Bill Peet: An Autobiography

by Bill Peet

A 1990 Caldecott Honor Book

Bill Peet tells his life story, including his years with Disney, with illustrations on every page.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Memoir, Autobiography, Childrens, Art

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 27, 1989

About the author

Bill Peet was an American children's book illustrator and a story writer for Disney Studios. He joined Disney in 1937 and worked on The Jungle Book, Song of the South, Cinderella, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, Goliath II, Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Dumbo, Pinocchio, Fantasia, The Three Caballeros, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and other stories.

After successes developing short stories for Disney, Peet had his first book published, Hubert's Hair Raising Adventure.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is close to a 200 page book. It is for children with large print and pictures on each page. It reads fast and it’s engaging and interesting. I didn’t know Bill Peet or his work. He was an animator at Disney since Pinnochio. He worked on 101 Dalmations and the Sword in the Stone as the script writer, but he worked on most of the major movies at Disney. One of my favorite scenes from Sleeping Beauty is when the animals are dancing with Beauty and he came up with that. Originally, Walt hated it, but Bill wouldn’t take it out. The rest is history.

Bill also goes on to write his own children’s books. I have never read them, but I have heard of a few of them and they are now on my list to read. Bill gives an honest portrayal of Disney in this and I haven’t seen this side of him before. It’s humanizing. Bill was not one of the Disney’s 9 old men, but he did seem to have his hand in parts of most of the movies and many shorts. He wrote, Lambert the Sheepish lion and I loved that one growing up.

I think there was an error with the library book I had. It has a Newbery Honor seal on the book, but it didn’t win a Newbery award. It won the Caldecott Honor medal and that’s not on the book, Interesting eh. . It is long and I didn’t read this to the kids. I read this for myself. I want to know more about that time at Disney. Man, the behind the scenes stuff was fascinating.

Bill has a good story and I’m glad he shared it with us.

[Julie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend of ours, who is a retired librarian, introduced us to Bill Peet, who worked as an illustrator for Disney and then became a writer/illustrator of his own children's books. His autobiography is completely illustrated--amazing!--and, although it is not exceptional writing, it is warm, honest and inviting in style. I was completely won over by this and can not recommend it enough to kids in grades 5-12 (and college students and adults, too!). A GREAT book, also, for students who struggle academically but stand-out in art.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids enjoyed getting an insiders view of what it's like to be an animator (the good and the bad), especially the behind the scenes of how many of our favorite classic Disney films were made. Now we want to get Bill Peet's own illustrated picture books and read through them together.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

To check out my review: https://dancinginth3dark.wordpress.co...

When I read about the description of this book I thought it was merely impossible that the library would possess this book because it has less than an 1,000 ratings on Goodreads but one day as I was at my usual library, I was looking at the autobiography/biography section and saw this book sticking out a bit and my brain automatically registered that it was merely impossible what I have in front of me and sure enough as I was checking the online catalogue they owned this book and it was available to check out.

Now it has been a few months that I have had this book in my room and decided on New Years Eve to read a few pages and while the beginning didn't automatically pull me in I figured since it has Disney related information I should stagger on. Luckily between the beautiful illustrations and the fast storytelling you can read it within a few hours. Mentioning that I love this book is an understatement in of itself and I highly recommend everyone to read it.

Bill Peet wrote this book with illustrations to give the impression that this is a children's book but honestly anyone can read this book whether young or old because his life story is easy to understand the illustrations capture you into the story. Bill Peet if you do not know name (which I didn't until I came across this book) is a famous children's author/illustrator but he is more famous with working on Disney Classic Film such as Peter Pan, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred Dalmatians, Cinderella, The Sword in the Stone and countless other classics .

His name may not sound familiar because he was charged in the animation and making the storyboard which essentially is putting the animated together by illustrating scene-by-scene sequence of the film. It is not an easy job and clearly we discover that throughout his time working at the Disney Studios. I have to admit that because I accidentally flip to a wrong page and discover he wrote ton of pages on Walt Disney that for me the beginning of life from Childhood to Adulthood was boring. It felt slow pace and like it was never going to end but honestly probably I wanted to skim through that era quickly because while I didn't grow up as troubled as Bill Peet, I can relate to him in many ways in my upbringing and family life.

I find it interesting how the transition between making art for fun to an actual job was a simple transition for him in America because I've learned from countless books and movies in particular for a man majoring in art was either taboo or was discourage upon because of the notion that Art is full of naked people and that it wouldn't make any stable income. While Bill Peet experience some troubled times especially starting from High-School and College, we get to see that he persevere and always found a silver lining whenever he wanted to pursue new passion.

Part of the reason why I finally read this book is because I just watched an 4-Hour Documentary PBS special on Walt Disney and it was fascinating to learn new details about him, his career, and the choices he made which weren't always so perfect. I got to learn that he is human just like everyone else and that humbles me because people portray him as though he is the God Almighty and he had no faults of any kind.

Since I am still high on the Disney bang wagon train I felt like this was a fun little snippet of what it was like working for the Disney company and having to present your countless hours of work to the boss himself and having him either applaud your work or rip it to shreds because it didn't work in the story or they don't have the money to include that much animation.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun autobiography written and illustrated by a children's book author/illustrator. While the story of Bill Peet's life is interesting - I had no idea he'd worked for Disney for 27 years! - the illustrations are the reason to read this book. Bill Peet's first love was obviously drawing. The text, while simple and sometimes amusing, just doesn't hold a candle to the fantastic and fantastical illustrations.

I appreciate Mr. Peet's humility. He is the man behind the "boy meets girl" sequence in Sleeping Beauty, the beautiful depictions of the baby Dumbo, and Cinderella's mice, and even based Merlin in The Sword in the Stone on Walt Disney himself. He naturally expresses satisfaction in creating those successful works, but he also shares some of his less successful moments. The cartoons he drew while trying to develop into a magazine cartoonist really weren't very funny, and he acknowledges that while displaying a half a dozen in the book. He chronicles the day he lost his temper and stormed out of Disney's Annex hollering "NO MORE DUCKS!" at the top of his lungs.

A quick, light read, but with some depictions of unhappy family life, so a good one to discuss with kids while reading.

For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another fun, quick read. There is a little more text than most of his books, but the whole thing is illustrated, so if you like Bill Peet's work you'll like this.

Rather than an exhaustive auto-biography, this is more of a quick skim over his life, with a focus on the time he worked for Disney, starting as an in-betweener and working his way up to writing full screenplays and doing all the storyboarding for 101 Dalmatians and Sword in the Stone.

I do think it odd that he ended the book so quickly after telling why he left Disney. It made the book feel more like it should be called, "How I came to work for Disney and Why I left" (I know that is a thoroughly impractical title) rather than a full auto-biography. Since most of his books were published after he left Disney, and those books are the reason I know who Bill Peet is, I wish he would have dedicated some time to that portion of his life; what led him to write those books and where the inspiration for those stories came from. That said, I'll take what I can get and am glad he took some time to write what he did.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

How many biographies are illustrated by the author and renowned artist himself? I saw an exhibit of many of his illustrations at the Art Institute of Chicago and decided to read this book because I liked the exhibit and his stories so well.

This is a fun look at a boy from Indiana who loved animals and drawing, but didn't fathom a career in the art world. It chronicles how he went on to work for Walt Disney in California and write and illustrate several books. I particularly liked his candid account of his lack of driving experience. I, too, have gotten two flat tires simultaneously by running in to a curb! Who knew I had something in common with Bill Peet?!*

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one book that has most definitely kept me since I first came upon in the Garfield Elementary school library. The cover is full of bright and colorful illustrations that are fun to look at as well as bewitching in their own right. And so this was how I came to read my first autobiography-type book and rather quite voluntarily.

Although the book seems to be a bit of a big book it is one of the most deceptive books that you will find. The book has a large amount of illustrations for the reader with some being quite familiar such as a lot of Disney characters who combine quite easily with the characters of Bill Peet's own books and a few of them have been made that freeze the scenes of his own life no matter what stage Bill Peet was in. Unfortunately they are black-and-white but otherwise they continue to hold the elements from Bill Peet that are exclusively his - blockish faces, scraggly looks, thinnish people, etc.

At the same time I am so happy that I did read this book again and at this age since a lot of well-known events that had been mentioned hadn't made a blip on my radar in my earlier readings for they were just vague happenings that were flippantly mentioned. As a result this re-reading has allowed me to be able to pinpoint his exact time, the events of importance that appeared in his life and even the exact timeline for Disney. In a sense it was rechecking a voided treasure map and finding new clues all over again.

For those who are interested in books about artists, Disney and/or just autobiographies I would definitely recommend this particular book as Bill Peet did an amazing job in being able to write from a genre that is hard at the most. His singular style of block memories capturing the most highlighting events in his life, the tongue-in-cheek style and his candid frankness will set a standard that will be hard for many others to follow no matter how much they attempt to try in telling their own stories to the rest of the world. And it is this particular freshness that will help you to keep interested in this book all the way until its flattish end.

[Niki (nikilovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My children and I are big fans of Bill Peer's books. We have been collecting all of them. After reading his books numerous times, we decided to read his autobiography. It was wonderful to read about Bill's life from childhood up until he started publishing more books. He worked for 27 years for Disney and was involved in many of those beloved classics. He is honest about what it was like working there even when it was difficult. It's like getting a behind the scenes peek at how what went into making those classics. While working for Disney, he didn't have as much time to focus on being a children's book author. It was interesting for my kids and I to read more about where Bill Peet came from, some of the hardships he faced, and how his dreams of being an artist finally came to fruition. If you're a fan of his books, I highly recommend this one, especially as it's filled with his wonderful illustrations.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been watching all of the Disney Animated Studios feature films in order, and it’s led me to a deep dive on the animation process and the history behind the films getting made. I found this book to be interesting and charming, and I gained some more insight (as least from Peet’s perspective) into the movies I’ve enjoyed so many times. I am so very happy that he stuck to his guns on the Sleeping Beauty dance scene since that is one of my absolute favorites. Turns out a lot of my favorite Disney animal characters and scenes had a lot to do with Bill Peet!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

His remarks about the absence of creativity in a corporate environment like Disney are enlightening. Perhaps I too should throw up my hands and yell "No more ducks!"

[Evan Hays · Rating 5 out of 5]

I owned a copy of this when I was younger, but who knows where it is now.

I loved Bill Peet as a child, probably as much as any single children's picture book author. His pictures are just so fun to look at, and he, as he says himself here in his autobiography, has a real sense for the sordid. I think I was drawn into his vision of depression-era middle America in all of its beautiful tragedy. I couldn't have said that when I was 8, but I can now. Plus, his rhymes, for all that he says here in his autobiography that he's not much of a writer, were charming. And his stories always had a good message as well.

I remember discovering this book at some point along the line and just feeling like it was too good to be true that Peet had made this book--all of the details of his life that had shaped his books and his amazing pictures on every page! Jackson, interestingly, liked this book more than any of his picture books we have tried so far. I think there are some rather scary elements (again, that American sense of tragedy) that he is still a bit too young for, but he loved this more real story.

The other thing I remember finding out with wonder when I first read it was how involved Peet was in several of my very favorite Disney animated movies--in particular The Sword and the Stone and The Jungle Book, both of which were in my top 3 just behind Robin Hood probably, and all three of which I watched far too many times when I was growing up.

Reading it again now with Jackson, I am charmed by the same thing I was always charmed by, but now the book is meaningful to me for the perseverance of someone who grew up with essentially nothing going for him during the Depression, and still made something out of his life and was a successful family man the whole time.

I hope that children today continue to discover the works of Bill Peet the way I did. I think I probably started reading this subconsciously because Amy was reading the new biography of Dr. Seuss. I loved Seuss too, but it turns out he wasn't a very likeable or nice person. I don't think I know for sure from reading this book, but I certainly get the feeling that Peet was a much nicer person that Seuss, whose works deserve to be lauded at least as much as Seuss's still are.

[Michelle Farrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I already knew that Bill Peet was an awesome human, but reading his life story gave me even more respect for him as a person. He's just SO. AWESOME. Such a cool person with so many fun stories! It really makes me wish that I could sit down to lunch with him.

Aside from Bill Peet just being the coolest, this book is incredible. There are illustrations on every single page. Beautiful, detailed illustrations on EVERY. PAGE. I wish that I could hire Bill Peet to illustrate my entire life for me. And the story itself is captivating. I can see why it's a Caldecott Honor Book- it deserves all the awards.

I feel so inspired after reading it. SUPER glad that I bought myself a copy. I'll be reading it again and again.

[Joseph Newell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A relatively quick read that gives an insightful view of Bill's long and storied career. The illustrations are fantastic, however, I'm knocking this down a bit simply due to lack of detail. Ultimately, I wanted to learn a lot more about how he tackled projects, how those things got balanced with home, etc.

That being said, he gives a closer look at Walt Disney than I had ever seen, and I got some great lessons from this including the importance of patience. It took Bill nearly three decades of struggling before he managed to live the way he really wanted to. He stuck to his guns and pursued what he loved doing, and when he didn't he quickly learned that he shouldn't. He was also bold for sticking up for himself, not fearing repercussions of his actions but understanding that there would be consequences and planning for them.

Overall, yes I only gave it three stars, but I would still recommend it to anyone interested in art, Disney, freelance work, or personal stories of overcome obstacles.

[Ross Blocher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful autobiography by Bill Peet, one of Walt Disney's top story artists who went on to publish dozens of children's books. Peet tells the story of growing up in Indiana, finding his calling as an artist, racing out to California to answer an open casting call from Walt Disney Studios, working his way up from inbetweener to story artist, and finally leaving to pursue children's books. For some context: Peet was at Disney for 27 years, starting as a story artist on Pinocchio, Fantasia and Dumbo, and continuing on through films he cultivated from germinal ideas: 101 Dalmatians, The Sword in the Stone, and The Jungle Book. The entire account is illustrated in pen with colored pencil shading, with the confidence of someone who has put in far more than the fabled 10,000 hours required for mastery. Most are quick and functional, but some are so appealing that you just have to stop and stare for a while.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Peet and Dr Seuss are two of the biggest names that come to mind when I think of children's lit, but I can't even remember any Bill Peet titles, nor do I see them on the shelves at my library. Which is a pity, because those were great books!

I do, however, vividly remember his autobiography. I made a point of purchasing it when I began shopping for some of my favorite childhood titles two years ago. As an animator at Disney, a good chunk of the book is about his relationship with Walt, as well as pieces of animation and storyboarding he had a hand in. It's a wonderful look into the history of Disney and a beloved children's author. Of course, the whole books is illustrated by Peet, which is an added bonus!

[Morten Pedersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book! An illustrated biography by one of the disney legends. It makes sense it is illustrated troughout since he told storys with his pictures his whole career. I not only got to know the person Bill Peet, I also got a very interesting insight into what it was like to work at the disney studio under Walt Disney. Being an artist myself this one really hit home. I too work in animation and with childrens books and by his great way of storytelling I am left feeling intellectually satisfied and very inspired. A must read for every established and inspiring artist out there.

[SmarterLilac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stuff. I was fascinated to read about the life of this terrific author I have loved for so long. Amazingly, he managed to communicate his story, which had so many sad moments, (especially the part about his father abandoning the family after WWI) in a way I know would be accessible and interesting to all children at the target age level. Very few authors could do the same.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give it ten stars if I could. I first read my favorite artist/animator/illustrator/book writer’s autobiography when I was eight years old, and have read it again and again since then. The beautiful black and white drawing and the simple yet insightful text exploring this remarkable man’s life continue to draw me in, far into my adulthood.

[Steven Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book I could not put down. The life of the artist who made so many cartoons I loved when I was a kid was wonderful to learn. The book is filled with so many of his drawings that it takes a while to read, which is fine by me. Like his cartoons, nothing of his is not good.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Engaging autobiography of Peet's life and career. Enjoyed the illustrations that accompany the text. I am pretty sure I have only read 2 of Peet's books and so I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did, but I did rather enjoy it...and despite being nearly 200 pages, it was a quick read.

[Marge · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 90 year old mother raved about this book so I read it too. Written for children, it’s very direct, though, in describing Bill Peet’s difficult childhood and growing up during the Depression. I loved how he described his life and working for Walt Disney. And his illustrations were fantastic.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of artwork. His family life was rough and younger kids need to read this with a parent to discuss some of it. Still, he's pretty optimistic throughout.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just saying first off that this is a really cool autobiography because you have a fun illustration on every page. 😊

Bill Peet worked for Disney for 27 years, doing major work on films like Cinderella, Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Sleeping Beauty, One Hundred One Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, and The Sword in the Stone. You have him to thank for the mice and wicked cat Lucifer in Cinderella. And I found out that he wrote the entire screenplay, did all the storyboards, and recorded all the voices for the characters for One Hundred One Dalmatians. (That was my favorite movie when I was a kid, so thank you, Bill Peet!)

Bill Peet was also the person behind short films like “Lambert the Sheepish Lion” and “Goliath.” Both of those were films I remember watching as a little girl. He also did some great Goofy episodes.

I learned some things about Walt Disney as well. Poor guy seemed like he was on edge a lot. He could either praise you and make you feel like a million bucks, or he could criticize and rant and rave and scrap all of your work. One day, he got really gloomy while visiting with Bill Peet, and he told him, “I want this Disney thing to go on long after I’m gone.” Walt Disney died from lung cancer because he was a heavy smoker only a few years after he said that. But Disney certainly has gone on.

Something I found extremely interesting was that Bill Peet patterned Merlin from “The Sword in the Stone” after Walt Disney. He even gave him Disney’s nose! Unfortunately, the last time Bill Peet saw Disney was when Walt lost his temper during a “Jungle Book”conference and stormed out the door. Just before he left, he said, “If you want to see some real entertainment, then see Mary Poppins!” Bill Peet couldn’t handle it anymore and left Disney to write children’s books after that.

Bill Peet wrote and illustrated more than 30 picture books for children. He was incredibly talented, and it’s neat to read about someone whose creativity was able to shine through in all their work despite setbacks. The ending to the autobiography was abrupt, but I enjoyed the illustrations and learning more about the life and work of Bill Peet.

[Debby Tiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t really know much about Bill Peet, but this book was loaned to me by a friend and I really enjoyed reading it. Turns out, he was an animator for Disney as well as an artist and children’s author. I’m most familiar with his artwork from Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Dumbo, and The Jungle Book.

Life as an artist is difficult, especially when the economy is not doing well, so Peet’s surviving and thriving is a testament to his talent, especially as he worked during the Great Depression.

I thought it was funny when he said: “Artists need an atmosphere of poverty, a degree of shabbiness to get into a creative mood.”

His art style kind of reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak. At times it also reminded me of Dr. Suess, and I imagine that fantasy and a certain amount of nonsense were a good escape for the dark era of WWII.

Art is one of those things that is so subjective, it can be hard to make a living from it, especially when you have to conform to other people’s opinions (which are also subjective). Some of the issues Bill Peet runs into in his career are unfortunately all too common in the industry.

There weren’t “characters” in the traditional sense of the word, as this is an autobiography. I really liked what I did know about his Grandma and his wife Margaret, and honestly I wished there was more about them in the story. The amount they were mentioned was enough to know they were influential in his life.

Overall, the story was a brief, illustrated summary of Bill Peet’s life up to a certain point, but it does not cover the entirety of his life. It also does not make an attempt to have some overarching moral or in retrospect big picture version of his purpose in life—which is somewhat refreshing, but also strange, as it somewhat deviates from the autobiography mold.

I think doing your autobiography this way is genius, especially if you are an artist.

If you like graphic memoirs, I would also recommend Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley.

[Cassia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was just too short! My Mom got me to love Bill Peet books back in the 80's and 90's and I have sought them, loved them, and now collect them for my own children's library. Though, I never knew much about the man himself! His humble story is told extremely well in this book. I am also beyond delighted that the entire book, every single page, is wonderfully illustrated! This has caused me to wonder why more "adult books" in the world are not illustrated like this one. It made the turning of each page so much fun, and opened up my imagination of each passing year and scene of Peet's life.
I was inspired by his journey, his perseverance, as well as his personal growth as an artists, and especially as a writer. His writing in this book is excellent! Engaging, rhythmic, and very well paced.

This book has also inspired me to start and keep writing down my own ideas for children books... who know's, maybe they'll come off the shelf one day and impact a child like his books have inspired me over the decades.

[Eris Tiner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book describing the inside look into animation in Disney’s Golden Age. Before this book, l only knew Bill Peet as an animator that used to work for Disney and that l read one of his books as a little kid. After this book, l appreciate the early days a bit more st least in a historical perspective. The treatment of those who worked at Disney and did not receive credit is horrible as well as the rough treatment of Disney’s workers by Walt himself is interesting as he was loved and disliked by all of his employees.

I am glad Bill Peet was able to share his experiences through this book and now l want to find more stories of the past that explore new perspectives that I have never even thought of.

Still sad about the mini elephant. Hugs!

[Kate Sample · Rating 5 out of 5]

So fascinating!

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Rich Visual Feast Detailing Life in 20th Century America and Early Walt Disney Studios

I have loved this book for years! I just finished rereading it with my 4-and-a-half year old and can attest that its magic carries over across generations: the book held her enthralled the entire time. How could it not, filled as it is with page after page of vibrant, detailed sketches of life in early 20th century America and the early days of Walt Disney Studios?

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: The book details the life of Bill Peet from doodling child to Disney animator/story man to beloved author/illustrator. As someone who has an Indiana-based upbringing in common with Bill Peet, I have to say that the childhood scenes in which he tears around the Indiana countryside hit particularly close to home. While billed as an "autobiography", I would say that the book focuses mostly on Peet's creative career rather than his life or social relationships. There's lots of talk about the things he loves to draw (trains, animals, monsters, etc.) and less talk about his relationships with others (his siblings, his wife, or his children.) These focuses, though, add a lot to the book and help remind us that Peet is, after all, a children's author and is writing for a young audience.

DISNEY INSIDE SCOOP: The one glaring exception to Peet's avoidance of interpersonal relationships is in the many pages devoted to his (often rocky) relationship with Walt Disney himself, which offers on-the-ground details on life as an early Disney animator and makes for FASCINATING reading. If you are a Disney fan at all (either the man or the brand), you'll want to read this book for incredible insights into the studio's early days. Bill Peet runs readers through the early days in which naysayers decried the possibilities of Snow White, through Disney's enlistment in the American war effort in the 1940s, and the very real possibility of Disney going out of business prior to the theatrical release of Cinderella. The book also makes it more fun to read and watch Disney classics, especially for Bill Peet fans who will love learning about his special contributions to 101 Dalmatians, Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, and Jungle Book.

ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS ILLUSTRATION: The book is a very worthy recipient of the Caldecott Honor Award. I remember poring over its pages as a boy to soak in all the illustrations, which still hold me spellbound today. It's also so fun to learn more about the origins of many of my favorite stories, especially Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure and The Caboose Who Got Loose. I can't recommend this visual feast highly enough.

All told, the book is a romp and a celebration of imagination and wild creativity; I know I'll keep circling back to it time and again!

[Shaun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Started reading this one to me darlin' daughter Megan when she was a wee little "lass". Took it to Spokane when she and I went for me Dad's funeral in 2010. Haven't had the heart to pick it up for over two (2) years, until now. Somethings kind of find a funny way to work themselves into yon heart, if'n you catch me drfit.

The "lads" enjoy this . . . but not, evidently, as much as "The Invention of Hugo Cabriet." It is, of course, a very different kind of book from "Hugo". We'll see because they do NOT want me to stop reading it at night. Mayhaps I'll have to change the rating at the end.

Yep! Changed the rating -- five (5), count'em FIVE stars -- at the end as per the directive of me crew. Great story that tracks the development of an excellent illustrator who worked with Walt Disney and his company in the early years from after Snow White up to Jungle Book.

Sad towards the end where Walt, facing the end of his life, felt so lonely. This from a gentlemen who literally and figurtively brought happiness to the masses. Bill Peet and his Ringmaster ("Walt") are and/or were truly unique characters in the great human drama.

The "lads" mandated the rating! Alas, the Captain is locked in his stateroom and the crew is runnin' the ship. I recommend this one to all those with children from five (5) to twelve (12) years of age who have ever watched a Disney movie or been to a Disney amusement park. I guess that pretty much means just about everyone here on earth.

Rock on, me hearties! It's a GREAT reading life.