When I was growing up, I was told that Walt Disney created the first animated movies and storyboards. Imagine my surprise when I came across a picture book biography of Lotte Reiniger and discovered that, in 1920s Germany, a woman was already doing both!
This book would be perfect for any kids interested in stop-motion filmmaking or early animation. After reading this beautifully illustrated biography, I immediately pulled up The Ornament of the Loving Heart, one her early four-minute films on YouTube to watch with my teens. It turned into a delightful little rabbit trail!
It also reminded me of another paper-cutting favorite—Appolonia’s Valentine by Katherine Milhous—which is on our Valentine’s Day book list and available to read online on Internet Archive.
Do you have any other paper-cutting books to recommend? Drop them in the comments if you do!
Book details:
Cut!: How Lotte Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation by C. E. Winters and Matt Schu
Appolonia’s Valentine by Katherine Milhous
Find more books to love in our free Literary Catalogue!
Our Literary Catalogue
Welcome to the Reshelving Alexandria Community's Literary Catalogue! This is a collection of true, good, and beautiful books that we have curated through a lifetime of reading. This catalogue is comp…
I wanted to suggest the book “The Amazing Paper Cuttings of Hans Christian Andersen” written by Beth Wagner Brust. It is a biography of Hans Christian Andersen, but it also showcases his art and methodology throughout the book.