Bob Thomas wrote The Art of Animation in 1959 using the then new feature Sleeping Beauty to explain every step of the Disney feature animation process. That book became a beloved classic. This is an updated version of that book, following the making of Hercules, to explain the Disney feature animation process circa 1997.

This is a heavily revised version of the 1991 book Disney's Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Beauty & the Beast, with new art, features and sidebars.

This came from the library of Burny Mattinson (1935-2023), an animator, director, producer, and story artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios, from 1953 until his death in 2023. Mattinson directed Mickey's Christmas Carol and The Great Mouse Detective. He was named a Disney Legend in 2008 and was the longest serving employee of The Walt Disney Company, with a career that spanned almost 70 years. His extensive library included numerous subjects and especially large collections of books on Disney, animation, and classic comic strips.