With a refrain of ‘snip, snip, snip!’ the story introduces readers to German film pioneer Lotte Reiniger (1899–1981). Lotte’s adolescence coincided with the dawn of cinema, a time when movies ‘were silent but filled with magical sights’ . . . Schu’s exquisite digital illustrations possess a strong sense of illumination and depth, often suggesting a tactile quality, as if constructed from paper.” — Horn Book (starred review)
“This story shines a light on artist, moviemaker, inventor, and trailblazer Lotte Reiniger. Born in Germany, Reiniger loved using paper and scissors to make beautiful art. . . . Winters and Schu do an excellent job in telling the story of Reiniger, who created the first animated film and is indirectly responsible for all of the animated cartoons and movies audiences have enjoyed for generations. It is story of hope, rejection, and determination, and is inspiring to all artists. A wonderful addition to public, school, and classroom collections.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“In the early 1900s, Lotte Reiniger used a traditional German art of scissorcut paper for creating silhouette puppet-play characters with movable joints. She was spellbound by movies . . . determined to develop a way of recreating her puppet plays as films. . . . This picture book offers insights into her achievements as well as the early history of animated films. Schu’s handsome digital artwork makes good use of silhouettes as well as dramatic lighting effects to illustrate Reiniger’s career while drawing children into her story.” — Booklist
“The creator of the world’s oldest surviving full-length animated film is celebrated. . . . Winters keeps the storytelling crisp and to the point. . . . Schu’s art, meanwhile, brings the magic of Reiniger’s cut paper technique to life on these pages, integrating the silhouettes with her trials and triumphs.” — Kirkus Reviews
“A ‘snip, snip, snip!’ refrain fittingly compels this matter-of-fact chronicle of German animator Charlotte ‘Lotte’ Reiniger (1899–1981). . . . Emphasizing chiaroscuro via a limited palette, digital depictions from Schu appropriately foreground silhouettes rather than the figure herself. Dream-centered text by Winters articulates the labor put in by its subject, making for an informative account of a successful life in the movie business, involving ‘a pair of scissors, a great deal of patience, and her talented hands.’ Back matter includes a timeline, author’s note, and glossary.” — Publishers Weekly
★ 02/01/2023
Gr 1–4—This story shines a light on artist, moviemaker, inventor, and trailblazer Lotte Reiniger. Born in Germany, Reiniger loved using paper and scissors to make beautiful art. One day her grandmother took her to the theater to see a silent movie. The child thought it was magical and decided that she wanted to make movies, making characters cut from paper called silhouettes. Winters and Schu do an excellent job in telling the story of Reiniger, who created the first animated film and is indirectly responsible for all of the animated cartoons and movies audiences have enjoyed for generations. It is story of hope, rejection, and determination, and is inspiring to all artists. VERDICT A wonderful addition to public, school, and classroom collections.—Laura Ellis
2022-11-16
The creator of the world’s oldest surviving full-length animated film is celebrated in this straightforward biography.
Born in 1899, Lotte Reiniger was enthralled by the cinema and would tell her own stories to other children by creating tales with cut-paper silhouettes. That skill turned out to have big benefits when she caught the attention of director Paul Wegener. Soon she was designing and directing short films of her own. It was when she was offered the daunting proposal to try her hand at a full-length animated feature film—The Adventures of Prince Achmed—that she invented the tricktisch, a wooden tower that would allow her to film scenes with multiple panes of glass, aka the first multiplane camera. Winters keeps the storytelling crisp and to the point, avoiding any mention of Achmed’s racial stereotyping. Schu’s art, meanwhile, brings the magic of Reiniger’s cut paper technique to life on these pages, integrating the silhouettes with her trials and triumphs. The book is not without its charms but sadly lacks the originality that made Reiniger the master of visual arts as we remember her today. Pairing this book with Fiona Robinson’s Out of the Shadows: How Lotte Reiniger Made the First Animated Fairytale Movie (2022) could allow for a more rounded look at this pioneering artist’s life. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An unadorned telling of an artist deserving of additional praise. (timeline, author’s note, sources, glossary) (Picture-book biography. 5-10)
