What happens on the card

A domed library rotunda in the sun, and standing in the middle a closed book taller than the people around it, its red cover reading THE GIANT BOOK, ten helpers in library-blue polos holding it steady with their padded poles. Pull the cover down toward you and it swings open under your finger, and an eleven-foot paper cake unfolds behind it as it comes: the bunting springs out, then each tier rises over the cover's edge and locks into place with a clack, one note higher each time, a little jolt under the finger like a ratchet. Push back up and it all folds away again, pull and it opens again. Near the bottom the cover slams flat with a cardboard boom, dust flies, the ten stagger and cheer, the crowd goes Ooooh. Then it carries on by itself: the candles stand up one by one, a match lights the flames, a banner springs up and the birthday person's name pops letter by letter, paper confetti, applause, the party song. With an age, a gold rosette with it pops onto the cake.

Who it is for

Book lovers, librarians and teachers, paper-craft and pop-up fans, Angelenos and anyone who has stood in the Central Library rotunda, kids who still gasp when a page opens, and the friend who deserves a card the size of a house.

What to write in a pop-up birthday card

The message is yours. If you need a start, these fit this card:

  • “Happy birthday! May every page of your year pop up with something good.”
  • “You are a whole library to me. Happy birthday.”
  • “Ten people, one page, all for you. Happy birthday!”

How to send it

  1. Tap Make this card: the card opens with this game.
  2. Type their first name, their age and your message. The card updates as you type.
  3. Send the link on WhatsApp, by text or by email. You are told when they open it.

Questions

Can I personalise this pop-up birthday card?

Yes. Their first name and age are written into the game itself, and you choose the title, the message, a P.S., the celebration at the end, the colours and the fonts. You can also switch to any of the other 45 games without losing your words.

How much does a pop-up birthday card cost?

Making and previewing it is free. Sending it costs 2.60 € in the euro zone, £2.20 in the United Kingdom, CHF 2.40 in Switzerland and $2.90 everywhere else, once, with no subscription.

How do I send a pop-up birthday card?

As a link, on WhatsApp, by text or by email. It opens in their browser, on a phone or a computer, with no app and no account, and the link does not expire.

Can they lose the game?

No. Every game lasts under a minute and always ends on the birthday cake with their name, whatever they do. A score is shown at the end, just for fun.

Also known as: book birthday card, library birthday card, paper craft birthday card, los angeles birthday card, bookworm birthday card.