Book Review: Disney’s Face-Painting and Costume Kit

Publisher: Disney Press

Year: 1997

Pages: 66

Type: Spiral-bound Paperback w/kit

ISBN: 0-7867-4180-X

“To the making of many books, there is no end.” – Ecclesiastes 12:12

That Biblical truism certainly applies to the amount of books that have been published by and about Disney! I’m constantly amazed, and delighted, every time I find another volume of Disney-themed content. The subject matter can be so wide and varied so as to appeal to every taste. But along with the wonderful… is the weird!

Disney’s Face-Painting & Costume Kit is a case in point… in spades! Just have a look at the cover picture if you’re in any doubt:

Cover on left / Tip Page on right

I don’t like to use the word ‘creepy’ as I feel it is overused and misused by many writers, however, I’m making an exception in this case. Those kids are just plain creepy! The makeup reminds me of the scariness of the original walk-around characters in the Disney Theme Parks. The stuff nightmares were made of!

But if the kids enjoy it who am I to say them ‘nay’?

This book is a how-to in the DIY (Do-it-Yourself) vein and I suppose constitutes a sort of Cosplay tutorial. The characters you can create are as follows: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Cinderella, Captain Hook, Tigger, Winnie the Pooh, Sleepy, Evil Queen, Pocahontas, Ariel, Genie, Dalmatian, Cruella, Beast, Simba, and Duchess.

First, you are shown what colours to use and how to apply them. So always start with the face!

Next, it’s time to work on the costume:

You are given a list of materials and instructions on how to craft your little character’s attire.

Below are just some more of the characters as modeled by the Children’s Theatre School of Milwaukee, WI.

All of the costume characters are accompanied by an image of the actual animated character. For comparison I suppose, although, very few of the efforts are close to the original. But close enough for fun! I think the greatest thing that this book offers is the opportunity for parents to work along with their children in creating something special. This might be a case where the journey is as or more important than the destination.

The book ends with some safety tips for when you use the paints: