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Robert Sabuda

b. 1965

American illustrator

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About Robert Sabuda

Born 1965. Robert Sabuda is an American illustrator, painter, visual artist and artist.

Robert Sabuda (born March 8, 1965) is a children's pop-up book artist and paper engineer. His innovative designs have made him well known in the book arts, with The New York Times referring to Sabuda as "indisputably the king of pop-ups" in a 2003 article.

Early life Sabuda was raised in Pinckney, Michigan. His mother worked as a secretary for the Ford Motor Company and brought home manila folders that Robert would use to create art projects such as pop-up cards and books. He created his first pop-up book at age eight. Initially working as a package designer, he illustrated his first children's book series, Bulky Board Books, in 1987. He began gaining professional recognition in 1994 when he designed his first pop-up books for children, The Christmas Alphabet.

Within the books he has designed, Sabuda has used techniques including: He is a multiple No. 1 New York Times best-selling children's book creator and has over five million books in print published in over 25 languages.

Book critic Ted Chapin described Sabuda as a "prolific master of the pop-up book" and "something of an artistic and engineering genius" in The New York Times. A 2011 article in The Wall Street Journal said Sabuda is "a master at making books come to life" and referred to him as "the reigning prince of pop-up books." Sabuda's versions of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (2000) and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (2003) have been particularly praised, with graphic designer Steven Heller saying of Alice that "the intelligent paper trickery on each spread is, well, awesome."

Personal life Sabuda married Nasdaq technologist James Talvy on June 25, 2016. They were married at their artist's retreat, 10 Horse Art Center, in Highland, New York. They spend their time in New York City; New Paltz, New York; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Pratt Institute, Pinckney High School
Also known as
Robert James Sabuda

People in Robert Sabuda's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Robert Sabuda's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Robert Sabuda?

American illustrator

When was Robert Sabuda born?

Robert Sabuda was born on 8 March 1965 in Wyandotte.

What is Robert Sabuda's occupation?

Robert Sabuda is an illustrator, painter, visual artist and artist.

What nationality is Robert Sabuda?

Robert Sabuda is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Robert Sabuda

· Wikidata: Q327102

· DBpedia: Robert Sabuda

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Robert Sabuda. https://biography.guide/robert-sabuda/

MLA: "Robert Sabuda." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/robert-sabuda/.

Chicago: "Robert Sabuda." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/robert-sabuda/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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