In Origami X, Nick Robinson and Paul Harrison offer spy origami, plus tips and techniques for sleuthing and writing secret messages inside spy technology–themed folded shapes. Origami XOXO by Robinson and Susan Behar contains many of the same techniques for secret sharing and encoding (mirror writing, “invisible ink”), but with pink paper, cute cartoon animals, and an emphasis on friendship instead. Read together, these books will have you wondering, “Where are the girl spies?” and “Why can’t boys build friendships through passing notes?” The division between the two books may incite jealousy rather than friendship: the X origami projects are much more action-oriented and in some cases even capable of flight (e.g., ninja star, spy plane), while most XOXO origami can do no more than sit quietly (e.g., cupcake, flower).

Why the need for two very separate books? I feel there is no such need. These books should be one, so everyone can share the projects and the patterned paper. Why not mix an Origami X  lightning-patterned paper with the Origami XOXO “Beautiful Butterfly” instructions, and deem the new creation a gender-neutral falcon? Merging these two books would make for a more creative and enjoyable craft session.

And be wary of the perforated paper — it’s not exactly square, which may be a bummer for the origami perfectionist.

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After perusing the thirteen zombie-centric projects, we settled on the paper-folding tribute to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller“—who doesn’t love an undead dance scene? And, believe it or not, the two-sheet, forty-plus–step project actually seemed like one of the less complicated of the bunch. We selected our paper (options include burlap, gore, and goop patterns along with standard black and gray) and got folding.

About an hour later, we finally had our zombies. Each one had a distinct personality, but all looked like the sample… more or less. (“Mine’s not as crooked as theirs!” “Mine looks like a ballet dancer!”)

Our single project exhausted our fingers and our attention spans. Since our group consisted of origami novices, we often had to look up specific folds, which was frustrating and time-consuming. Interpreting each step’s cryptic directions required team effort. Some advice: try one project per sitting and work with a partner.

Only 27 more steps to go!

Success! (sorta)

Between the subject matter (check out “Seymour Guts” and “Phineas Gouge”) and the daunting projects, ZombiGami is not for the faint of heart. But if you have a strong stomach and, more importantly, lots of patience, put on some mood music—may I suggest “Thriller”?—and put your paper-folding to the test.

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