How Lotte Reiniger and
a Pair of Scissors
Revolutionized Animation
A TRUE TALE WITH
A CHERRY ON TOP
Greenwillow Books
(HarperCollins Publishers)
(pub.1.24.2023) 40 pages
Author: C.E. Winters
Illustrator: Matt Schu
Character: Lotte Reiniger
Overview:
" Long before Walt Disney, a young woman revolutionized the landscape of animation using light, a pair of scissors, and her imagination.
In the 1920s, when young women had limited opportunities, Lotte Reiniger used her curiosity and ingenuity to change the landscape of animation forever. Inspired by the films of her youth, and encouraged by teachers and mentors working in film at the time, Lotte Reiniger honed her skills in cutting out paper silhouettes to use in stop-motion animation.
Eventually, her talent and her drive led her to invent the multiplane camera, which allowed her to give her animation depth of field. With her small team, Lotte designed and directed the oldest full-length animated film in existence."
Tantalizing taste:
"Lotte would make approximately sixty silhouette films over the course of her long life... She created every single one of those films using a pair of scissors, a great deal of patience, and her talented hands. Her trailblazing ideas and silhouette style influence filmmakers and artists to this day."
And something more: C.E. Winters in the Author's Note explains that "My hope in writing this book is to bring Lotte Reiniger out from the shadows of history to set the record straight about her contributions to the field of animation, and to inspire young artists and inventors to let their imaginations soar well beyond traditional limits - just as Lotte did."