A Kiss Goodnight

October 1, 2017

K-Gr 4-As a child in Marceline, MI, Walt Disney was inspired by the annual Fourth of July fireworks. Throughout his life, while building his company and creating animated movies, he remembered how those fireworks had felt like "the perfect kiss goodnight," and when he opened Disneyland, he wanted to give every guest that same magical experience. Songwriter Sherman wrote the text, as well as the song on the accompanying CD. Musical notation and lyrics from the song can be found on some pages, though they are not integral to the narrative. The text is brief enough to serve as a read-aloud; however, this title will work best for one-on-one sharing. With a storybook feel, the tale is intentionally vague, and Disney is never referred to by name but rather as "the boy" or "the man." Illustrated by animator Norman in a style familiar to classic Disney animated films, scenes from Disney's day-to-day life are rendered in shades of gray, illuminated by pops and flashes of color when fireworks appear. The story is sweet but not as exciting or dazzling as the pyrotechnics that sparked the idea for the book. VERDICT Purchase only where Disneyphiles abound.-Misti Tidman, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, OH

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2018
According to this sentimental, fan-fodder picture-book biography, Walt Disney called fireworks "the perfect kiss goodnight." They allegedly inspired him throughout his life, culminating in his inclusion of nightly fireworks at Disneyland. The melody line of Sherman's titular song (complete lyrics and CD appended) occasionally accompanies a text that strains for a connection. Despite eye-catching full-color fireworks scenes, the Normans' otherwise black-and-white caricatures feel lackluster.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)