Disney Books

A fact-filled and riviting tribute to the world's most prolific and popular entertainer, bar none. There are dozens of volumes out there on Disney, many of them lavishly illustrated, which this one isn't. But they are not nearly so well written!

This book about Walt Disney has few pictures and they are not in color, which seems odd for a biography of one of the most coloful movie makers of all time. However, even though I was put off by this when I first thumbed through the book, when I actually began reading it my opinion changed. It is one of the very best summaries I've seen of Disney's life and work, and I've read several. It's very well written and sometimes even moving, and it goes into a lot of the background stories about him and his brother, Roy, who was always worried that the company might go broke becauase Walt tended to spend so much money. As the author points out several times, Walt knew that he had to spend a lot of money to get the level of quality that the Disney name has come to stand for. Everybody interested in Walt Disney should definitely read this book.

By Nicki P.

My book is called The Importance of Walt Disney and the author is Don Nardo. Walt Disney was one of the greatest entertainers ever. He was born into a large family in Chicago, and his parents felt there was so much crime and violence there, that they moved to a farm in Missouri. Even though Walt was very poor he loved being on the farm and watching the animals and all the colors. That's when he first started drawing! He drew on toilet paper because he didn't have enough money for paper! I think the conflict was Walt vs. himself because when he had a new idea for cartoon movies and people said it wouldn't be successful he believed it could and had the courage to try.

When we think of Walt Disney's creations we think of Mickey and Minney Mouse, the princesses, Disneyland, the little mermaid, Tweety, Alice and WonderLand, Little Red Riding Hood, Beauty and the Beast and more. When Walt Disney died, his legacy lived on for many generations and even now. Some books make you courageous, exhilarated, sad, happy and so on. This book makes you feel courageous.

The book was exciting to read because before I read this I didn't realize that one man did all this great work. I grew up watching all the Disney movies and cartoons, so I really felt like I was inside the stories. The main conflict wasn't like in a big adventure or mystery story. It was a story of a man striving and dedicated to succeed his dream. The character of the book was a real life person and the make-believe characters seemed real too. At first when I read the ending I was disappointed that he died at age 65. But then when I read more I realized his life was so successful and his brother, Roy, continued to make more of Walt's dreams come true.

I felt like the author was like a brother to Walt. He really understood everything about this man. He wasn't real technical about how cartoons and movies are made but instead he described how Walt wanted all the characters to appeal to the children with upbeat characters. I thought there were a lot of challenging words like formidable, integral, propaganda. I thought the author was really descriptive. For instance, when he describes the most famous cartoon character Mickey Mouse was born "with a long skinny tail and short pants decorated with large buttons." Don Nardo the author paid a lot of attention to detail and included frequent pictures and actual photos.

My rating system is a 1-10, and I give the book a ten because I loved reading about a man who created all the movies and TV I've been watching all my life. I've been to Disney World, which was a place that Disney made sure all the people were clean cut American, happy friendly people.
I recommend this to anyone that doesn't believe that his or her dreams can come true. If they read this they would see how a poor man could accomplish a dream through courage and hard work.

If I were ever to be inspired by a person, Walt Disney would inspire me. He always believed in himself and tried to put himself out there and follow his heart even if people came down on him. Even when he was poor or when he became rich he always worked so hard to accomplish his goals. He believed in happy endings and his stories didn't have violence like most of today's movies.

I chose this subject because most non-fiction books are boring and this man told you an interesting story about someone's life. Most people wouldn't go as far as Walt Disney to fulfill their dream wouldn't. Even thought his family wanted him to work and not draw, he drew on toilet paper secretly in his free time. He was determined to do what he loved to do, draw.

Before I read this book, I learned about his cartoons in 5th grade and what they represented. Before that I knew many of the movies he made and watched many too.

Ten things I've learned from this book are:
-- Walt Disney died from smoking before Disney World was completed.
-- Walt Disney's brother promised him that he would finish the park.
-- Walt Disney was inspired of drawing by things around the farm like animals.
-- Walt Disney created more than 10 cartoons.
-- Walt Disney was born into a large family.
-- He died at age 65.
-- He created the first colorful movie.
-- They put their cartoons on TV, so people started buying TV's.
-- He created Epcot Center.
-- Walt was really poor when he was little.

This book told his life from when he was born to when he died. There were frequent photos that actually are pictures of him in his life. The book always had a new title and it told you it was a new subject.

I loved the book because things happened in the book that usually wouldn't happen like he created a park years and years ago that is still open now. That is really interesting.

I didn't like that Walt Disney died so early. I think he should have seen the park when it was finished.

I NEVER READ THIS BOOK, but I saw the movie or short I guess. It was amazing!!! I can't find it on amazon anywhere.

This was one of the first books I remember from my childhood. I recently purchased it for my young one, and hope he remembers it as fondly as I do. A story of courage and strength in the face of adversity. Teaches some great moral lessons. Now... if only I could find the cartoon short on DVD....

This is a wonderful story of courage. In this book, little lion Lambert was accidentally delivered to a sheep family by the stork. Growing up as a lamb, Lambert ate grass instead of meat, butted heads instead of fighting and baahed instead of roared. All of which Lambert was not very good at. So much so that he was often made fun of by the other lambs. But his lamb mother loved him very much. When a mean wolf comes to gobble up the lambs Lambert's true colors show and he saves the day. To find out the funny way how I suggest you buy this wonderful book. I guarentee your young children will be very grateful you did.

I purchased this book for my three-year old granddaughter. It accompanied a treasure chest of fairy costumes, shoes and accessories. She loves to have the stories read to her and enjoys doing the stickers.

Purchased for granddaughter as a Christmas gift. Fairies are this year "I would like to have thing".

all i can say is my girls have every fairy book there is and we love them...they are soooo detailed and have such great colors. fantastic stories and well worth the money to read over and over again!

For Animal Kingdom fans, there isn't a lot of published information that focuses on the theme park. Malmberg's book is a rare gem for several reasons: it is an in-depth look at the creation of the park; a thorough look at the team, the political process and environmental issues; and most importantly, it is one of the few resources that looks at the step-by-step development of a Disney theme park--how it grew from a small team led by Joe Rohde to a cast of thousands.

This book reflects the Animal Kingdom in so many ways. The park was shepherded by Imagineer Joe Rohde, who had the vision and the desire to keep the project moving forward. Ms. Malmberg was able to collect the stories of the Imagineers, follow their progress and take us behind the scenes of the park. She interviewed key people that were there from the beginning: Joe Rohde, Rick Barongi and Zofia Kostyrko. You get the feeling that you were there, day-by-day, watching as they create the park.

You learn, early on, that the Imagineers knew they needed one thing to make the park a success; their rallying cry was Proximity Equals Excitement! During one budget and planning meeting, the Imagineers, unbeknown even to Marty Sklar, brought in a 400 pound female Bengal tiger that walked around the conference room while Rohde spoke. The executives got the point and let the group move forward (p. 25). They were able to try and develop new means of getting the guests closer to the animals--safely, of course.

You get a detailed look at how the art (re: buildings, details, interiors, roofs, painting) was constructed using as many local and foreign talents as available. Sculptors, thatchers and artisans were brought in from all over the world. Malmberg spends a lot of time looking at the backstage care and living areas. Since Disney was creating a park that would, inevitably, be compared to zoos, there is a focus on how Disney treats the animals. The first two animals to arrive, the giraffes Miles and Zari, were greeted with tears and cheers. Malmberg goes into great detail explaining how the animals were procured, transported and acclimated to the park.

The book is filled with photos, artwork, and concept drawings. One of the final sections looks at the next few years of the Animal Kingdom. Asia is the next land planned with the river ride and the Maharajah Jungle Trek opening first. The possibility of a new hotel called the Animal Kingdom Lodge, with savanna views, is even mentioned! The very last section is a listing of all the Imagineers that worked on the Animal Kingdom. Eight pages of names.

The park has come a long way in 10 years.

Bottom Line: This is a one-of-a-kind resource for Disney fans. There is not another work that takes such a detailed look at the making of the Animal Kingdom or a Disney theme park. There is a lot of discussion about conservation and animal care--this is not a negative, but the whole work is a balanced look at the creation of the park. There are chapters dedicated to the creation of the attractions and lands, but equal attention is paid to the zoological needs of the park. There is a lot less of the geeky stuff and more a look at the animals and their care. Ms. Malmberg is able to capture the passion of those involved and it translates very well to the written word. You will enjoy this work for the vast detail dedicated to the creation of a Disney theme park.

This is a wonderful look behind the scenes at a truly magical park. I had the priviledge of working for Walt Disney Imagineering from 1996 through 2000. My main assignment was supporting the engineers' computers during the construction of Animal Kingdom. As I recall Melody was all over the place and now I know why. She has done a spectacular job of documenting how the park was put together. From the drawings and sketches to the actual construction photos, this book gives names to the many talents that were brought together to create this masterpiece.

This is the first book that takes a look at *how* Disney designs and builds its theme parks. This information was once only available to those who work for Walt Disney Imagineering and others in the Walt Disney Company. Now, we all get to go behind the scenes to learn how it's done--from the experts themselves. This book is a must-have for any fans of Walt Disney Imagineering

I love Mousercise. I wish you'd add some more songs to it like: The Jungle Boog-Boggie Cool Down Dancin' Prince and many more!

I have taught dance to children from 2- 22 in my 25 years of teaching and when I found the Mousercise tape years ago I loved it!! I found the title track of Mousercise a great low impact aerobic way to get those little hearts pumping and their bodies moving for a great warm up to stretching and the kids love listening to the suggestions on what to do. This also promoted 2 step listening skills for following directions. I would love to have this in a CD, because my lp ( I'm dating myself!) and my cassette have seen better days!

I had the LP when I was younger, and I loved nothing more than to dance along with the album and study the steps in the program that was included. I wish they would bring it back, then we could ALL do the Bug-A-Boo together!

After Claire wistfully wishes to have the talents of other townspeople, she finds a hidden talent in herself. Belle assists her along the way. This is a great story for helping little girls know that they can find their strengths and talents from within. My little one loves the story!!

My daughter is 4yrs old and she wanted this book. I wasn't thrilled about getting yet another princess book,but this has a cute story.

This is a great book for younger girls. My 5 year old loves Disney princesses and she was very excited to get this book. The story is good and easy for her to follow.

Our daughter has both this and the Nature encycopedia, and loves them both. They're fun for any age - she's loved them since she was a little over a year of age, and her 4 year old and 6 year old cousins also pore over the books.

The pictures are beautiful, the graphics and text to my knowledge are accurate. One of the things I LOVE is that the mammal section mentions how the babies "drink their mom's milk" to grow, which is something that kids who grow up in the city are a lot less likely to see and realize. For those who breastfeed, it's a great tie-in to that for you and your child.

Everyone in our family has LOVED this book!
My 5 year old has insisted we read the whole thing to him cover to cover! It has lasted us many betimes! Our 3 year old loves to look at the pics and now will her her turn for many bedtime readings.
It is great you can read only a few pages at a time of a lot and easily pick up right were you stopped.
THis is set up in a great format.
It has 5 simple chapters. EAch chapter has 3 character parts.
first Owl explains in simple terms what the chapter will cover and what they all will have in common. mid chapter has, THATS Tiggerific. Tigger tells a bunch of fun facts about various subjects of the chapter. Look and find with Piglet at the end helps kids find and identify animals they just lerned about.
It is not overwhelmed by the disney characters, Everypage has a small scene at the top with an exchange beteen 2 hundred acre friends. The rest focuses on animals. There are many amazing colorful photos. Simple and informative paragraph giving a few key facts and info. and fun!
Perfect for Animal lovers, book lovers, kids who love to learn.
We also have the nature version, I highly reccomend it as well!

i love this book because it has such a variety of animals in it- not just the same old ones that are in all animal books. tons of actual pictures instead of drawings. i've learned quite a bit from it as has my two-year-old. each page has a small narration by pooh and his friends.

This is a great little volume. Two thumbs up from Rose & Rand Flem-Ath.

This is a really delightful and thought provoking book that goes along nicely with the Disney movie. It builds on the lure of Atlantis and offers theories based on historical, geographical and archeological myth, legend and facts that support its existence and location. Beautifully published. It�s the kind of book I would like if I were still a kid. I enjoy these types of books.

This is a must have for all you history and atlantean fans out there.It features a complete guide to the famous archeological place on earth that evryones talking about,plus its confesion is similar tothe animated movie . All I can say is into the bookstore and grab it!!!!!!

I love this book for a lot of reasons: it has animals (I LOVE Meeko, Paula's raccoon!), the magic is really neat, the characters are believable, and I like the Disney Girls. They sound like people I'd want to be friends with.

I love the Disney Girls book series. My daughter loves the movie Cinderella and sympethizes with Ella. I can't blame her!

Disney Girls are the best books I have have ever read.Once you read a book you can't stop.It is so exciting.Gabrielle Charbonnet has written the best books, and I encourage her to write more Disney Girl books.There the best!

The photo are of excellent quality and make for a great addition to the three Pirates movies. I love the Pirate movies and hope there will be more and that there will be another poster book to follow.

This is a great poster book. I love Captain Jack and anything I can buy or receive about him. This book is a good addition.

THIS IS A VERY COOL BOOK FOR THE COLLECTOR OF ANY JOHNNY DEPP PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN. I PERSONALLY RECOMINED THIS AS PART OF THE COLLECTION.