The untold story of ten critical, formative years in the great producer's life

Eat Like Walt, explores the lore of each land, beginning with Main Street, U.S.A., an homage to Walt's childhood home of Marceline, Missouri, to Tomorrowland, set in futuristic 1986, a year Disney would not live long enough to see. Although Disneyland opened in 1955, its culinary history dates back to 1923 when Walt Disney first arrived in Hollywood. Walt was a simple eater yet a big dreamer. By 1934, four years before his first feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, would be released, Mickey Mouse had made him famous enough to have a recipe published in Better Homes & Gardens magazine. Ask fans what Walt's favorite food was and most will say, "Chili." Chili has a cult status at Disneyland. People want to eat what Walt ate, the way he ate, where he ate it.

Walt Disney always loved to entertain people. Often it got him into trouble. Once he painted pictures with tar on the side of his family's white house. His family was poor, and the happiest time of his childhood was spent living on a farm in Missouri. His affection for small-town life is reflected in Disneyland Main Streets around the world. With black-and-white illustrations throughout, this biography reveals the man behind the magic. This book is not authorized, licensed or endorsed by the Walt Disney Company or any affiliate.

Friends, family, and celebrities remember the role Walt Disney played in their lives in this richlyl illustrated book, now available in paperback. Mention the name Walt Disney and one can't help but conjure up images of brilliant animation and magnificent theme parks. But a uniquely creative and charismatic man also sprints to mind -- a man who in his amazingly productive lifetime was many things to many people. Whether as a family member, friend, colleague, employer, or public figure, Walt was there for everyone. In Remembering Walt, Walt's contemporaries pay tribute to a visionary, a perfectionist, a storyteller, and a genius -- and the man they called boss, dad, husband, brother, artist, and friend.

How to Be Like is a “character biography” series: biographies that also draw out important lessons from the life of their subjects. In this new book—by far the most exhaustive in the series—Pat Williams tackles one of the most influential people in recent history. While many recent biographies of Walt Disney have reveled in the negative, this book takes an honest but positive look at the man behind the myth. For the first time, the book pulls together all the various strands of Disney’s life into one straightforward, easy-to-read tale of imagination, perseverance, and optimism. Far from a preachy or oppressive tome, this book scrapes away the minutiae to capture the true magic of a brilliant maverick. Key Features This is for the millions of Disney fans—those who admire his artistry or his business savvy or the products of his namesake company. The tone and style of the book will capture the imagination of younger readers, especially teens, in the same way as How to Be Like Mike. Support within the Disney world includes the daughter and grandson of Walt Disney; nephew and former vice chairman Roy Disney; and numerous Disney insiders who are already spreading the word.

In this second volume of the best-selling Vault of Walt series, Disney historian Jim Korkis reveals even more forgotten tales of Walt Disney and the Disney Company to entertain and enlighten Disney fans.

The range of Walt Disney's accomplishments is remarkable. He is considered the most successful filmmaker in history. He won 32 Academy Awards, far more than those of any other filmmaker. He revolutionized the amusement park and resort industries, and his theme parks have been praised as among the most outstanding urban designs in the United States. As Ward Kimball, one of Walt Disney's most prominent animators, once said, "At the bottom line Walt was a down-to-earth farmer's son who just happened to be a genius." Walt Disney spent his formative years in Missouri. Some of the direct influences of these years on his career are documented in this book. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the first feature-length animated film to be produced, was inspired by a black-and-white, live-action silent film version of "Snow White" that he viewed as a teen-ager in Kansas City. A theatrical production of "Peter Pan" that he saw as a child in Marceline, Mo., led to his own animated version of the story. Born in Chicago in December 1901, he moved with his family to a farm near Marceline, where he lived from ages 4 to 9. "To tell the truth," Walt Disney once wrote, "more things of importance happened to me in Marceline than have happened since--or are likely to in the future." The town of Marceline was the inspiration for many features of future Disney theme parks, and the pastoral setting he lived in there is also reflected in many of his films. Except for a couple of years spent in Chicago and France, Disney lived in Kansas City from 1911 to 1923. During his years in Kansas City he learned the discipline that would enable him to persevere and prevail through the many hardships he experienced as a struggling filmmaker. It was in Kansas City that he trained to become a commercial artist and an animator, and Kansas City was the location of his first film production studio, Laugh-O-gram Films. Walt Disney's Missouri not only tells the story of the young Disney growing up, but it also paints a picture of the Kansas City he knew. With the bankruptcy of Laugh-O-gram Films, Disney moved to California, drawing with him many of his Kansas City colleagues, who would eventually win fame in animation themselves. This richly illustrated book describes Disney's Missouri years and chronicles his many connections and returns to the state until his death in 1966. The book also details two little-know projects in Missouri that Disney seriously considered in his later years--theme parks in his "hometown," Marceline, and in St. Louis. As his daughter Diane Disney Miller says in the foreword to the book, Walt Disney was "truly a Missourian."

“It’s a perfect book for revving up small helpers to pitch in with the shoveling.”—The Wall Street Journal “Charming and endearing.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “The grit of The Little Engine that Could, the nostalgic illustrations of Katy and the Big Snow, and a touch of modernity from an accomplished author and illustrator, combine to become Small Walt.” —School Library Journal A tiny snowplow determined to prove his worth battles a blizzard in this supremely charming story in the tradition of Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and The Little Engine that Could. My name is Walt, I plow and I salt. They say I’m small, but I’ll show them all. Small Walt and his driver, Gus, take on a blizzard! All the bigger snowplows doubt that Walt has what it takes to plow the roads in the storm, but Walt is determined to prove them wrong. Brimming with onomatopoeia and Walt’s affirming chants, this sweet picture book shows that when it comes to strength, size doesn’t matter. Bestselling illustrator Marc Rosenthal’s wintry scenes make this book the perfect cozy read-aloud.

Finally ... The Real Walt Disney. In the half century since his death, Walt Disney has picked up a lot of biographical baggage. Fans see him as a saint, critics as a fraud. Was he kindly Uncle Walt, or a racist, rapacious tycoon? Disney historian Jim Korkis puts the rumors to rest.

“Rosenthal’s drawings feel like a contemporary take on [Virginia Lee] Burton’s spirit.” —The New York Times Book Review “Children ages 3–7 will rejoice as in Marc Rosenthal’s retro illustrations the little plow surges into action, rays of purposeful energy shooting off his red chassis.” —The Wall Street Journal “Delightful, retro artwork and clever text offer another tribute to teamwork and friendship…Three dynamic duos: Gus and Walt; Sue and Mo; Verdick and Rosenthal.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Small Walt befriends a tow truck when he comes across a car in need of help in this irresistible companion to Small Walt, which Kirkus Reviews called “charming and endearing” in a starred review. We’re Gus and Walt We plow and we salt We clear the snow so the Cars can go! A bitter blizzard. A snowbound town. When a car skids off the road, Small Walt and Gus might not have what it takes to save the day on their own. But who does? Mo the Tow to the rescue! When we need a tow, We call on Mo… We can depend On our new friend! Text filled with onomatopoeia and Walt’s affirming chants make this story about friendship and accepting help from others a real winner.