I found this book to be all over the place. At first I was fascinated with his childhood and could understand how it would influence his work throughout his life. But his many pages of discussing his projects at Walt Disney Studios felt like a completely different book. Fans of Peet will no doubt enjoy it, especially the many Disney movies he worked on. ( )

Bill Peet: An Autobiography tells the story of a famous artist whose work thousands of people adore. Having worked on some beloved Disney animated movies, to writing his own heartwarming stories, Bill Peet is an artist for all ages. Using his signature art style Bill Peet illustrates his life and career with imaginative skill. Whether reading for research or just to look at the zany and otherworldly creations, this autobiography provides everything one would hope for when reading nonfiction. ( )

Award winning children's author Bill Peet wrote his autobiography as he wrote his books, aimed at children and heavily illustrated. He started out as a serious painter, was a long-time (26 years) illustrator for Walt Disney and concluded his career writing picture books for children. The story is well told, although not a lot of detail since it is aimed at children. His time with Disney is fascinating since he worked on most of the famous feature length films after Sleeping Beauty. He did work on Pinocchio, Cinderella, Jungle Book, The Sword and the Stone and 101 Dalmatians to name a few. It was a fun, quick read. ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this Newbery Honor Award winner, but that's because Bill Peet is one of my favorite children's authors. I especially enjoyed all the pictures that accompanied the text because many of them are in his other books in one form or another. The text is accessible to middle school readers, but I'm not sure many middle school students would actually read it. The Bill Peet books I've read to my children and classes are younger, so I'm not sure a student in 6th or 7th grade would really pick this book up. If they did, their memory would probably instantly take them back such classics as How Droofus the Dragon Lost His Head and Eli. I'm just not sure if Peet's biography will grip that Newbery audience. ( )

As a fan of Bill Peet's fiction, I very much enjoyed this alternate way into his life and work. This would appeal to those interested in Peet, and there's also a significant section that sheds light on the early days of Disney. ( )