My Top 10 Disney Book Recommendations for Gift Giving this 2019 Holiday Season

Hi everyone!

I have reviewed quite a few Disney books this year and I thought I’d make a top 10 list of 2019 favorites to recommend for gift giving. This has been a great year for books, with almost none that I’ve read that I would not recommend. These are not in too much of an order, and there are a lot of other good books this year so it was hard to cut it down to just 10. I also am not adding any I have not read, like Bob Iger’s The Ride of a Lifetime. I did just order that one with a special Amazon offer so I look forward to reading and maybe reviewing it. These all have affiliate links from Amazon, thank you to those who go through them!

1) Marc Davis in His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks – This is my favorite book (2-book set) of the year. If you or someone you know is interested in Imagineering and/or the talented Imagineer and Disney Legend Marc Davis, this is 14 pounds of goodness. It isn’t inexpensive, but there is often a good deal on Amazon (compared to the list price of $150.00). And my review is here.

2)  Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career – Kevin Rafferty offers up a wonderfully written book with so many stories packed into a relatively small book. Except that I think the book should have been in large format (with larger words to go along), this is among the very best of the best of 2019. Rafferty does not sugarcoat his life, there are some very funny stories. My review is here.

 

3)  The Muppet Christmas Carol: The Illustrated Holiday Classic – It’s The Muppet Christmas Carol in book form. That is about all I need to say, it is a special book in my library now – even if it is written with kids in mind. My review is here.

4) They Drew as They Pleased Vol 5: The Hidden Art of Disney’s Early RenaissanceThe 1970s and 1980s –  I had heard rumors that this series might not continue, so I was happy there is now 5 volumes. This isn’t my favorite of the series (volume 4 probably is), but it is a very good book that includes two artist profiles and unique concept art you might not see anywhere else. I recommend the series by Ghez, he is a very good researcher. My review is here.

5)  Walt Disney’s Ultimate Inventor: The Genius of Ub Iwerks – I just reviewed this, and it is a good history of the life and especially the inventions of Ub Iwerks. Iwerks co-created Mickey Mouse but so much more. It releases December 10th, 2019. My review is here.

6)  The Walt Disney Studios: A Lot to Remember – I have read but not reviewed this so far, but it is a must-have for diehard Disney history fans. I will have a review soon! It is a re-release, the book was out briefly a few years back.

7)  Mary Blair’s Unique Flair: The Girl Who Became One of the Disney Legends – This is geared toward kids, but I enjoy it too. The artwork by Brittney Lee is stunning and goes well with the story. My review is here.

8  I am Walt Disney (Ordinary People Change the World) – This is a very well written children’s book. It is a small book but fairly wordy and a little more grown up than I expected. But it talks about the life of Walt Disney in a way that is true and not perfect. My review is here. Disney history fans will recognize some of the other people shown in the book as well as some of the stories.

10 – Entertaining with Disney: Exceptional Events From Mickey Mouse to Moana! – To choose a tenth book was hard, because I’ve probably reviewed 25+ books this year and have a few I’ve read that I have not reviewed. But along with Disney Editions, Insight Editions really knocked it out of the park with some strong books this year, including The Muppet Christmas Carol above. While I am not too creative anymore, the book Entertaining with Disney is at a very good price point with recipes and planning tips for Disney events. It is a book I have found myself recommending when the subject of party planning comes up.