“Designed like a run-of-the-mill graphic design tome, this is more than the sum of its parts. The authors have chosen 50 animators – from around the world, and across generations – dividing their work into four loose categories: Form, Sound, Words and Character. Each animator is represented by a short: the formal Synchromy (1971) for Norman McLaren; the dazzlingly weird What Is That (2001) for Run Wrake. Sequences of stills, reproduced in full color, are stretched over one, three or five pages for each work, making this a good resource for students of animation, or anyone wishing to stretch their viewing beyond Disney, South Park or Toy Story.

“What brings the book to life, however, tucked away inside the back cover, is the DVD, which includes 29 of the films (or extracts from the longer ones). Music is such a cruicial component of animation such as Pleix’s Bleip No (2001) – appropriately bleepy – or Erica Russell’s Triangle (1994) – featuring Charlie Hart’s sensuous “world music” score – that you can return to the book’s still images with fresh inspiration” – John L Walters, The Guardian Review. The book and the 2-hour DVD can be ordered through Amazon.com for $28, or Amazon.co.uk at £19.