Folding Fun: Zombigami by Duy Nguyen

For holiday crafters for whom the quirkiest of pumpkin carving accomplishments is no challenge, Sterling Publishing has just the book.

Subtitled Paper Folding Fun for the Living Dead, Duy Nguyen's brand-new Zombigami (Sterling, 2011) catches the zombie mania with cast of kooky characters for the discriminating crafters--Starvin' Marvin, Seymour Guts, The Abominable Deadman, The Skull Crusher, Idle Hands, Phineas Gouge, and Susie Gravemaker.

Nguyen's book includes 50 sheets of origami paper and very detailed drawings to get the fumble-fingered on the way to the production of these spooky creations, organizing the items so that the book also provides instruction in several basic techniques in order of difficulty--the "valley fold," "mountain fold," "base fold," and "sink fold,"--to name a few, and each succeeding figure incorporates a new technique into those already introduced. Illustrations utilize different colors (grey and green) for the two sides of the item, making it easier to visualize the correct steps as the crafter goes along. Some of the figures require a bit of snipping or tearing as the finishing touches.

Zombigami requires a fair degree of digital dexterity, well within the capabilities of middle elementary students, with the added advantage of being a fun way to master those spacial relations visualization skills that will come back to, um, haunt teen students on those standardized tests out there in their future. Not to mention that the completed spooky projects are drop-dead impressive.

Know When to Fold 'Em: Monster Origami by Duy Nguyen

Werewolves, Draculas, vampire bats--oh, my! But don't worry--these monsters are real lightweights. In fact, they are all made from paper!

Duy Nguyen's Monster Origami manages to make even the Frankenstein Monster look good in her classy craft book for the spooky season or any other time.

Nguyen begins with the basics of paper-folding technique, spending twelve pages on clear instructions and colored illustrations which can guide even amateurs to their desired product. Following are detailed step-by-step directions, shown in several colors to make the technique easier to follow, for constructing all the usual suspects--Frankenstein, a vampire bat, Reptilia, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, a Tolkienesque demon, a werewolf, Wolfman, King Ghidora, Count Dracula, and an alien.

The author also provides advice on selecting papers to be used in the origami projects and offers tips for individualizing the product by adding details with markers, glued-on features, posing the product, and using props.

Monster Origami is a howling-good resource for home crafts, school art projects, and just plain fun for kids and adults with patience and enthusiasm for the art of origami.