Walt's Imagination

This picture book biography traces the life of Walt Disney, whose name has come to mean family entertainment. Readers meet the characters and films he gave the world, including Mickey Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Bambi, along with Disneyland and many other creations that have delighted children across the globe.

The story begins on a farm in rural Missouri and follows Walt as he moves from boy to actor, artist, animator, director, and famous entertainer. Along the way, he meets both setbacks and great triumphs. Throughout, he relied on imagination, resourcefulness, and close attention to detail, constantly searching for clever answers, new technology, and fresh ways to tell a story. His rigorous pursuit of perfection could make him a difficult collaborator, yet his talent and influence on animation are undeniable.

Doreen Rappaport presents Walt's own words alongside her clear, engaging narration, and John Pomeroy, an animator and painter, brings the story to life with lively, true-to-life illustrations. Part of the Big Words series, this book portrays a man of wide-ranging passions and an evolving vision who was, above all, a storyteller.