Karen Paik

Readers get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the artistic process that went into making Disney Pixar’s Ratatouille, an animated film about a rat who dreams of becoming a chef. This oversized volume (24 cm x 29 cm) features reproductions of over 300 pieces of concept art, including storyboards, sketches, sculpts, character studies, lighting studies and more. Quotations from the film crew offer additional insights into the filmmaking process. Yet while children who have enjoyed Ratatouille might be drawn to this highly visual book, it does not seem to have been designed for those children. It’s in-depth discussions of the decisions that went into modeling each character and the research that went into designing each set instead mean that this book is targeted for budding animators or filmmakers. Libraries seeking Ratatouille-inspired materials for young children may wish to look elsewhere. However, for librarians seeking materials to enhance a film studies collection, this book would be an excellent addition. Recommended for readers age 12 and up.… (meer)