Books We Love Magic Color Flair: The World of Mary Blair

Iconic Disney artist Mary Blair (1911-1978) is one of the most notable illustrators of the 20th century, not to mention a hero of women in animation. With this new collection of historic photos and lush reprints of Blair’s designs (which helped shape the look of Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and Peter Pan), award-winning animator John Canemaker celebrates the artist’s whimsical, energetic work.

Assembled to complement this year’s exhibition at The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, the 172-page volume offers a glimpse at the evolution of Blair’s distinctive style, from her student paintings created at the Chouinard Art Institute, to her work for Disney and the Little Golden Books, to rarely seen advertisements, fashion designs and installations she created later in life. Magic is a fine addendum to The Art and Flair of Mary Blair and a worthwhile volume in its own right.