ABOUT THIS SITE
Sources & About
This site is an independent, non-commercial fan tribute created to celebrate and preserve the life, artwork, films, and books of author-illustrator Bill Peet (1915-2002). It is a labor of admiration, built so that new generations can discover his work.
This site is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by the Peet family/estate, The Walt Disney Company, or Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All artwork, book excerpts, photographs, and quoted text remain the property of their respective copyright holders and are presented here for educational, historical, and tribute purposes, with attribution to the original sources listed below.
The original billpeet.net was created by Bill Peet's family and is no longer online; portions of its content have been preserved here in that spirit.
Attribution
PRIMARY SOURCES
- Bill Peet: An AutobiographyprimaryBill Peet · Houghton Mifflin · 1989Core biography, his own voice, childhood, art school, Disney years, books career, and the Disney departure. 194 pages.
- Seldom Re-Peeted, the Bill Peet interviewprimaryJohn Province · Hogan's Alley #7 · 1999Extensive first-person interview covering Disney, the animators' strike, leaving Disney, and his books.
- Original billpeet.net (family site)primaryPeet family (via Wayback Machine) · 2002His quotes, book and film commentary written by Bill Peet Jr.
SECONDARY SOURCES
- Bill Peet in IndianasecondaryAuthor AdventuresIndiana locations tied to his life and work; contextualized the Indianapolis boyhood chapters.
- Disney Storyman Bill Peet Dead at Age 87secondaryAnimation World Network · 2002Animation-industry view of his career; includes grandchildren's names and memorial service details.
- Happy 100th Birthday, Disney Legend Bill Peet!secondaryCartoon Brew · 2015Centenary appreciation with gallery of artwork; additional expert commentary on his legacy.
- Disney Legend: Bill PeetsecondaryD23, The Official Disney Fan Club · 1996Disney career overview, honors, and the Disney Legend induction citation.
- Deja View: Bill Peet's DumbosecondaryAndreas Deja · Deja View (Andreas Deja blog) · 2013Expert animator's analysis of Bill Peet's Dumbo story sketches and his Dumbo character design; Song of the South boards.
- Bill Peet, Research Starters BiographysecondaryEBSCO Research StartersReference biography; cross-checked career dates and book titles.
- Bill Peet obituarysecondaryR. Bergan · The Guardian · 2002Career overview from a UK perspective; helpful for the Disney film legacy sections.
- Disney Animator Bill Peet: Illustrator and Children's Book Author (podcast notes)secondaryHoosier History Live · 2020Indiana chapters, his Hoosier roots, Indianapolis boyhood, and place in Indiana's cultural history.
- Hoosier History Live, Bill Peet episode newslettersecondaryHoosier History Live · 2020Episode companion text, Indiana locations, family context, local historical perspective.
- The Art of a Master DaydreamersecondaryMyrna Oliver · Los Angeles Times · 1990Family background, health, how his ideas formed, and direct quotes on his philosophy of children's books.
- Bill Peet, 87; Disney Artist Became Beloved Children's AuthorsecondaryLos Angeles Times · 2002Death, legacy summary, and tributes from Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston.
- The Jungle Book 2 Will Resurrect Unused Disney IdeassecondarySlashfilm · 2018Legacy section, the 2016 Jungle Book team mined Bill Peet's rejected 1960s ideas from the archives.
- Author and Illustrator Bill Peet BiographysecondaryThoughtCoReference biography; provided additional context on his picture-book philosophy.
- Creator, Bill PeetsecondaryTV TropesThemes, recurring motifs, trivia, and quote on his creative process ('I write them so I can illustrate them').
- Disney Artists' Holiday Wishes, Highlighting Bill PeetsecondaryThe Walt Disney Family MuseumHoliday card anecdote and archival photograph of Bill Peet at the Disney Studios.
- Wikipedia, Bill Peetsecondary2024Spine of facts, bibliography, filmography, awards, career timeline. Cross-referenced against primary sources.
IMAGE SOURCES
- Bill Peet's Children's Book IllustrationsimageFlooby Nooby · 2011Gallery of book illustration scans; supplementary artwork for gallery and book pages.
- Bill Peet autographing Hubert's Hair-Raising Adventure, 1974imageUCLA Library Digital Collections · 1974Archival photograph of Bill Peet at a book-signing event, 1974.
- Bill Peet autographing a Hubert the Lion drawing for school children, Los AngelesimageBill Murphy, Los Angeles Times · Wikimedia CommonsGallery photograph of Bill Peet signing autographs for children.
GENEALOGICAL SOURCES
- William Bartlett Peet (1915–2002), FamilySearchgenealogical2024Genealogical corroboration of birth date, death date, family members (wife Margaret, sons Bill Jr. and Steve).