Cut!: How Lotte Reiniger and a Pair of Scissors Revolutionized Animation – The Inspiring STEM Biography of a Silhouette Artist and Film Pioneer

Long before Walt Disney, a young woman revolutionized the landscape of animation using light, a pair of scissors, and her imagination. STEM meets the arts in this nonfiction picture book biography about Lotte Reiniger.

In the 1920s, when young women had limited opportunities, Lotte Reiniger used her curiosity and ingenuity to change the landscape of animation forever. Inspired by the films of her youth, and encouraged by teachers and mentors working in film at the time, Lotte Reiniger honed her skills in cutting out paper silhouettes to use in stop-motion animation.

Eventually, her talent and her drive led her to invent the multiplane camera, which allowed her to give her animation depth of field. With her small team, Lotte designed and directed the oldest full-length animated film in existence.

Features extensive backmatter, including a timeline of Lotte Reiniger's life, an author's note, and sources.