Author: Stephen Rebello
Publication Date: 1995
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 200 pages
The second of the “Big Seven” Hyperion editions is also the first of three to be authored by Stephen Rebello – The Art of Pocahontas. If you’ve read my review of the film, you’ll understand why they made the decision to decorate the cover with a close-up of the leading lady herself in one of her most photogenic moments, by the waterfall. She certainly makes for an arresting sight, gazing intensely out at you from the book’s cover (seriously, don’t put this near your bed; you’ll get the shock of your life when you wake up).
Just like the last book, this one is so dramatic that it has to lead in with a collection of concept art before you even get to the contents page. In this case, it’s from the waterfall meeting scene, thus tying the book’s opening in with its cover. We then get an introduction by Rebello, with the rest of the book being divided into chapters about Preproduction and Concept Art, Story, Character Development and Animation, Layout and Backgrounds, Effects, Colour (with a subsection on Colours of the Wind) and finally the credits and acknowledgements.
This book is just as physically sumptuous as the rest of its nineties brethren. It’s beautifully produced on thick, sturdy paper and packed with as much art as you could possibly want, which is a major plus considering Pocahontas’s visuals are one of its strongest aspects. One problem a lot of recent art books seem to suffer from is a lack of concept art; many of them are filled instead with stills from the film, which makes little sense in a book about the production of a film. After all, if you want to see stills from the finished product, surely it would be easier to just… you know, watch it? Thankfully, that’s not a problem here. We even have some creative design work going on to show off some of the art more fully, with gatefolds and transparent overlays helping to immerse you into the work on display.
The writing is also engrossing and there’s a lot more of it this time around than we had for The Art of the Lion King. Mind you, it’s a tad awkward in hindsight to see how excited the team were about Pocahontas (the book was completed before the film was released), given how underwhelming its reputation became. There’s a lot of praise from the filmmakers throughout it, clearly convinced it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Personally, I’d go so far as to say that this book has more substance to it than the film!
If you’re a fan of the film (or its visuals) then this will be a real treat. Two books in, the Hyperion editions were beginning to hit their stride – they represent the pinnacle of what an art book can be and I only wish more modern volumes would go back to this lavish style. I definitely recommend checking this one out if you’re into Pocahontas or Disney animation in general.
Buy it on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Pocahontas-Stephen-Rebello/dp/0786861584 – UK
https://www.amazon.com/Art-Pocahontas-Stephen-Rebello/dp/0786861584 – US
Feeling Animated 
As it happens, I got this book as a gift a couple of years ago, and I love it– I especially appreciate how it includes pieces of art that aren’t included in the art galleries on the 10th Anniversary DVD.
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