Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 2-5, younger for reading aloud. In words and pictures Peet recalls his childhood, his coming-of-age, his years as an artist at the Disney studios, and, more briefly, his career as an author and illustrator of children's picture books. His candor in writing about his working life makes this an unusual biography for children in tone as well as format. And the format is unusual: seldom has an autobiography of this length been so fully illustrated. Black-and-white pencil drawings on every page depict Peet's life story with characteristic energy, humor, and verve. The colorful dust jacket shows a young boy drawing in his attic while well-known characters from Peet's books cavort around him like ideas developing on the borders of his mind. Although children who know Peet's picture books and those who love to draw will particularly enjoy this autobiography, others will find it an appealing glimpse of one man's America over a span of eight decades. An original. --Carolyn Phelan
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Fans who grew up with any of Peet's more than 30 books-- Pamela the Camel ; Zella, Zack and Zodiac ; Chester the Worldly Pig among them--or with any of the Disney movies he worked on--such as Cinderella , Dumbo , Pinocchio , 101 Dalmatians --will welcome this inside look at the creative process. Peet wryly tells the story of his life, from his boyhood in Indianapolis to his years working at the Disney studios. He started as an ``in-betweener,'' who had the ``tedious, painstaking job of adding hundreds of drawings in between hundreds of other drawings to move Donald or Mickey from here to there.'' The job lasted until the day a stack of Donald Duck drawings caused Peet to run from the office, shouting ``NO MORE DUCKS!!! NO MORE LOUSY DUCKS!'' Promoted to the story department, he was often the imaginative force behind ideas for which story editors claimed credit in front of Walt Disney; his work at the studio lasted 27 years, during which time his children's book career took off. Readers will come away with a Peet's-eye view of the Depression, and also of the drudgery and politicking of office life--and he completely demystifies the glamour side of working in Hollywood. The illustrations--samples from his Disney sketches and pictures of him involved in nearly every facet of human experience--offer a humorous guide to adult life that readers of all ages will surely respond to. Toward the end, Peet spells out for readers what he believes has been the course of his life, and these pages are a little too baldly introspective compared to what has come before. Nevertheless, he offers an ebullient invitation to survey his life, a dip into an inkpot of entertaining facts. And the format could inspire a whole new kind of autobiography--since an illustrator ``thinks'' visually, using pictures to tell his life story seems positively inspired. Ages 8-12. ( Apr . ) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3 Up-- Peet's long shelf of popular picture books are familiar to library patrons; his long career as an artist for the Disney studios may not be so well-known. All of this and more is covered in this enthusiastic and heart-felt autobiography. The format is similar to James Stevenson's When I Was Nine (Greenwillow, 1986)--a picture book with autobiographical text and profuse illustrations in the familiar style of the author/subject--but while Stevenson describes only a short period in his life, Peet starts with his earliest memories and continues up to the present. Beginning with a traditional Midwestern town and country boyhood, the book follows Peet through high school, into art school, on to local prizes for his paintings, and eventually to an invitation to ``audition'' for the Disney studios, where he eventually worked on Snow White , Dumbo , Sleeping Beauty , and many more films. At the same time, he struggled at home with the picture-book format for his art, finding himself with reams of picture stories but at a loss for words to accompany them. Every page of this oversized book is illustrated with Peet's unmistakable black-and-white drawings of himself and the people, places, and events described in the text. Familiar characters from his books and movies appear often. The fascinating subject matter will encourage readers to finish the lengthy text. The pictures tell their own story and can be appreciated on many levels. An excellent choice for inspiring young gifted and talented students as well as for general readers. --Susan L. Rogers, Chestnut Hill Academy, Pa. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Though Peet is the author-illustrator of 30 widely popular children's books, writing them was a second career: an aspiring painter, he joined Disney during the production of Snow White in order to make a living and stayed on for more than 30 years, making major contributions to Disney's best work, before developing his own unique picture-book style. Peet's account is also unique among new autobiographies for children. His lively drawings are so abundant that the format here resembles a picture book: with Peet's discerning eye and witty pencil, they contribute as much as his excellent text without earmarking the book for younger readers only. The sketches of Disney himself in action are a special addition to film history. Peet is forthright about the poor grades he got in school (he was interested only in drawing) and the family difficulties caused by an improvident father; he includes wonderfully revealing anecdotes about Disney. How be adapted his considerable skills to book illustration provides a Fascinating insight into the creative process. An excellent blend of verbal and visual social history and self-revelation that should have broad appeal. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
