WHITE NOISE

Noises in most pop-up books are accidents: An over-glued element gets unstuck, or—horrors—rips entirely. But this, the fifth and last in Carter’s Color series (600 Black Spots, 2007, etc.), actively crackles, tinkles and creaks. Using his customary flat primary-and–black-and-white palette, the artist/engineer creates paper sculptures that leap off the page in complex, Modernist designs, each one enlivened by some movable element—in white paper—that rubs against the others to make a noise. Some ratchet by themselves as the pages open, another requires the pull of a tab, yet another—white paper “wings” joined by a taut string—begs fingers to touch for an assist. Knowledgeable adults will recognize nods to Modern artists and jazz musicians; children will simply be enthralled by the totality of the experience. (Pop-up/picture book. 6 & up)