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When Books Leap Off the Page Marian Benassi's movable-book collection is headed to the University of San Diego I n Marian Benassi's home in Santaluz, pop-up books fill the shelves. Pull a tab and figures move. Open a page and a building stands up. e appeal is in the design — how to make a flat page turn into a three-dimensional scene and then fold back down again. Benassi has been collecting pop-up books for four decades, and will now donate her extensive collection — more than 1,200 books dating back to the 1940s — to be shared here in San Diego. Pop-up books — more broadly known as movable books — are not a modern invention. Going back to medieval times, European manuscripts used flaps and rotating paper discs to reveal complex ideas in anatomy and astronomy. With improvements in printing, by the 19th century the format had moved beyond the scholar's desk as publishers embraced motion not only for education but entertainment, such as the works of Lothar Meggendorfer, including his well-known International Circus, published in 1887. For Benassi, the mechanics were always front and center. She was drawn less by the images than the things that made the motion work: paper hinges, pull-tabs, and the way a complex scene can still close flat without tearing. Many assume pop-ups are only for children, but Benassi's books range from art, architecture, and the movies to the inner workings of cameras and cars. ere is even a book called Celebrity Meltdowns that includes Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction and Tom Cruise jumping up and down on Oprah's couch. Benassi grew up in New Jersey and studied international relations at Columbia University. Her interest in pop-up books began when her children were young. "Pop-ups were a hands-on way to read, and I credit a pop-up book on astronomy with the fact that one of my sons is now an aerospace engineer working on satellites," she says. She also remembers how embarrassed her other son was in middle school when they were teaching human reproduction and she had a pop-up book on the subject. "ey made him present it to every class," Benassi laughs. Benassi recently did a segment with Ken Kramer for KPBS, and when showing her books, she always demonstrates an Elvis pop-up book that leads the reader through the rooms of Graceland, while a book devoted to Van Gogh opens into a three-dimensional version of e Starry Night. There are also new books of superheroes and Harry Potter, and Benassi's collection includes works from Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda, contemporary paper artists constructing some of the most elaborate pop-up scenes ever created. Benassi's greatest desire has been for the collection to be kept together, and she has gotten her wish as the University of San Diego is taking the entire collection. "We are thrilled to exhibit the Marian Benassi Pop-Up Book Collection," says eresa Byrd, dean of the university's Copley Library. "Books will be displayed on a rotating basis in a central exhibit case, and the full collection will be available for public viewing in our Special Collections and Archives." In an age of screens, Benassi believes they offer something simple and rare — a reason to slow down, use your hands, and pay attention. BY BILL ABRAMS | PHOTO BY BOB STEFANKO connect people Marian Benassi ranchandcoast.com 118 SEPTEMBER 2026 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE