Hachette
Les Trois Petits Cochons (Movable Book) – Walt Disney Silly Symphonies, Hachette 1949 with Dust Jacket
Paris: Hachette, 1949. First edition. Published in French only. Not published in England or the United States.
Quarto (approximately 24 x 19 x 1 cm). 24 pages. Publisher’s original spiral-bound pictorial boards, with original illustrated dust jacket. Endpapers illustrated in black. Contains six full-page color illustrations, five of which are fully animated with working paper mechanisms. Numerous additional in-text illustrations printed in both color and black and white.
A rare French-only Disney movable book based on The Three Little Pigs, adapted from the 1933 animated short in Walt Disney’s Silly Symphonies series. This 1949 edition, issued by Hachette, features five beautifully engineered movables, each integrated into a full-page color scene. The book also includes a sixth static color plate and richly illustrated interior pages throughout. The format—spiral-bound with pictorial boards and dust jacket—was unique to Hachette’s mid-century Disney productions. This title was never issued in English or published in the U.S. or U.K., making it especially scarce in international markets.
Condition:
Book is in fine condition overall with bright, clean boards and interior. One-inch tear along the binding edge, but no other tears, bends, or writing. All five mechanical scenes are complete and in excellent working condition. Dust jacket is very good with edgewear and five closed tears, including one larger tear at the lower left front panel (see photo). No restoration.
Collector’s Corner:
While most Disney movable books were published in the United States, particularly by Blue Ribbon Books in the 1930s, Les Trois Petits Cochons stands out as a rare example of Disney-licensed movable publishing in postwar France. Produced by Hachette in 1949 and issued only in French, it was never distributed in English-speaking markets. The book combines vibrant illustration with mechanical ingenuity, using pull-tabs and pivoting elements to animate scenes from the classic short film. These European Disney books are seldom found complete, especially with dust jacket and working movables.
To explore the history of Disney’s movable books abroad, see our article Disney's Blue Ribbon Pop-Up Books – Exploring the Magic of Their Global Editions at:
https://www.vintagepopupbooks.com/category-s/1864.htm