From an Idea to Disney: How Imagination Built a World of Magic

by Lowey Bundy Sichol, C.S. Jennings (Illustrator)

Overview

From an Idea to Disney is a behind-the-movie-screen look into the history, business, and brand of the world's largest entertainment empire. With humorous black & white illustrations throughout, learn about the company behind the world's favorite mouse, Mickey!

“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse.” —Walt Disney

Today, the Walt Disney Company is the biggest entertainment company in the world with theme parks, TV shows, movie studios, merchandise, the most recognizable cartoon character in the world, Mickey Mouse. But a long time ago, brothers Walt and Roy Disney started out with just an idea. Find out more about Disney’s history, the business, and the brand in this illustrated nonfiction book!

• Find out what Walt first intended to name his famous mouse. (Hint: It wasn’t Mickey!)
• Discover behind-the-scenes magic of how Walt Disney World is run.
• Explore the ways the Disney expanded its brand from a little mouse into media, merchandise, and more!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781328453617
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/12/2019
Series:	From an Idea to Series
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	242,153
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	1100L (what's this?)
Age Range:	10 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lowey Bundy Sichol is the author and creator of From an Idea to..., the world’s first business biographies for kids. She is also the founder and principal of Case Marketing, a specialized writing firm that composes MBA case studies for business schools. Her MBA case studies have been published by Pearson and are read by business school students all over the world.

With over 20 years combined experience in marketing, brand management, and writing, Lowey is the force behind the From an Idea to…, a movement that introduces business and entrepreneurship to children.

Lowey received her MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and her BA from Hamilton College where she played varsity softball and women's rugby. When she's not writing, you can find her throwing a ball, shooting hoops, or along the shores of Lake Michigan with her husband, three children, and two big goofy dogs who like to climb trees. Look for her online at loweysichol.com. 

Editorial Reviews

"Inspirational fare."—Kirkus —

From the Publisher

2018-09-17

A history of the Walt Disney Co., from Mickey to megacorporation.

Sichol folds in a highlights-reel profile of Walt Disney himself, noting that he started smoking as a teenager and died relatively young of lung cancer but avoiding any mention of racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, or other controversial topics. Her real focus is his commercial offspring—beginning with the failed Laugh-O-Grams Films and chronicling the subsequent, more-or-less continual string of spectacular successes and major acquisitions that has led to Disney's contemporary status as the world's largest entertainment company. Along the way she points to at least some things that make Disney products and properties distinctive, and she also introduces a basic vocabulary of business terms and concepts, including bankruptcy, mortgages, market value, branding, and (ironically, since Disney's profound influence on current copyright law goes unmentioned) intellectual property rights. In common with the co-published From an Idea to Nike, the author also inserts a boilerplate section explaining the significance of "Going Public." Jennings adds quickly sketched cartoon line drawings to the pull quotes, definitions, and lists of "Fun Facts" that punctuate the well-leaded lines of both sunny tales of corporate expansion.

Inspirational fare for uncritical younger capitalists and entrepreneurs. (bibliography, source notes, timeline) (Nonfiction. 8-10)

Kirkus Reviews