Published by Studio Press, 2018-2020.

At the beginning of 2019 I was delighted to receive the first three books in the Disney Animated Classics series. There are now nine books in the collection and they look stunning together – a beautiful rainbow of Disney joy! The books are retellings of the classic animated films. These are the titles published so far in the series:

• Snow White
• Sleeping Beauty
• The Little Mermaid
• Dumbo
• Aladdin
• The Lion King
• Frozen
• Cinderella
• Mulan

The books, as you’d expect, are beautifully illustrated throughout; the pages are filled with paintings, sketches, animation drawings and concept art from the original films.

As well as letting you enjoy these beloved stories, the books also give readers an insight into the work and processes involved in creating an animated film. The varied illustrations highlight the different steps from original idea to finished film.
There’s a terrific glossary in every book too, explaining terms such as cel, model sheet, colour key and storyboard. At the end of each book you can also discover more about the amazing artists who worked to create these iconic films. There are short biographies about the various artists and we’re told which art in the book is theirs. I’ve certainly learnt a lot by reading these books.

These are books you’ll treasure. They are such stunning editions – in hardback, with cloth-bound covers that have pretty foil stamping. The cover for Frozen even sparkles! Inside each book there’s a ribbon marker to match the cover and the illustrated endpapers are beautiful.

These gorgeous books will let you relive the magic of some of the best-loved films of all time and really help you appreciate the talent involved in their creation.

Rating: 💙💙💙💙💙

Suitable for children aged 6+

Thank you to Studio Press for sending me these books to review.