School Library Journal Review
Gr 4 UpMickey tells his own story in this amusing but slight, illustrated trifle. In a brief preface, readers learn how he met Walt Disney on a train heading back to California. The two of them hit it off immediately and Disney asked the mouse if he'd like to be in the movies. The remainder of the book details Mickey's career decade by decade, with very brief text and numerous captioned illustrations that show the various cartoon shorts, comic strips, TV programs, and feature films in which he appeared. The book includes photographs of animators and studio staff members as well as the various buildings on the Disney lot. The pictures are from the Disney archives and are, of course, top-notch. Much of the material, especially that surrounding the war years, is of genuine historical interest. This book shows how Disney turned his entertainment machine into a war-propaganda factory at the behest of the U.S. government. It's also fun to see the Christmas cards Disney sent to friends and employees and Mickey Mouse comics in other languages. However, the heavily illustrated format works against this book being of any great substance. For a more informative treatment of Disney animation, try Don Hahn's Disney's Animation Magic (Disney, 1996). As it stands, this is an enjoyable browsing item for Mickey's many fans.Tim Wadham, Dallas Public Library, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
A first-person narrative 'by' Mickey Mouse takes a decade-by-decade look at Disney's most famous creation, born in 1928 and still going strong. The glib text is subordinate to the many photos, comic strips, and film stills that fill the pages. While of great interest to Mickey fans, the material is too incomplete to serve as either a scrapbook or even a semi-thorough history of the cartoon character. From HORN BOOK 1997, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
