Lights! Camera! Alice!: The Thrilling True Adventures of the First Woman Filmmaker by Mara Rockliff and Simona Ciraolo hit on the highlights of Guy’s life. The set up is like a classic movie with their title cards (the afterwards will let you know that they are titles of Guy’s films). The focus, while on Guy covers a lot of areas that the adult (graphic novel) biography I read didn’t seem to. Positive and upbeat. The illustrations, while fun and clever, might have been “too cute” for me, but are perfect for the book.
This book is fun, though it is a bit dense at times as there is a lot going on, but that just means you need to take your time. This is not just a book for people who like history, women’s history, film or film history. It is for everyone as this book is all the above and more. The story is a look into the people and places that were of the time. This is a great way to show that women basically invented movies as we know it. Guy was not just the first woman but she would do a lot of firsts. She would have the first talkie, she would own her own studio, she would deal with actors and actresses, she would create almost every part of her set and all the while raising her children and dealing with domestic life.
The artwork is what keeps things busy and moving, but allows you to stop and look as well. It is sweeter than I personally would have liked, but it works well to help you be introduced to this historical figure.