This vintage hardcover book is a classic edition of Walt Disney's "The 101 Dalmatians", part of the Disney Classic Series. Published in 1986 by W.H. Smith Publishers, this illustrated picture book features large print and is perfect for children aged 2-8. The book, with a total of 96 pages, tells the beloved story of friendship, dogs, and animation, making it a timeless favorite for young readers. With charming illustrations by B. Mitchell, this adventurous tale is sure to delight fans of Disney and classic children's literature.

Life with Roger and Anita

Pongo, a Dalmatian living with his human Roger Radcliffe in London, grows lonely and decides to find a "mate" for both himself and Roger.

He arranges a meeting with Perdita and her human, Anita, in the park. The pair hit it off immediately, and before long, Roger and Anita get married, with Pongo and Perdita as part of the family.

Perdita gives birth to 15 healthy Dalmatian puppies. The family's happiness is quickly overshadowed by a visit from Cruella De Vil, Anita's flamboyant, fur-crazed former schoolmate, who offers to buy the puppies.

Roger flatly refuses Cruella, infuriating her. He later writes a song mocking Cruella, which becomes a popular hit.

The great dognapping

Determined to get her way, Cruella hires two bumbling thugs, Jasper and Horace, to steal the puppies.

The puppies are taken from the Radcliffe house to Cruella's abandoned country mansion, Hell Hall, in Suffolk.

When police efforts to find the puppies fail, Pongo and Perdita turn to the "Twilight Bark"—a canine gossip chain—for help.

Word eventually reaches the Colonel, an Old English Sheepdog, and his friend Sergeant Tibbs, a cat. They investigate Hell Hall and discover not only the 15 kidnapped puppies but 84 others Cruella has legally purchased.

Tibbs overhears Cruella revealing her sinister plot: to kill all 99 puppies and use their soft fur to make a single, lavish spotted coat.

The escape and the great chase

Pongo and Perdita travel across England to Hell Hall. With the help of the Colonel and Tibbs, they sneak all 99 puppies out of the manor.

Cruella and her henchmen pursue the pack of Dalmatians. At one point, the dogs hide by rolling in soot to disguise themselves as Labradors.

Their cover is almost blown, but they manage to board a moving van headed for London. Cruella and her thugs catch up and attempt to ram the van off the road.

The henchmen's truck ends up crashing into Cruella's car, sending both vehicles tumbling into a snowy ditch. Cruella is left to have a furious, hopeless tantrum.

Happily ever after

The Dalmatians arrive safely back at the Radcliffe home, surprising Roger and Anita.

After counting the large family, Roger and Anita decide to adopt all 99 puppies. Roger uses the royalties from his hit song about Cruella to buy a big house in the country, where they can live happily with their new, expanded family.

Distinctive format: The most notable characteristic of the books was their oversized, quarto format, which allowed for large, high-quality illustrations.

"Film as book" experience: The books were published to recreate the experience of watching the movie, incorporating original production art, story sketches, and character designs. For collectors, this offered a valuable look at the film's development.

Target audience: Though intended for children, the high production quality and collector-friendly nature of the series made them popular with Disney fans of all ages.

** Please note this book has been previously enjoyed and may show signs of wear, discoloration and have writing on the pages. Please see pics**.