The newest “Art of” book in the Disney/Pixar series is The Art of Hoppers, with coincides with the release of the latest animated film. The story focuses on one determined young woman who makes it her mission to save and protect animals and their habitats.
The book, like all the others in this series, includes editorial as well as countless images and drawings that went into creating the movie.
The foreword from Executive Producer Pete Doctor, is filled with his usual wit. With the main character “hopping” into the robotic body of a beaver, Doctor writes, “So as you gnaw through these pages, take a moment to chew over the artistry behind the adventure, This is where Hoppers began – not in the final polished frames, but in the raw, dam-bursting creativity that first brought these beavers to life.”
Indeed, the story did not begin the way it ended up, and through the pages the various prospective scenes are shown, giving readers a better insight into the mindset of the creative team. Director Daniel Chong admits that his initial thoughts on the film could not come to fruition. But things eventually worked out. He writes, “As our own King George would say, we were all in this together.”
There is a picture of the blackboard which the scientists use to figure out how to “hop” from a human brain into a robotic animal. It is filled with equations and scientific terms. Is this really how to do it? It is in a Disney/Pixar film!
Mabel, the hero of the film, went through different visual incarnations until they came up with final look of this girl. Mabel Tanaka is a determined 19-year-old who is fearless when it comes to helping the animals. Granted, she may not be the cutest animated hero, but she does have something very likable about her looks and her expressions. And her love of animals adds to her likability.
The pages are a great adjunct to the movie. I highly recommend seeing the movie first then going through the book to get a detailed background to the characters, the story, and the visuals that are seen on the screen.
The animators describe how they created the various animals – their shapes and colors. Plus the attitudes of the critters had to come through in the film, so that gave them more reason to delve into the construct of the faces and bodies.
My favorite page is 69, and it is a digital drawing of the main animals in the film. It brings back the humor, humanity, and fun of the story.
There are comments by the artists along with the digital art that helps readers learn about the background of the story and the scenes.
True, there are some intense and scary parts to the film, but the majority is colorful and sweet. Sensitivity, however, always resides in the background, and the book demonstrates that.
As story artist Vanessa Guvele says, “The fire scene symbolizes everything Mabel has fought for going up in flames. … Even after Mabel loses everything, her friends are there to pick her up when she needs them the most.” That is the theme of the film. We are all in this together and must help each other.
The book is filled with artwork and background, and screenwriter Jesse Andrews admits it took three years to write the story. Reading the comments by the filmmakers, it is evident they all had a lot of fun creating this new movie.
- The Art of Hoppers
- Publisher : Chronicle Books
- Publication date : February 10, 2026
- ISBN-10 : 1797237071
- ISBN-13 : 978-179723707
About the Reviewer
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites and is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
Read our movie review of Hoppers here.