Prince of Egypt

Charles Solomon heeds the maxim that one picture is worth a thousand words in The Prince of Egypt: A New Vision in Animation. Dedicated to exploring the behind-the-scenes making of DreamWorks' first animated film, the book is a gorgeous compilation of artwork, from preliminary sketches to final product, that demonstrates the complicated process of bringing cartoon characters to life. What text there is is mostly tucked away in the form of captions, along with brief introductions to each chapter and a short section at the end containing information on such topics as the music, the layout, the story, and the animators. This lush, beautiful book will appeal both to fans of the movie and readers with a more general interest in animation. What's more, it'll look great on your coffee table.