Q: What Disney movies begin with the opening of a book? I know my favorite, Sleeping Beauty, does, with that beautiful jeweled book. Are the books real or animated?
Barbara, DeWitt, Michigan
A: The technique of using a book to open an animated feature was a popular one with Walt Disney. The three books that the Walt Disney Archives has are the ones from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. They are actual books and are currently on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum until the end of April. Others have included The Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, The Jungle Book, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and Enchanted.
Dave Smith