While the text is a little light, Eric Lurio finds the real power of this book is the beautiful images.
In the world of expensive art books, the writing is secondary. Yes, we want the explanations to make sense and to have been done well, but we don't want too much of it. After all a heavy two hundred dollar book is not something to take to bed with you. Such is the case here. While reading this book while it's lying on your stomach won't give you a hernia, and it won't cost you a week's salary (it's only forty-five bucks!), it seems that way. There's a majestic air to it that shouts, "Put me on the shelf next to that History of Impressionism thing you got from the fell-off-the-truck book company." This is book designer, Rhion Magee's book far more than it is author Charles Solomon's. There are only about thirty pages of text out of over two hundred, not counting the credits and the captions, but that's okay, we bought the book to look at the pretty pictures, of which there are plenty. Finished animation art, set-ups, storyboards, pretty much everything but model sheets. The art is really good, but the book's design is a little boring. Which is sad, but the book will definitely be worth the money when it's remaindered in the spring or summer. The Prince of Egypt: A New Vision in Animation by Charles Solomon; designed by Rhion Magee. New York City, New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. Publishers, 1998. 192 pages. ISBN: 0-8109-4369-7 (U.S. $45.00 hardcover) The Prince of Egypt: A New Vision in Animation may be purchased in the Animation World Store. Eric Lurio is a New York-based cartoonist and writer who has written extensively on animation for several years. His articles have appeared in Animation Magazine, Animation Blast, Animation Planet and Animefantastique. He also has a regular column in Animato!