Before Mickey cover

Before Mickey

by Donald Crafton

An in-depth history of animation from 1898-1928 that includes accounts of mechanical ingenuity, marketing and art. The text explains techniques of sketching and camera work, and discusses the styles of such animators as Winsor McCay and Ladislas Starevitch, placing work in its social and economic context.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?