The Big Little Book

This 284-page, 16-chapter hardcover book came out in the United States in 1938. Its originality lies in its format which, as its name indicates, is thick and small. The publisher is listed on page 1 as “Whitman Publishing Company, Racine, Wisconsin,” along with the copyright: “1938, Walt Disney Enterprises, Hollywood, Calif.” The book was printed in the United States. No author is credited.

On the spine is the serial number: 1460.

The story here includes several ideas discarded from the final footage such as the “Bucket Prince” or the construction of Snow White’s bed. The last three pages of the book are advertisements to buy other Big Little Books from Disney, Oswald, Popeye, Flash Gordon or western heroes.

No illustrator is credited. The front cover is once again a version of Gustaf Tenggren’s drawing that was used for the movie poster, this time on a yellow background. The Queen visible on a red background on the spine, the witch on a blue background on the back cover and all the images in the book seem to be taken directly from the comic strip by Hank Porter.

The premise of the book, by the way, is to lay out the story in prose on one page, and as a picture on the facing page (on the right for the overwhelming majority). Rather than the phylacteries of the comic book, the dialogue is transcribed here under the image. It should be noted that Snow White seems to keep a costume closer to that of her first appearance as a scullery maid with a Peter Pan collar and a lace, without a cape, even in the forest.