Those marvelous touchy-feely books for children (referred to in book trade jargon as “interactive”) become more sophisticated every year. New technology has allowed bookmakers and artists to expand the boundaries of pop-up and pull-tab books with whiz-bang results.

        This year, you could open pages and see a gray tornado twirl ominously toward Dorothy's Kansas home, hold a replica of a train ticket a freed slave might have bought or stand in front of the counter at Junior's cheesecake shop in Brooklyn.

        That may sound like mere gimmickry but the best books of 2000 go beyond novelty; they are thoughtful and well-crafted (though I wouldn't suggest putting most of them into the hands of preschoolers). They are so good, in fact, that they've completely taken over my annual review of the year's best illustrated children's books.

        Here are the top 10 of 2000:

        The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: A Commemorative Pop-Up by L. Frank Baum, illustrations and paper engineeering by Robert Sabuda (Little Simon/Simon & Schuster; $24.95). Old-fashioned cut-block illustrations (styled after the originals by W.W. Denslow) are combined with newfangled production techniques to stunning effect. The Emerald City towers and glows green. The wizard's hot-air balloon flies off, leaving Dorothy and her companions behind. The text is abbreviated and tucked into small, illustrated booklets and side flaps. This affectionate salute is true to the spirit of the story, which this year celebrated the 100th anniversary of its original publication.

        Freedom's Children: The Passage from Emancipation to the Great Migration by Velma Maia Thomas, designed by Devorah Wolf (Crown Books; $32.50). An unsettling, yet stirring and emotionally resonant account of what happened to the freed slaves after the Civil War. Reproductions of such historic documents as land grants, letters, newspaper stories, pamphlets and script money are pulled out of pockets, pouches and envelopes for an intimate glimpse of the past.

        The Nutcracker: A Pop-Up Adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman's Original Tale by Noelle and David Carter, illustrations by Mr. Carter, paper engineering by Mr. Carter and Rick Morrison (Little Simon/Simon & Schuster; $19.95). Mr. Carter's candy-colored, storybook-sweet illustrations are filled with whimsy in this vivid new interpretation of the classic Christmas tale. Each page of text faces an illustrated rectangular flap that is pulled down to reveal a layered, fully staged scene. There are even pull tabs that make characters and pieces of the set move. The overall effect is of a miniature 3-D theater.

        The Civil War: A New View in Close-up 3-D by Marc E. Frey; design and paper engineeering by Roger Culbertson (Running Press; $24.95). The brief but absorbing text and deft pop-ups of camp grounds, war scenes (fighting in the trenches, the burning of Columbia, S.C.) and weapons shed light on critical aspects of the war. The book focuses on what made this war unique. It closes with a plastic topographical map of the Gettysburg battlefield that allows readers to actually feel the bumps in the all-important ridges and hills.

        The Amazing Pop-Up Geography Book by Kate Petty, illustrated by Jennie Maizels, paper engineering by Ruth Wickings (Dutton/Penguin Putnam Inc.; $22.99). Mountain peaks rise. A volcano erupts. And the earth splits open in this ingenious book. It is jam-packed with facts, figures, asides and enough do-it-yourself stuff to engage even the most reluctant reader. Pull out flags. Navigate some of the world's longest rivers. Steer the earth on its journey around the sun. And learn, to boot.

        Brooklyn Pops Up presented by the Brooklyn Public Library (Little Simon/Simon & Schuster; $19.95). A stellar line-up of illustrators from Maurice Sendak to Robert Sabuda are featured in this tribute to the New York borough. All the landmarks are here, from the neighborhood's famous brownstones (with David A. Carter's quirky bugs on the street and a rooftop) and suspension bridge to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (where children hide behind huge leaves that flip up) to Coney Island (a splashy spread by Chuck Murphy complete with a Ferris wheel that can be spun). The book was produced to coincide with an exhibition on the history and art of movable books.

        The Wheels on the Bus: A Book With Parts that Move adapted and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky, paper engineering by Rodger Smith (Dutton/Penguin Putnam; $17.99). OK, so this isn't brand new, it's a reprint celebrating the 10th anniversary of the best seller based on the popular children's song. Mr. Zelinsky captures all the hubbub of a bus ride and more in wry illustrations that add story upon story to the traditional song. While doing so, he also incorporates all the actions of the text into tabs, flaps and other geegaws — so, the wheels on his bus do “go round and round.”

        Little Green Tow Truck; Big Blue Engine; Big Silver Space Shuttle; Little Red Plane written and illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max, (Cartwheel Books/Scholastic Inc.; $7.95 each). Pre-schoolers push, pull and turn tabs to launch a satellite, change a tire, let down the landing gear on a plane and hook up a freight car in this quartet of sturdy, die-cut board books. The bright, thickly outlined illustrations (a Wilson-Max signature) are strong on toddler appeal.

        Robert Crowther's Amazing Pop-Up House of Inventions: Hundreds of Fabulous Facts About Where You Live written, illustrated, designed and engineered by Mr. Crowther (Candlewick Press; $14.99). The rooms of a house from the kitchen and living room to the bathroom and garage pop open to reveal the myriad inventions that have shaped, and changed, our everyday lives. It is full of facts both offbeat and ordinary — and infused with humorous touches (such as the mobile phone hidden under an area rug a dog rests upon in the living room).

        Jack: Rides His Scooter written and illustrated by Rebecca Elgar, paper engineering by Paul Wilgress (Kingfisher; $10.95). Frisky pup Jack is back in his seventh adventure. This time, he stars in a lift-the-flap and pull-the-tab format aimed at pre-schoolers (as opposed to the younger board book audience of Jack's first three titles). There is action on every page as Jack and his teddy bear zoom over bumps and even crash land. The primary colors, bold illustrations, easy-to-operate tabs, simple text and comforting ending add up to friendly fun.

        Jack: Rides His Scooter written and illustrated by Rebecca Elgar, paper engineering by Paul Wilgress (Kingfisher; $10.95). Frisky pup Jack is back in his seventh adventure. This time, he stars in a lift-the-flap and pull-the-tab format aimed at pre-schoolers (as opposed to the younger board book audience of Jack's first three titles). There is action on every page as Jack and his teddy bear zoom over bumps and even crash land. The primary colors, bold illustrations, easy-to-operate tabs, simple text and comforting ending add up to friendly fun.

New toys for kids with special needs
Marriage melds cultures
KIESEWETTER: Barbara Walters turns down date
KNIPPENBERG: Nativity scene puts Christmas in the pink
Pop-up books leap to life
Tristate best sellers lits
What Tristaters are reading
Get to It
Novelty keeps Zippers swinging