‘Origami’ author wows the crowd at Blacksburg library

Tom Angleberger, author of the Origami Yoda book series teaches the audience to fold an origami Yoda with the help of a young fan. Photo by Mike Shaw | The Burgs.

Angleberger dons a fake mustache as he talks about one of his previous books involving a fake mustache and a U.S. Presidential Election. Photo by Mike Shaw | The Burgs.

BLACKSBURG — Children shouted, raised their hands and nearly jumped out of their seats to guess the character Tom Angleberger was drawing on an easel at the Blacksburg library Nov. 15.

He’s a rock star, at least to the children who have read his popular Origami Yoda book series.

Angleberger made an appearance at the Blacksburg library to promote his next book “Art2D2,” which will be released in March 2013.

The Origami Yoda series features advice-giving, origami “Star Wars” characters such as Origami Yoda, Darth Paper, Fortune Wookie and soon Art2D2, who arrives early next year.

Blacksburg library supervisor Elizabeth Sensabaugh said the event was made possible by the Friends of the Library, who paid for Angleberger’s visit.

Angleberger and his wife, Cece Bell, have been big supporters of the library, Sensabaugh said.

“Tom and Cece Bell have done so much for the library,” Sensabaugh said. “They’ve gone to the different branches, offered programs and events and even do it on their own time without any funding from us.”

Sensabaugh said Angleberger’s books are wildly popular at the library and remain checked-out. A mother-and-daughter book club at Christiansburg library even read his books, she added.

The book club, along with about 75 adults and children sat in the audience and watched as Angleberger worked the crowd. Angleberger showed the audience how to fold their own origami Yoda.

“He’s just fantastic with the kids,” Sensabaugh said. “He really gets what interests and excites them.”

Angleberger told the crowd he had the idea to write the Origami Yoda series after watching Fumiaki Kawahata, an origami master in Japan, fold an origami Yoda on the Internet.

“He made this amazing Yoda, and it changed my whole life because I love ‘Star Wars’ and I love origami, but for all those years I never put them together,” Angleberger said.

“When I saw both of those things together at once, all of a sudden my brain exploded.”
But Angleberger said Kawahata’s origami Yoda was too difficult to replicate, so he made his own.

“When I was done, it fit on my finger like a finger puppet, and that’s what gave me the idea for the book,” Angleberger said. “Because it fit on my finger, my whole life turned around.”

Now Angleberger’s life is about writing books, drawing characters and folding plenty of paper all while entertaining his young fans during appearances at local libraries.

Sensabaugh said she was pleased that Angleberger took time out of his busy schedule to visit.

“His books have really taken off, and he’s made the time and concerted effort to get here and do this for us,” Sensabaugh said.

“He’s been fantastic to work with.”

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