Books have always been extraordinary and magical to me. When I start reading a new book, I see it as an invitation to experience someone else’s life while letting any stress in my life fade away, even for just a little while. We are allowed into the heads of characters in books; we have the opportunity to learn what makes them tick and what their weaknesses are. We get to see life through their eyes and then take the wisdom they leave us with and apply it to our own realities. It’s really astounding.

Sean Ohlenkamp’s absolutely remarkable video The Joy of Books shows just how magical books can be, in a more physical sense, by crafting some amazing stop motion animation and seamless editing.

According to the video description, the creation of this video was made possible with the help of nearly 30 volunteers who spent many sleepless nights moving, stacking, and animating books at Type bookstore in Toronto. The music in the video was composed by Grayson Matthews and is available on iTunes.