Walt's Imagination

“Walt Disney may be a household name, but readers may be surprised to learn of the man behind the franchise. Rappaport introduces him as a child who found a reprieve from difficult family circumstances through performance and art. At 16, Disney joined the Red Cross and used his earnings to create his own animation studio; eventually, focus, determination, and ‘a mouse named Mickey’ led to Disney’s success. Readers well versed in early Disney cartoons will recognize familiar characters in Pomeroy’s art–he uses a rich, painterly style to convey moments from Disney’s life and legacy. Setbacks, including an animators’ strike and the onset of WWII, are offset by pivotal events, such as the planning and development of Disneyland. Readers may be particularly intrigued by details relating to the assiduous work of early animation.”–Publishers Weekly

Doreen Rappaport’s nonfiction and historical fiction books have been acclaimed for their meticulous research and varied literary styles. She is the recipient of the Washington Post/Children’s Book Guild lifetime achievement award for the writing of nonfiction. Among her many award-winning biographies are Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, a Caldecott Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Book, Orbis Pictus Honor Book, and a Jane Addams Children’s Book Award winner; and Abe’s Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln, illustrated by Kadir Nelson, the Library of Virginia’s Whitney and Scott Cardozo Award winner, a CCBC Best Book of the Year, and an IRA Teachers’ Choice. Doreen lives in upstate New York.

John Pomeroy is an animator, storyboard artist, and animation producer who began his over forty-year career at Walt Disney Studios in 1973. He has worked on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Rescuers, Pete’s Dragon, The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, The Land Before Time, Pocahontas, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Curious George, Planes, and most recently Disney Junior’s Sofia the First. He is also a painter of portraits and military history. He lives with his wife, Cami, and their family in Brentwood, Tennessee.

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