From the film's 1942 premiere to the 1989 videotape, this book looks at the paintings, sketches and film cells. It illustrates the heralding of Bambi's birth, Thumper's friendship, Bambi's mother's death and how a stronger and wiser Bambi lives to become the Prince of the Forest. This coming of age tale captures the innocence of childhood and the painful yet fantastic thrill of youthfull discovery. To complement the story, Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, the two Disney animators who worked on the film, give an account of the creative struggles and victories that followed the start of the Bambi project in 1936.