One Little Spark

We've all read about the experts: the artists, the scientists, the engineers—that special group of people known as Imagineers for The Walt Disney Company. But who are they? How did they join the team? What is it like to spend a day in their shoes? Disney Legend Marty Sklar wants to give back to fans and answer these burning questions. When Marty was president of Walt Disney Imagineering, he created a list of principles and ideals for the team, aptly named Mickey's Ten Commandments. Using this code of standards as his organizational flow, Marty provides readers with insights and advice from himself and dozens of hands-on Imagineers from around the globe. It's a true insider's look like no other!

Before the fire, it was the perfect place to raise a family. An idyllic community where neighbors knew one another… or so they thought. Jenna Abbott’s life went up in flames even before the fire started in Tenmile, Oregon. She was still coping with her husband's affair—and the revelation that he got a much younger woman pregnant—when the fire finally died down, and Ryan was among the missing. Chelsea Goddard still can’t explain how her estranged husband got back to Tenmile from out of the country the day of the fire, and she also can’t shake the nagging feeling that the secrets they’ve kept between them for the last twenty years might just be the tinder that made it all burn. Morgan White knew getting involved with a married man was wrong, even before she got pregnant. She might be the only one who knows the truth about some of Tenmile's leading citizens…but people would have to stop treating her like a pariah to hear it. Alex Coleman doesn’t remember anything from that fateful day, why she was found wandering on a rural road or why she has dreams of standing on scorched earth, holding a book of matches. For four women, when the flames finally burn out, what’s left behind will be even more devastating than the fire itself…

Marty Sklar was hired by The Walt Disney Company after his junior year at UCLA, and began his Disney career at Disneyland in July 1955, the month before the park opened. He spent his first decade at Disney as "the kid," the very youngest of the creative team Walt had assembled at WED Enterprises. But despite his youth, his talents propelled him forward into substantial responsibility: he became Walt's speech writer, penned Walt's and Roy's messages in the company's annual report, composed most of the publicity and marketing materials for Disneyland, conceived presentations for the U.S. government, devised initiatives to obtain sponsors to enable new Disneyland developments, and wrote a twenty-four-minute film expressing Walt's philosophy for the Walt Disney World project and Epcot. He was Walt's literary right-hand man. Over the next forty years, Marty Sklar rose to become president and principal creative executive of Walt Disney Imagineering, and he devoted his entire career to creating, enhancing, and expanding Walt's magical empire. This beautifully written and enlightening book is Marty's own retelling of his epic Disney journey, a grand adventure that lasted over half a century.

In the lands of the far North, a small oasis called Lake Zuron sits perched along the edge of the frozen mountains. It's populated by a wide variety of animals and is thought to be the only "green land" in existence in the North. Lake Zuron is fueled by Daniel the Dragon, whose fire keeps the cold winds from invading. One day, disaster strikes Zuron as Daniel's flame goes out. Panic ensues as the citizens of Zuron each try to come up with an answer to their problem. When all seems lost, an unlikely hero, Spark the mouse, steps up and uses his creativity to re-light the dragon. But it is soon clear that this is only a temporary fix. Spark embarks on a dangerous journey crossing the treacherous, icy mountains and the home of the dreaded Scabes to try find help.The only hope for Lake Zuron's survival rests upon Spark and his friend Veen as they brave impossible odds to make it through the grasps of the dreaded Scabes and finding help to save their desperate town.

From award-winning author Pablo Cartaya comes a deeply moving middle grade novel about a daughter and father finding their way back to each other in the face of their changing family and community. A SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD HONOR FOR MIDDLE GRADE Emilia Torres has a wandering mind. It's hard for her to follow along at school, and sometimes she forgets to do what her mom or abuela asks. But she remembers what matters: a time when her family was whole and home made sense. When Dad returns from deployment, Emilia expects that her life will get back to normal. Instead, it unravels. Dad shuts himself in the back stall of their family's auto shop to work on an old car. Emilia peeks in on him daily, mesmerized by his welder. One day, Dad calls Emilia over. Then, he teaches her how to weld. And over time, flickers of her old dad reappear. But as Emilia finds a way to repair the relationship with her father at home, her community ruptures with some of her classmates, like her best friend, Gus, at the center of the conflict. Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya is a tender story about asking big questions and being brave enough to reckon with the answers.

Ignite that inner fire with the 30 engaging exercises, fun activities, inspirational images, and motivating ideas in this book. Learn what your Little Spark of creative passion looks like, how to capture it, and how to make room for it in your life. Use this guide as a month-long creative roadmap, or just dip into the exercises as your time and inclination allow. Either way, you will change your life.

An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller! A Publishers Weekly Bestseller! Leading actor, producer and director Channing Tatum's picture book debut, The One and Only Sparkella is a charming ode to self-esteem and the love between a father and daughter—illustrated by Kim Barnes. Ella is excited for her first day at a new school. Glimmering pencil case? Check! Shimmering backpack? Check! Glittery ribbons in her hair? Check! She can't wait to meet the other kids and share her sparkly personality. But her first day doesn't go quite as planned: Her new classmates don't like her disco-ball shoes, her PB&J-with-sprinkles sandwich, or her rainbow-y unicorn painting. Ella decides to try to be less sparkly at school the next day so the other kids won't make fun of her. But with a little help from her dad, she soon learns the importance of just being herself, no matter what other people say.

The next great Disney adventure is here — starring one of Disney’s most popular characters! Dive into a steampunk fantasy story revealing the origin of the inventor known as Dreamfinder, and learn how one little spark of inspiration created a purple dragon called Figment! Our daring duo explore the realms of imagination, finding friends and foes alike — while back on Earth, a clockwork army assembles under the command of the frightening force known only as the Singular! And when Clockwork Control invades London while the intrepid explorers are trapped within the Nightmare Nation, the only obstacles standing between the Singular and total domination are Dreamfinder, Figment and their newfound friends! Acclaimed and uniquely talented creators Jim Zub (Skullkickers) and Filipe Andrade (Captain Marvel) give a Marvel spin to Epcot’s mind-bending attraction, Journey into Imagination! Collecting Figment #1-5.

We've all read about the experts: the artists, the scientists, the engineers-that special group of people known as Imagineers for The Walt Disney Company. But who are they? How did they join the team? What is it like to spend a day in their shoes? Disney Legend Marty Sklar wants to give back to fans and answer these burning questions. When Marty was president of Walt Disney Imagineering, he created a list of principles and ideals for the team, aptly named Mickey's Ten Commandments. Using this code of standards as his organizational flow, Marty provides readers with insights and advice from himself and dozens of hands-on Imagineers from around the globe. It's a true insider's look like no other!

When you've spent fifty-four years at Disney, the first ten at Walt's side, you accumulate a lot of stories. As Marty tried to answer the most asked question "when are you writing your next book?" he mined his memory for stories he hasn't told before. In this fresh volume, Marty regales readers with tales from his career.