The Queens of Animation

The Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History

By: Nathalia Holt

Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld

Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

From the best-selling author of Rise of the Rocket Girls, the untold, "richly detailed" story of the women of Walt Disney Studios, who shaped the iconic films that have enthralled generations (Margot Lee Shetterly, New York Times best-selling author of Hidden Figures).

From Snow White to Moana, from Pinocchio to Frozen, the animated films of Walt Disney Studios have moved and entertained millions. But few fans know that behind these groundbreaking features was an incredibly influential group of women who fought for respect in an often ruthless male-dominated industry and who have slipped under the radar for decades.

In The Queens of Animation, best-selling author Nathalia Holt tells their dramatic stories for the first time, showing how these women infiltrated the boys' club of Disney's story and animation departments and used early technologies to create the rich artwork and unforgettable narratives that have become part of the American canon. As the influence of Walt Disney Studios grew - and while battling sexism, domestic abuse, and workplace intimidation - these women also fought to transform the way female characters are depicted to young audiences.

With gripping storytelling, and based on extensive interviews and exclusive access to archival and personal documents, The Queens of Animation reveals the vital contributions these women made to Disney's Golden Age and their continued impact on animated filmmaking, culminating in the record-shattering Frozen, Disney's first female-directed full-length feature film.

A Best Book of 2019: Library Journal, Christian Science Monitor, and Financial Times

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Nathalia Holt (P)2019 Little, Brown & Company

Critic reviews

"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)

"A riveting and essential read about the women who helped create many of the most famous Walt Disney films. Like Hidden Figures 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)

"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 lives of these forgotten artists to champion their achievements and their extraordinary legacy." (Kate Moore, New York Times best-selling author of The Radium Girls)

Awesome Story!

I loved listening to this book so much that I bought a hard copy to read it again!
It was eye-opening to learn about the crappy way women artists were treated at Disney but not surprising. I enjoyed learning about these awesome women who still went for the careers they wanted and deserved to have.
I am so glad things have changed for women, but I think there's still a long way to go in the area of equality not only in the workforce but in the way some girls and women are still being taught to think.

Great read! Really informative

Great read! Really informative and eye-opening about women and their role in the history of animation.

Fascinating animation history

A fascinating look at the unsung women involved in Disney animation from the beginning and their lasting legacies. Also a look at a very complicated and at times oxymoronic company and how they treated women in their employ. Both the good and the bad is explored and improvements evidenced as time went on culminating in recent history with Frozen and the first woman director of a Disney animated film.

Interesting

I enjoyed it and learned a lot about the early years of animation at Disney.

Very Informational, Very Human

The book all the way through is eye opening, and also heart wrenching with how it conveys the pain and heart of the artists it speaks of. Special mention must go also to the characterization of Walt; it would have been easy to brush him under the rug and relegate him to a kind of cartoony bad guy, but the way the book tells of the multiple facets of his person, and how the women in the book affected him is a fantastic insight even if you don't particularly care about Walt or Disney.

This is one of the finest books written about the company and its history that has ever been written.

loved this so much!

I didn't expect this to go through the entire age of Disney. I honestly thought I was going to hear about the first women hired, but WOW ..so much information. This was well rest researched on so many different levels!

Superb Storytelling About Those Who Deserve Recognition

I’ve listened to many nonfiction books on audible as it’s my favorite genre, but this is by far my favorite. If you care anything about Disney or Animation or Women in History or Art, you’ll cheer, learn, & cry throughout this book. Bravo!

Wonderful information and performance

This was a treat to learn so much about the early and later animation work by women especially Mary Blair at the Disney Studios.

Buy this book!! Truly Inspiring and fascinating!

I wasn't sure about buying this book at first but I'm so glad I did. This is one of my favorite books now. It takes you on a journey through history, the evolution of animation and Disney, and the characters are these real-life women who are an inspiration, as they try to fight prejudice and work hard to advance their art and their dreams.

Super interesting and a great story

This whole book is so full of great information on both the women in the world of Walt Disney animation, and also just the history of the studio in general. The only person I’d heard of before in this story is Mary Blair, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity through this book to learn about how many talented women were a part of Disney’s early years.