Pencils, Pens, & Brushes

August 5, 2019
Johnson profiles women artists who worked at Walt Disney’s animation studio in the decades following its 1923 founding. The subtitle’s double meaning represents the book’s mission to celebrate their accomplishments while encouraging readers to pursue their own goals. The book includes few people of color, but the subjects within nevertheless pursued eclectic and impressive lives outside of Disney: before becoming a story concept artist, Sylvia Holland was the only female architect in Canada, and Mary Goodrich was both the first Connecticut woman to earn a pilot’s license and the first female journalist to write an aviation column. Disney animation artist Bové brings a snappy Disney vibe to caricatures of her predecessors, incorporating images of their cartoon creations. Ages 8–12.

Starred review from August 1, 2019

Gr 3-6-Johnson and Bové showcase 20 influential women of the world of Disney. Starting with the two Mrs. Disneys-Walt's and Roy's wives, the book takes readers from the studio's inception through the early 1980s. Johnson highlights each artist's particular strengths. For example, Mary Blair is referred to as a "Color Designer Extraordinaire" while Mary Costa is said to be the "Voice of a Princess." Notably, these wonderful Disney artists weren't all white. Gyo Fujikawa, who worked as lead artist within the Disney products sector, was a Japanese-American illustrator from California. Berta "Bea" Tamargo, who worked as an animator on Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan, was born in Havana, Cuba. The charming illustrations are expertly rendered cartoons with a mid-century modern feel. Each biography features a photograph and a drawing of the artist. Most of the stories are given a double-page spread. Each spread has text written with a chirpy rhyme, which can wear a little thin. An appended time line goes from 1901, when Walt Disney was born, to his death in 1966. VERDICT This is a young readers' version of Johnson's Ink & Paint, an oversize, wonderful tribute to the women of Disney animation. Like the Disney universe itself, this pared-down version of the original is magical. A finely written and illustrated inspiration.-Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2019
Minibiographies of women behind Disney animation highlight their skill sets and unique contributions to the enterprise. For each entry, two pages of text describe the woman's background, skills, and place in Disney history; one cartoon illustration represents her at work; and one page highlights an inspirational, rhyming couplet set in large display type. "By improving the quality of work that we do, / Great Girls accomplish so much that is new," supposedly sums up the work of color innovator Hazel Sewell, for instance. Some of the women are noted more for accomplishments unrelated to their work at Disney (such as a section about women who also flew planes). Japanese American artist Gyo Fujikawa and Cuban artist Berta "Bea" Tamargo are the only women of color represented. The illustrations are attractive, and each story contains valuable information to educate and inspire. Unfortunately, the text layout and lackluster writing make it difficult for those who are not industrial-strength Disney fans to persevere. Frequent references to specialized roles and processes defer explanation to a closing glossary, which acts as a further deterrent to casual readers. The insistent use of "Great Girls" to refer to these women disappointingly diminishes the importance of their work. A treasure for a niche; disappointing for most. (timeline) (Collective biography. 10-12)

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