SALESIAN CATECHETICAL CENTRE (publisher).
Catechetical Scenes (Pop-Up Book Set).
Hong Kong: Salesian Catechetical Centre, 1956–1964. First editions.
The 17-volume Catechetical Scenes series, produced by the Salesian Catechetical Centre in Kowloon, Hong Kong between 1955 and 1964. Set includes all seventeen volumes. Each approximately 5.25 × 7.5 inches. All first editions in English or Italian. Each volume bound in pictorial boards with original matching dust jacket. Illustrated throughout with vivid full-color pop-ups—approximately 20 per volume—and additional movable components, including lift-the-flaps. There are also string-pulled elements (present only in the earliest titles: Confession Part 1, Confession Part 2 & Extreme Unction, and The Blessed Eucharist). Text in English (14 volumes) or Italian (3 volumes, each accompanied by an English translation booklet). All volumes housed in the original publisher’s shipping box.
An extraordinary complete set of this highly unusual and devotional pop-up book series. Conceived and produced by the Salesians of Don Bosco to teach Catholic doctrine through visually engaging storytelling, the books present a mix of Biblical narratives, sacramental instruction, and moral lessons.
Each pop-up is finely engineered and colorfully rendered, Pop-ups have highly detailed printing on lightweight stockboard, including features such as individual fingers, palm fronds, tools, and weapons—an unusually fine level of detail for educational books of the period.
The series was issued in six languages, but full sets—especially in such well-preserved condition—are scarce.
Condition:
Excellent. All volumes are unused and retain their original mint dust jackets. All pop-ups and movable elements are pristine and fully functional. Light page warping from long-term humidity exposure, typical of all surviving sets, is present but notably minimal in this example. The original box is present and sound, with modest shelfwear. No repairs, inscriptions, or missing parts. A superior survival.
Complete Set Includes:
Confession 1 (1956)
Confession 2 & Extreme Unction (1956)
The Words of Jesus (1957)
Holy Church (1957)
Confirmation (1957)
Holy Mass (1958)
The Bread of Angels (1958)
Grace and Baptism (1959)
The Mother of God (1959)
Holy Orders and Matrimony (1959)
God and Man (1960)
Prayer (1960)
Christ Our Redeemer (1960)
The Law of Love 1 (Italian: I Comandamenti) (1961)
The Blessed Eucharist (1964)
The Law of Love 2 (1964)
The Law of Love 3 (1964)
Collector’s Corner:
Provenance: This complete first edition set of Catechetical Scenes was acquired in the late 1990s through a Salesian monastery in New Rochelle, New York. As reported in Movable Stationery (Feb. 2000), the monastery had received several sealed cartons of these pop-up books from the Salesian Catechetical Centre in Kowloon, Hong Kong, shortly after their original publication between 1956 and 1964. The books remained untouched in storage for decades until rediscovered and offered in limited quantity to collectors affiliated with the Movable Book Society. We were notified of their availability at that time and secured this complete set directly from the U.S. monastery. All volumes are unused, with original dust jackets and fully functioning pop-ups, representing one of the finest known survivals of this rare catechetical publishing endeavor..
Origins & Editions: The 17-volume series was created by the Salesians of Don Bosco, a Catholic religious institute focused on Christian education. Each volume bears the imprimatur and nihil obstat, confirming doctrinal approval by the Roman Catholic Church. The series was published in six languages—Chinese, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish.
These are the hard-to-find first editions. The earliest three titles—Confession Part 1, Confession Part 2 & Extreme Unction, and The Blessed Eucharist—include string-pulled mechanical illustrations not found in later reprints. A planned 18th volume (The Law of Love 4) was announced in early publisher materials but never produced.
Endorsed by Two Popes: Among the most striking endorsements of the Catechetical Scenes series comes from the Vatican itself. Early promotional materials published by the Salesian Catechetical Centre of Hong Kong featured a photograph of Pope Pius XII examining one of the pop-up volumes, reportedly showing “evident signs of delight” upon its presentation. This rare image underscores the international significance and ecclesiastical support the series received at the time of its release.
In a formal statement dated January 11, 1960, Pope John XXIII praised the volumes for bearing “such eloquent witness to the admirable Apostolate being carried on by the Salesian Fathers in the Far East.” He concluded his remarks by imparting a special Apostolic Benediction upon the creators, praying that their missionary work continue to bear “abundant fruits.” A reproduction of this quote, alongside the historic photograph, is preserved in early printings of the series and has been reprinted on the website Grace is Everywhere as evidence of the series’ ecclesial endorsement.
About the Salesian Society: Founded in 1859 by St. John Bosco in Turin, Italy, the Salesian Society (formally known as the Society of St. Francis de Sales) was created to support the spiritual and educational needs of impoverished youth. From its inception, the order emphasized a preventive system of education rooted in gentleness, reason, and faith rather than punishment——one that fostered confidence and love in young learners rather than fear - a revolutionary approach in its time. By the early 20th century, the Salesians had expanded across Europe and into mission territories in Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
By the 20th century, the Salesians of Don Bosco had spread to six continents, establishing schools, printing presses, and catechetical centers in service of their educational and evangelizing work. The order engaged in large-scale publishing efforts, often through their own presses or affiliated outlets, producing religious tracts, catechetical materials, and illustrated instructional books. This global infrastructure explains how the Hong Kong–based Salesian Catechetical Centre was able to publish multi-language editions—including English, Italian, and Spanish—and distribute them internationally, including through U.S. religious networks such as the Soldiers of Christ.
English Editions: An important record of the Catechetical Scenes series’ international reach appears in the Catholic News Service’s July 28, 1958 issue, which confirms that two volumes—The Blessed Eucharist and The Mother of God—were distributed in the United States by the Academy Library Guild of Fresno, California. Listed under “New Catholic Books” and priced at $2 each, these American editions are described as “colorful pop-up scenes” that illustrate Catholic teachings on the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary. This listing, prepared by the Library of the Catholic University of America, affirms that selected titles were translated and adapted for an English-speaking Catholic audience in the U.S. by the late 1950s. It also serves as bibliographic evidence of the Salesian Centre’s strategic efforts to disseminate this visually rich catechetical series beyond Asia and Europe. (Catholic News Service, July 28, 1958, p. 7, via The Catholic News Archive).
The Salesian Centre also published a related series in 1967, The Mysteries of the Rosary, comprising three beautiful very large pop-up books (13 × 18 inches) with six scenes per volume, 14 pages and six full pop-up spreads. The titles are: The Joyful Mysteries, The Sorrowful Mysteries, and The Glorious Mysteries. The books were designed to visually represent the traditional meditations of the Catholic rosary. Each of the three volumes corresponds to one of the traditional sets of rosary meditations.
No copies to be found online but we have them available here: Mysteries of The Rosary
References:
See Movable Stationery, Vol. 6, No. 2, and The Ephemerist, No. 125 (2004) for discussion of the Salesian movable series, their doctrinal context, and the late rediscovery of sets in the 1990s.
Marsh, E. (1912). The Salesian Society. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13398b.htm
Grace Is Everywhere. “Music.” Grace Is Everywhere. Accessed July 3, 2025. https://www.graceiseverywhere.net/category/music/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.
C. C. Martindale, “Society of St. Francis de Sales,” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. Accessed July 2, 2025. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13398b.htm.
Lenti, Arthur J. The Beginnings of the Salesian Presence in East Asia: Volume I. Rome: Salesian Historical Institute (ACSSA), 2004.