Reviews
" Eye-opening and empowering ...Holt rectifies a serious wrong...as she tells the often-omitted stories of these enormously talented women."-- Leah Huey, Library Journal (starred review), "Nathalia Holt's richly detailed group biographyshines a welcome light on Disney's true heroines--not the princesses on the screen, but the talented female artists and writers working hard behind the scenes. The Queens of Animation is also a crisp reflection on Hollywood's charged and changing relationship with beauty, race and fame."-- Margot Lee Shetterly, New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Figures, " This is one you don't want to miss--and won't want to put down . Holt brings her empathy, smart writing, and knack for research to the story of another group of extraordinary, unsung women heroes ."-- Brian Jay Jones,author of Becoming Dr. Seuss and George Lucas: A Life, "Readers who loved Nathalia Holt's Rise of the Rocket Girls will find so much to enjoy in this deeply researched, loving celebration of Disney's long-overlooked female pioneers. Holt evocatively blends social history, technological advances and the personal livesof these forgotten artists to champion their achievements and their extraordinary legacy."-- Kate Moore, New York Times bestselling author of The Radium Girls, "Sprightly...Holt,a science journalist and a popular historian, introduces us to a handful ofwomen who worked on some of the classic Disney Studios films, spins them around,sprinkles some pixie dust, and has them take a bow."-- Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, "A riveting and essential read about the women who helped create many of the most famous Walt Disney films. Like Hidden Figure s and Rise of the Rocket Girls, The Queens of Animation tells us a story we need to hear, one that was lost to history until now ."-- Charlotte Gordon, author of Romantic Outlaws, "Nathalia Holt's richly detailedgroup biography shines a welcome light on Disney's true heroines--not theprincesses on the screen, but the talented female artists and writers workinghard behind the scenes. The Queens of Animation is also a crispreflection on Hollywood's charged and changing relationship with beauty, race,and fame." -- Margot Lee Shetterly, New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Figures, "A remarkable true story, unforgettably told ...Holt has unearthed a vivid, soaring, vitally important untold story of women's contribution to technology, entertainment, and art."-- Lisa Mundy, New York Times bestselling author of Code Girls, " Engrossing ...While restoring these women to their rightful place in history, Holt also covers the evolution of Disney's animated features, such as how the studio continually integrated new technological innovations, including the multiplane camera, stop-motion animation, Technicolor, and many others. Going up to the present to highlight how women have continued to play key roles in making films like Brave and Frozen, Holt's thorough and enchanting account will be a must-read for Disney enthusiasts and champions of women's artistic contributions." -- Publishers Weekly, "Holt'sdedication to telling these women's stories after they've been lost--and nearlyforgotten--for so long is palpable, narrating their personal histories as if theanimators were characters themselves...And if it weren't for this book, theirwork might have gone ignored and overlooked forever."-- Rachel King, Fortune, "Disney'sfemale artists and writers have finally been receiving long overduerecognition. Holt's heartfelt, deeply researched tome, however, is the first totruly highlight the sexism they experienced at the studio."-- Biz Hyzy, Booklist (starred review), "Disney fans will go wild over The Queens of Animation ... Nathalia Holt digs deep and exposes some of the talented women who finally get some recognition."-- Sophie Matthews, Women.com, " The Queens of Animation draws on the revealing and engagingly personal stories of many talented women who had a hand in the creation of the animated Disney films we all love--a long overdue recognition for their contributions. It's time to resuscitate and honor all that women have clandestinely molded and shaped."-- Kara Cooney, author of When Women Ruled the World, "Think of this book as if Hidden Figures were about Walt Disney Studios instead of NASA. The Queens of Animation pulls back the curtain on a handful of influential, and largely under-recognized, women writers and animators who helped shape the early aesthetic of Disney during a time when the industry was largely a boy's club...Holt goes from Snow White up to Frozen in this essential read ahead of the launch of Disney+ this fall."-- Jeva Lange, The Week, 25 Books to Read in the Second Half of 2019, "Gripping, galvanizing reading...A beautifully sculpted narrative of hurtlingly fast pace...invaluably researched...A bolt of pure reading delight that outdoes even Holt's utterly winning earlier book Rise of the Rocket Girls ...Holt has told the story of indispensable trailblazers."-- Steve Donoghue, Christian Science Monitor, "Marvelous... The Queens of Animation grips from the first page...As Holt shows so masterfully, the bright colors and curved lines that become those fairy tale figures are the results of realwomen's brains, strength, and passion."-- Mary Gabriel, author of Ninth Street Women, "A gripping corrective...Nathalia Holt ushers theseanimators and story developers into the limelight...Few know of the company'sfemale virtuosi, who from the 1930s on injected nuance into characters fromBambi to a panoply of princesses."-- Barbara Kiser, Nature, "Nathalia Holt has a deeper, more important motive for revisiting classics...Marshaling scrupulous research, the author makes the case for the role played by female studio employees in bringing to life those classic films...This book scores for telling us something new about the films we thought we knew so well."-- Peter Tonguette, Wall Street Journal
