Amazon.com Review
Big Idea Productions' managing editor Cindy Kenney retells how this plucky startup and its promise of "Sunday morning values, Saturday morning fun" swept to popularity, leading to the inevitable feature-length Jonah. The book begins with a foreword by founder Phil Vischer (Bob the Tomato's alter ego to animator-partner Mike Nawrocki's Larry the Cucumber) and details how the movie's "nugget of truth"--the biblical story of Jonah--grew into an 88-page script, brought to life by "thousands of drawings, hundreds of props and models, miles of computer cable, 180 computer CPUs calculating 24 hours a day, using two terabytes of hard disk space over a period of two-and-a-half years." The last half of the book retells the movie in story form, including many actual scenes from the movie.
VeggieTales fans won't find a better source for insider info than this hardbound tribute, and kids and grownups alike should enjoy the chance to study many stills from the film. Especially exciting, though, are dozens of conceptual drawings that shine a light on the research and creativity behind Vischer and Nawrocki's handiwork. (Ages 9 and older) --Paul Hughes
