‘The Art of Strange World’
Category: Books and Music
The latest animated feature from Disney is Strange World, a fun story about family. The story focuses on the Clade family of explorers who, along with their three-legged dog, a blob, and some other characters, navigate the world and see the impact on the environment.
“The Art of Strange World” is a wonderful book that adds to the background of the story and the characters. There is plenty of editorial information throughout the pages along with art.
Jennifer Lee, Executive Producer and Chief Creative Officer, writes in the preface, “One of the biggest gifts that a Walt Disney Animation Studios film can give us is transporting us to places we would never be able to go to on our own. Strange World does exactly that, …”
The book takes readers through the story with interesting contextual stories. Co-director and writer Qui Nguyen writes that after her initial meeting at Disney, “… I desperately wanted to write the film for my kids.” She said while it is a story about the environment there is another aspect that appealed to her. “It was also a super-cool father-and-son love story.”
For those who have seen the movie, this book is an adjunct that delves deeper into the heart of the tale and the characters. For those who have yet to see the film, it introduces the story and the characters and for those readers will whet their appetites to watch the beautifully animated story.
The book looks at the different members of the Clade family and where they live. It shows how they were created and designed for the movie. Their vehicles play a big part in the story and artist depictions of the various vehicles are shown in beautiful digital sketches.
Two non-human characters will undoubtedly capture the hearts and imaginations of viewers – Legend, the three-legged dog and Splat the blob with an attitude. These will become iconic Disney characters and this holiday season it is inevitable that kids will be requesting toys to go along with the Strange World story.
The artwork and the information imparted in the pages look at the world of Avalonia, the burning sea, the windy jungle, the amber desert, and more. These locations are beautifully designed and the digital renderings are colorful as well as impart the feelings of the locations.
There is a section that looks at the textiles and colors used to create the locations. Much like the animators did in Frozen, Encanto, etc, they used specific colors and designs to express the tone of the strange world.
This book is a must-have for fans of the film as well as Disney Animation fans. It is also a good way for parents to share the story with their children. Looking at the art and talking about the movie together is a nice way to end the day.
- The Art of Disney Strange World
- Hardcover
- Chronicle Books (November 1, 2022)
About the Reviewer
Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.