Image source: MaxiTendance (YouTube)

If you watched that video about mechanized paper puppets in yesterday’s Quality Linkage column, and you’d like to know how to make that sort of thing yourself, you should check out Karakuri: How to Make Mechanical Paper Models That Move.

Written by Japanese graphic designer and “paper engineer” Keisuke Sake and translated for English audiences by Eri Hamaji, this book introduces you to the simple mechanisms (gears, cranks, cams, levers, etc) and physics that bring these paper constructions to life. It also has pull-out pages you can use to construct your own automata models:

Printed on pull-out pages and easily assembled, the projects include a whimisical tea-serving robot, an amusing penguin perched on an iceberg and trying to fly, a delightful peek-a-boo-playing teddy bear, and a mesmerizing train that goes around on a track and through a tnunel!

With complete directions, fourteen full-size models, and the science behind the craft revealed, this book is a unique introduction to an ancient art.

These are super fun projects for kids and adults alike. If you’re ready to learn, the 144-page paperback is $15 on Amazon.