There's nothing that says CHRISTMAS like a pop-up book. I have become a believer.

I've loved the idea of pop-up books since they first came out. They tend to be expensive, but the writer in me can't help but be curious how they're made. The process has got to be a nightmare. Nothing at all like slinging a little black ink on a white page.

Pop-up books come in amazing colors, AND they have all those wonderful manipulatives that draw young eyes, hands, and minds (and those of us who are a smidge older as well).

Chuck Fischer is an artist who specializes in designs. He's created wall murals, patterns for china and crystal, and wallpaper and printed fabric. He's also created four pop-up books. One covered eight of the fifty states, another covered the White House, and there was one that centered on Christmas in New York.

Christmas Around the World is his latest foray into the pop-up book world, and it is a magnificent display of artistry and engineering. In these books authors really can't work without pulling skills from both those professions.

In twelve fantastically colored pages, Fischer manages to take his readers around the world, just as the title promises. The tour includes England, Rome, Germany, France, Russia, and the United States. I was blown away by how tall the various displays stood up from the pages.

The booklets that accompany the pages include a lot of information. Youngsters of all ages will gather around to hear all the details and lore of Santa Claus in these different lands.

If you can get a copy of this book to give as a Christmas gift this year, you're going to have a wonderful family present to offer. If not this year, then I'd suggest picking it up for next year. When the tree goes up, this book should be tucked beneath it for anyone to peruse, or placed on a nearby coffee table for guests and kids to meander through.

Christmas Around the World has a good chance of becoming as much a family tradition as hanging lights, putting up the tree, and shaking the presents.