almost step right into the pages.
González was asked to create an image-story about his childhood experiences at libraries. He remembered his local library as an exciting place to learn.
“[My local library] just gave me the opportunity to explore anything that I had an interest in,” González told LAist.com. González was also inspired by his grandmother’s stories, which he would listen to under the stars during childhood visits to his grandparents’ farm in Mexico.
“ I looked at those stars … and the histories that my grandparents were sharing with me as these guiding lights,” González said. “Just like the library is a guiding light for many people.”
Courtesy of Gregory Swartz
It takes several people to turn the pages of this book!
Luceros y Penumbras honors the ability of libraries to spread knowledge and bring communities together. One page features a tree of wisdom that is fed by the many cultures of Los Angeles communities. Since this is a pop-up book, the tree rises right out of the page!
The giant book is on display at the library through November 2026. There’s also an exhibit of the library’s collection of more than 2,000 pop-up and interactive books. Unlike Luceros y Penumbras, they are regular size.
