It's because of these unconscious omissions that Cartoons is not only useful, but necessary. The net result is that the little guys get about as much coverage as Disney, Warner Bros., and the rest of the big guys. The slant of this book is an aesthetic as well as an historic one. When pointing out the influences of a particular artist or studio, Bendazzi's assertions are supported by the expected excerpts from books and articles, but also by an astonishing amount of personal correspondence. Here, too, Bendazzi goes the extra mile by showing the links between animation and other art or social movements, rather than the common and rather incestuous practice of focusing on animation as an isolated art form.
Cartoons is filled with illustrations from animated works.
However, the overwhelming majority are excellent choices and wonderfully reproduced, particularly the 95 colour images in the book's middle. Even the most casual of readers can appreciate the breadth of animation's diversity by just skimming through the pictures. Towards the end of the book is a list of references, listing books and magazines organized by topic, country, cartoon characters, and so on. The list is, of course, incomplete, but provides enough starting points for people interested in different aspects of the art. Put simply, Cartoons is a necessary addition to any animation enthusiast's bookshelf, as well as the bookshelves of libraries and schools even marginally interested in fostering interest in animation.