Peek behind the scenes and celebrate a woman whose achievements shaped Disney magic.
Steering clear of the spotlight, Lillian Disney (neé Bounds) found her own way to leave her mark on the Disney legacy.
Born the last of 10 siblings in 1899, Lilly had a knack for finding magic in the everyday despite her tough beginnings—after her father died when she was 17, she helped her mother make ends meet. She stumbled upon the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio after moving to Los Angeles. Though women were rarely hired in animation at the time, Walt and Roy Disney took a chance on Lilly. She became an inker and a painter, filling animators’ drawings with pigment, cell by cell. Enamored by her boss’s creativity, Lilly fell in love with Walt, and they were soon married. When Walt sketched a cartoon mouse named Mortimer, Lillian suggested that “Mickey” would be a catchier name. Though Lilly preferred to stay behind the scenes while supporting her husband, she left a lasting impact on the company: dreaming up cartoon ideas, testing theme park rides, and even innovating Disneyland’s trash-collection system. Richman sprinkles pixie dust on one woman’s influence on the Disney we know today; still, young readers eager to take center stage may be frustrated with Lillian’s willingness to play second fiddle to Walt. Digital illustrations are rendered with a muted palette that evokes the period but feels a bit dull, directly depicting the events described in the text rather than building on them.
Peek behind the scenes and celebrate a woman whose achievements shaped Disney magic. (author’s note, timeline, sources) (Picture-book biography. 5-8)Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9781665962742
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song.
Through the power of music, Lucimarian Tolliver is reminded of what’s important.
Lucy is one of the only children of African descent on her block—called Lucy Street—in 1930s Akron, Ohio, but all her neighbors share one commonality: poverty. Lucy’s carefree spirit is dampened when her family’s furniture is repossessed one day. She visits her grandfather, who comforts her by singing the folk standard “This Little Light of Mine.” Grandpa tells Lucy that she’s destined for greatness and that she should never stop singing, even through life’s toughest moments. Back at home, Lucy’s father scolds her for singing at the dinner table, so she quickly finishes eating and wanders outside and sings into the night. Her voice reaches her family and neighbors, who are all touched by her song. Digital illustrations evoke the time period in muted tones, featuring endearing characters with simple yet expressive features. The visual subject matter is repetitive from page to page, as are the incorporated lyrics of “This Little Light of Mine.” Based on Lucimarian Tolliver’s experiences growing up during the Depression, the text contains an epilogue but lacks backmatter detailing historical context or more information about Lucy’s life. Though the themes of optimism and the importance of family, faith, and music shine through the text, readers may be left with more questions than answers.
A brief but sweet snapshot of an inspiring girl who finds hope in song. (Picture-book biography. 5-7)Pub Date: May 20, 2025
ISBN: 9780063222540
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: March 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2025
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