This was so cool! I had no idea this person existed before (I think Walt Disney is the big name animator most people know) and it was interesting to learn about her life and pioneering animation techniques. The illustrations are beautiful as well. ( )

Recommended Ages: Gr. 4-6

Plot Summary: Lotte loved to read fairy tales since she was a little girl. She loved the stories in books and in movies and wanted to tell her own stories as she got older. She used Chinese puppets at first, but then she got to join a local acting troupe that impressed her greatly. To prove herself talented and a storyteller, she created papercuts, silhouettes of others cut from black paper. It didn't take long for to show the head creator of the troupe her talent. From there, her work kept impressing others and she was given offers to do more challenging work. Along the way, she married a fellow creator, and they were great partners in life and in art. Her biggest accomplishment was creating a full-length (silent) movie using her technique of papercuts and stop motion. It was a huge success that led to even more opportunities.

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Recurring Themes: success, art, creating, movies, silent movies

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Personal Thoughts: This book was clearly a challenge to create because it isn't easy explaining stop motion in a book. Since Lotte lived during. the time of silent movies, there is a lot for kids to understand in order to truly understand what Lotte is an inspiration to so many others. However, the theme of success and hard work is evident, even if kids don't quite understand what she created. I appreciate the note in the back about how her full-length movie uses politically incorrect illustrations of Asians, but the note also recognizes that Lotte changed her work when she learned of its inappropriateness. Another helpful note is that many of her movies are not appropriate for children. I watched a brief part of Cinderella, which is listed as suitable for children, and there was the use of the word slut fairly early on. Overall, this book was interesting and the author and illustrator did an excellent job on a difficult subject, but I don't think it's the right fit for the students at my school.

Genre: picture book biography

Pacing: medium - can be difficult to understand the techniques Lotte used
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Synergy: Lotte Reiniger

Lotte Reiniger (1899-1981) was a German filmmaker. Known for her feature-length animated films and multi-plane camera, she was a pioneer in silhouette animation. She produced some of the earliest animated films including The Adventures of Prince Achmed, the first full-length fairytale animated film.

Read the recently published nonfiction book for youth then learn more at the website.

OUT OF THE SHADOWS by Fiona Robinson is a beautifully illustrated picture book biography of Lotte Reiniger, the creator of the first animated fairytale movie. Robinson’s lyrical text and unique illustrations skillfully reflect Reiniger’s passion for fairy tales, puppet theater, and early cinema. The book concludes with an author’s note and bibliography.

THE ART OF LOTTE REINIGER is a short documentary demonstrating her animation process.

To watch the video, go to https://youtu.be/q-TJvNBO1fw.

LOTTE REINIGER is a short video from the BBC exploring this unsung heroine of early animation.

To watch the video, go to https://youtu.be/3Gm9kZLP0uE.

CINDERELLA (Aschenputtel) is a digitized version of the original fairy film in shadow show.

To watch the video, go to https://youtu.be/poq0bf6M8Z8.

ARC courtesy of Abrams Books for Young Readers, an imprint of ABRAMS. ( )