Close Modal

Making Disney Magic . . . from a Mermaid to Moana

Tales of a Disney Animation Director

Foreword by John Musker
Hardcover (Paper-over-Board, no jacket)
$45.00 US
7-3/8"W x 9-1/8"H (18.7 x 23.2 cm) | 20 oz (567 g) | 12 per carton
On sale Oct 21, 2025 | 496 Pages | 9781368023474
Sales rights: World
An engaging story of 45 magical years of Disney animation, featuring nearly 500 museum-quality, full-color pages and 1,000+ pieces of archival artwork and photos.

The corners of this smaller-than-typical coffee table book also serve as an animation flip-book celebrating Disney characters from the 1970s–2010s.


If your favorite Disney Princess is Moana or Ariel . . . if your favorite Disney magic comes from Aladdin’s Genie or Mama Odie . . . if your favorite Disney baddie is Hades or Professor Ratigan . . . then say, "thank you," to Ron Clements. (He says, “you’re welcome”.)

Ron Clements is a key filmmaker (along with co-writer and co-director John Musker) responsible for some of the most beloved animated Disney movies. Now he shares his 45-year history at Walt Disney Animation Studios. His armchair-worthy memoir meets coffee table art book is an honest & fun ride sure to delight every Disney fan!

Movies that Ron features in his book:
  • Moana (2016)
  • The Princess and the Frog (2009)
  • Treasure Planet (2002)
  • Hercules (1997)
  • Aladdin (1992)
  • The Little Mermaid (1989)
  • The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
  • The Fox and the Hound (1981)
  • Pete's Dragon (1977)
  • The Rescuers (1977)
  • Pinocchio (1940)

Ron shares Easter eggs, behind-the-scenes stories & fun facts about:
  • People who directly worked on & influenced the films
  • Research trips & selection of artists, voice cast & songwriters in preparation for the films
  • Screenwriting, character development & world-building processes
  • From storyboards, technical innovations, voice recording & animation to final frames
  • Early screenings (reaction to feedback & resulting changes)
  • Press tours, debuts, receptions, awards seasons & growing the Disney legacy
RON CLEMENTS decided he wanted to be a Disney animator at the age of 9 after seeing a rerelease of Pinocchio (1940) at a local theater in his hometown of Sioux City, Iowa. In 1974, at the age of 20, he was accepted into the recently-established Walt Disney Animation Studios Talent Development program, working under the tutelage of some of Disney’s top animators. He went on to become an animator on The Rescuers (1977), Pete’s Dragon (1977), and The Fox and the Hound (1981); a storyboard artist on The Black Cauldron (1985); codirector The Great Mouse Detective (1986); and in creative partnership with longtime collaborator John Musker, cowrote and codirected The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), Treasure Planet (2002), The Princess and the Frog (2009), and Moana (2016).
Available for sale exclusive:
•     Afghanistan
•     Aland Islands
•     Albania
•     Algeria
•     Andorra
•     Angola
•     Anguilla
•     Antarctica
•     Antigua/Barbuda
•     Argentina
•     Armenia
•     Aruba
•     Australia
•     Austria
•     Azerbaijan
•     Bahamas
•     Bahrain
•     Bangladesh
•     Barbados
•     Belarus
•     Belgium
•     Belize
•     Benin
•     Bermuda
•     Bhutan
•     Bolivia
•     Bonaire, Saba
•     Bosnia Herzeg.
•     Botswana
•     Bouvet Island
•     Brazil
•     Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter
•     Brit.Virgin Is.
•     Brunei
•     Bulgaria
•     Burkina Faso
•     Burundi
•     Cambodia
•     Cameroon
•     Canada
•     Cape Verde
•     Cayman Islands
•     Centr.Afr.Rep.
•     Chad
•     Chile
•     China
•     Christmas Islnd
•     Cocos Islands
•     Colombia
•     Comoro Is.
•     Congo
•     Cook Islands
•     Costa Rica
•     Croatia
•     Cuba
•     Curacao
•     Cyprus
•     Czech Republic
•     Dem. Rep. Congo
•     Denmark
•     Djibouti
•     Dominica
•     Dominican Rep.
•     Ecuador
•     Egypt
•     El Salvador
•     Equatorial Gui.
•     Eritrea
•     Estonia
•     Ethiopia
•     Falkland Islnds
•     Faroe Islands
•     Fiji
•     Finland
•     France
•     Fren.Polynesia
•     French Guinea
•     Gabon
•     Gambia
•     Georgia
•     Germany
•     Ghana
•     Gibraltar
•     Greece
•     Greenland
•     Grenada
•     Guadeloupe
•     Guam
•     Guatemala
•     Guernsey
•     Guinea Republic
•     Guinea-Bissau
•     Guyana
•     Haiti
•     Heard/McDon.Isl
•     Honduras
•     Hong Kong
•     Hungary
•     Iceland
•     India
•     Indonesia
•     Iran
•     Iraq
•     Ireland
•     Isle of Man
•     Israel
•     Italy
•     Ivory Coast
•     Jamaica
•     Japan
•     Jersey
•     Jordan
•     Kazakhstan
•     Kenya
•     Kiribati
•     Kuwait
•     Kyrgyzstan
•     Laos
•     Latvia
•     Lebanon
•     Lesotho
•     Liberia
•     Libya
•     Liechtenstein
•     Lithuania
•     Luxembourg
•     Macau
•     Macedonia
•     Madagascar
•     Malawi
•     Malaysia
•     Maldives
•     Mali
•     Malta
•     Marshall island
•     Martinique
•     Mauritania
•     Mauritius
•     Mayotte
•     Mexico
•     Micronesia
•     Minor Outl.Ins.
•     Moldavia
•     Monaco
•     Mongolia
•     Montenegro
•     Montserrat
•     Morocco
•     Mozambique
•     Myanmar
•     Namibia
•     Nauru
•     Nepal
•     Netherlands
•     New Caledonia
•     New Zealand
•     Nicaragua
•     Niger
•     Nigeria
•     Niue
•     Norfolk Island
•     North Korea
•     North Mariana
•     Norway
•     Oman
•     Pakistan
•     Palau
•     Palestinian Ter
•     Panama
•     PapuaNewGuinea
•     Paraguay
•     Peru
•     Philippines
•     Pitcairn Islnds
•     Poland
•     Portugal
•     Puerto Rico
•     Qatar
•     Reunion Island
•     Romania
•     Russian Fed.
•     Rwanda
•     S. Sandwich Ins
•     Saint Martin
•     Samoa,American
•     San Marino
•     SaoTome Princip
•     Saudi Arabia
•     Senegal
•     Serbia
•     Seychelles
•     Sierra Leone
•     Singapore
•     Sint Maarten
•     Slovakia
•     Slovenia
•     Solomon Islands
•     Somalia
•     South Africa
•     South Korea
•     South Sudan
•     Spain
•     Sri Lanka
•     St Barthelemy
•     St. Helena
•     St. Lucia
•     St. Vincent
•     St.Chr.,Nevis
•     St.Pier,Miquel.
•     Sth Terr. Franc
•     Sudan
•     Suriname
•     Svalbard
•     Swaziland
•     Sweden
•     Switzerland
•     Syria
•     Tadschikistan
•     Taiwan
•     Tanzania
•     Thailand
•     Timor-Leste
•     Togo
•     Tokelau Islands
•     Tonga
•     Trinidad,Tobago
•     Tunisia
•     Turkey
•     Turkmenistan
•     Turks&Caicos Is
•     Tuvalu
•     US Virgin Is.
•     USA
•     Uganda
•     Ukraine
•     Unit.Arab Emir.
•     United Kingdom
•     Uruguay
•     Uzbekistan
•     Vanuatu
•     Vatican City
•     Venezuela
•     Vietnam
•     Wallis,Futuna
•     West Saharan
•     Western Samoa
•     Yemen
•     Zambia
•     Zimbabwe

  • i: "The Evening Star"
  • viii: Foreword by John Musker
  • x: Introduction
  • xii: December 15, 1966
  • 001: Act 1: When You Wish . . .
  • 003: Chapter 1: It’s A Small World
  • 019: Chapter 2: A Whole New World
  • 047: Chapter 3: Digging a Little Deeper
  • 077: Chapter 4: Almost There
  • 113: Chapter 5: Under the Sea
  • 165: Act 2: Keeping on Believing . . .
  • 167: Chapter 6 Arabian Nights
  • 223: Chapter 7: A Star is Reborn
  • 267: Chapter 8: Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)
  • 315: Chapter 9: Poor Unfortunate Souls
  • 331: Act 3: Going the Distance . . .
  • 333: Chapter 10: Down in New Orleans
  • 391: Chapter 11: How Far We’ll Go
  • 465: Chapter 12: I’m Still Here
  • 470: Acknowledgments
  • 472: Index
  • 478: Bibloagrapy & Sources
  • 479: Image Credits
  • 480: "Made You Look"

About

An engaging story of 45 magical years of Disney animation, featuring nearly 500 museum-quality, full-color pages and 1,000+ pieces of archival artwork and photos.

The corners of this smaller-than-typical coffee table book also serve as an animation flip-book celebrating Disney characters from the 1970s–2010s.


If your favorite Disney Princess is Moana or Ariel . . . if your favorite Disney magic comes from Aladdin’s Genie or Mama Odie . . . if your favorite Disney baddie is Hades or Professor Ratigan . . . then say, "thank you," to Ron Clements. (He says, “you’re welcome”.)

Ron Clements is a key filmmaker (along with co-writer and co-director John Musker) responsible for some of the most beloved animated Disney movies. Now he shares his 45-year history at Walt Disney Animation Studios. His armchair-worthy memoir meets coffee table art book is an honest & fun ride sure to delight every Disney fan!

Movies that Ron features in his book:
  • Moana (2016)
  • The Princess and the Frog (2009)
  • Treasure Planet (2002)
  • Hercules (1997)
  • Aladdin (1992)
  • The Little Mermaid (1989)
  • The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
  • The Fox and the Hound (1981)
  • Pete's Dragon (1977)
  • The Rescuers (1977)
  • Pinocchio (1940)

Ron shares Easter eggs, behind-the-scenes stories & fun facts about:
  • People who directly worked on & influenced the films
  • Research trips & selection of artists, voice cast & songwriters in preparation for the films
  • Screenwriting, character development & world-building processes
  • From storyboards, technical innovations, voice recording & animation to final frames
  • Early screenings (reaction to feedback & resulting changes)
  • Press tours, debuts, receptions, awards seasons & growing the Disney legacy

Author

RON CLEMENTS decided he wanted to be a Disney animator at the age of 9 after seeing a rerelease of Pinocchio (1940) at a local theater in his hometown of Sioux City, Iowa. In 1974, at the age of 20, he was accepted into the recently-established Walt Disney Animation Studios Talent Development program, working under the tutelage of some of Disney’s top animators. He went on to become an animator on The Rescuers (1977), Pete’s Dragon (1977), and The Fox and the Hound (1981); a storyboard artist on The Black Cauldron (1985); codirector The Great Mouse Detective (1986); and in creative partnership with longtime collaborator John Musker, cowrote and codirected The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), Treasure Planet (2002), The Princess and the Frog (2009), and Moana (2016).

Rights

Available for sale exclusive:
•     Afghanistan
•     Aland Islands
•     Albania
•     Algeria
•     Andorra
•     Angola
•     Anguilla
•     Antarctica
•     Antigua/Barbuda
•     Argentina
•     Armenia
•     Aruba
•     Australia
•     Austria
•     Azerbaijan
•     Bahamas
•     Bahrain
•     Bangladesh
•     Barbados
•     Belarus
•     Belgium
•     Belize
•     Benin
•     Bermuda
•     Bhutan
•     Bolivia
•     Bonaire, Saba
•     Bosnia Herzeg.
•     Botswana
•     Bouvet Island
•     Brazil
•     Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter
•     Brit.Virgin Is.
•     Brunei
•     Bulgaria
•     Burkina Faso
•     Burundi
•     Cambodia
•     Cameroon
•     Canada
•     Cape Verde
•     Cayman Islands
•     Centr.Afr.Rep.
•     Chad
•     Chile
•     China
•     Christmas Islnd
•     Cocos Islands
•     Colombia
•     Comoro Is.
•     Congo
•     Cook Islands
•     Costa Rica
•     Croatia
•     Cuba
•     Curacao
•     Cyprus
•     Czech Republic
•     Dem. Rep. Congo
•     Denmark
•     Djibouti
•     Dominica
•     Dominican Rep.
•     Ecuador
•     Egypt
•     El Salvador
•     Equatorial Gui.
•     Eritrea
•     Estonia
•     Ethiopia
•     Falkland Islnds
•     Faroe Islands
•     Fiji
•     Finland
•     France
•     Fren.Polynesia
•     French Guinea
•     Gabon
•     Gambia
•     Georgia
•     Germany
•     Ghana
•     Gibraltar
•     Greece
•     Greenland
•     Grenada
•     Guadeloupe
•     Guam
•     Guatemala
•     Guernsey
•     Guinea Republic
•     Guinea-Bissau
•     Guyana
•     Haiti
•     Heard/McDon.Isl
•     Honduras
•     Hong Kong
•     Hungary
•     Iceland
•     India
•     Indonesia
•     Iran
•     Iraq
•     Ireland
•     Isle of Man
•     Israel
•     Italy
•     Ivory Coast
•     Jamaica
•     Japan
•     Jersey
•     Jordan
•     Kazakhstan
•     Kenya
•     Kiribati
•     Kuwait
•     Kyrgyzstan
•     Laos
•     Latvia
•     Lebanon
•     Lesotho
•     Liberia
•     Libya
•     Liechtenstein
•     Lithuania
•     Luxembourg
•     Macau
•     Macedonia
•     Madagascar
•     Malawi
•     Malaysia
•     Maldives
•     Mali
•     Malta
•     Marshall island
•     Martinique
•     Mauritania
•     Mauritius
•     Mayotte
•     Mexico
•     Micronesia
•     Minor Outl.Ins.
•     Moldavia
•     Monaco
•     Mongolia
•     Montenegro
•     Montserrat
•     Morocco
•     Mozambique
•     Myanmar
•     Namibia
•     Nauru
•     Nepal
•     Netherlands
•     New Caledonia
•     New Zealand
•     Nicaragua
•     Niger
•     Nigeria
•     Niue
•     Norfolk Island
•     North Korea
•     North Mariana
•     Norway
•     Oman
•     Pakistan
•     Palau
•     Palestinian Ter
•     Panama
•     PapuaNewGuinea
•     Paraguay
•     Peru
•     Philippines
•     Pitcairn Islnds
•     Poland
•     Portugal
•     Puerto Rico
•     Qatar
•     Reunion Island
•     Romania
•     Russian Fed.
•     Rwanda
•     S. Sandwich Ins
•     Saint Martin
•     Samoa,American
•     San Marino
•     SaoTome Princip
•     Saudi Arabia
•     Senegal
•     Serbia
•     Seychelles
•     Sierra Leone
•     Singapore
•     Sint Maarten
•     Slovakia
•     Slovenia
•     Solomon Islands
•     Somalia
•     South Africa
•     South Korea
•     South Sudan
•     Spain
•     Sri Lanka
•     St Barthelemy
•     St. Helena
•     St. Lucia
•     St. Vincent
•     St.Chr.,Nevis
•     St.Pier,Miquel.
•     Sth Terr. Franc
•     Sudan
•     Suriname
•     Svalbard
•     Swaziland
•     Sweden
•     Switzerland
•     Syria
•     Tadschikistan
•     Taiwan
•     Tanzania
•     Thailand
•     Timor-Leste
•     Togo
•     Tokelau Islands
•     Tonga
•     Trinidad,Tobago
•     Tunisia
•     Turkey
•     Turkmenistan
•     Turks&Caicos Is
•     Tuvalu
•     US Virgin Is.
•     USA
•     Uganda
•     Ukraine
•     Unit.Arab Emir.
•     United Kingdom
•     Uruguay
•     Uzbekistan
•     Vanuatu
•     Vatican City
•     Venezuela
•     Vietnam
•     Wallis,Futuna
•     West Saharan
•     Western Samoa
•     Yemen
•     Zambia
•     Zimbabwe

Table of Contents

  • i: "The Evening Star"
  • viii: Foreword by John Musker
  • x: Introduction
  • xii: December 15, 1966
  • 001: Act 1: When You Wish . . .
  • 003: Chapter 1: It’s A Small World
  • 019: Chapter 2: A Whole New World
  • 047: Chapter 3: Digging a Little Deeper
  • 077: Chapter 4: Almost There
  • 113: Chapter 5: Under the Sea
  • 165: Act 2: Keeping on Believing . . .
  • 167: Chapter 6 Arabian Nights
  • 223: Chapter 7: A Star is Reborn
  • 267: Chapter 8: Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)
  • 315: Chapter 9: Poor Unfortunate Souls
  • 331: Act 3: Going the Distance . . .
  • 333: Chapter 10: Down in New Orleans
  • 391: Chapter 11: How Far We’ll Go
  • 465: Chapter 12: I’m Still Here
  • 470: Acknowledgments
  • 472: Index
  • 478: Bibloagrapy & Sources
  • 479: Image Credits
  • 480: "Made You Look"