Reviews (5)

great for art/"Pocahontas" fans in general
I love flipping through this book once in a while just to be in awe of Disney animators all over again, but I agree w/ some of the other reviewers who say that there isn't enough about the actual people behind this artwork. I'd like to find out more about how the artists & voices influenced different aspects of the story, reacted to deadlines, etc. too--but the art almost makes up for it. The book also provides some more insight into the personalities of the characters in "Pocahontas," which I found enlightening. Overall, it's a beautiful accompaniment to the movie, and very inspiring as well--makes me want to learn how to draw a little better.

A book as beautiful as its main character
The art of Pocahontas is, to my mind, one of the most beautiful books about animation art. Its composition following the making of the film step by step helps the reader to understand how a huge production such as Pocahontas is made and all the production aeras are represented. The pictures taken from the film and the artist's sketches shown in it are so great they could make anyone that did not like the design of Pocahontas ( and god knows they are a lot in France ) loves it. The only thing that could be improved is about photos of the artists in their work environment, there should be more.

Weak parts, but worth taking a look at.
The only thing holding this book together is the easy way it flows. In the tradition of other Disney "Making of..." books, it follows the format of each animation process from concept to script to storyboard to animation. Its interesting, but at times bogs down some nice visuals. Not all the visuals are great, though. The pre-production art seems weak and cliche like the drawings of pilgrims and Indians you remember as a kid. Only in the animation chapters does it pick up, particularly the work of Glen Keane. As chief animator of the title character, his storyboards and animation seem the most inspired and studied. Other character designs seem less bold against Disney's first eco-feminist heroine who paved the way for post-feminist heroines like Esmeralda from Hunchback and Meg from Hercules. The book not unnique in its execution or format, but its worth taking a look at to compare with other films and books and to see the evolution of the thought process of great Disney animators like Keane and Ruben Aquino. And of course it has its share of Disney we-are-doing-this-and-no-one-else-can attitude.

Very beautiful!
First of all, I assume that these reviews are supposed to refer to the large hardcover edition, which was published in 1995, and not the smaller 1996 edition. The large one is gorgeous, allowing a look into the world of how the artists develop a film from start to finish. Some of the concept art is so beautiful that you wonder why it didn't make it into the film. My only gripe with this book is that, like Rebello's other books, it deals almost entirely with the visual aspect of the films and, although it talks about how songs developed the movie (the Colors of the Wind section is especially well done), what about the voices? In The Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Beauty and the Beast, descriptions and photos are included of the actors who voiced the characters. While you might say that this sort of thing doesn't belong in an "Art of" book, I think it does, because the actor who voices a character often has a tremendous influence on the visual development of that character. For example, Belle in Beauty and the Beast would not have had the lock of hair that kept falling into her face - an endearing gesture that helped make her more real to the audience - if Paige O'Hara, her voice, had not had it first. The Art of Pocahontas would be perfect if it offered similar insights. But it's definitely worth reading or just looking at, to bask in the sheer beauty of the artwork.

Miniature Poachontas Book is Big on Color and Information
Don't let the small size of "The Art of Pocahontas"fool you; the authors have crammed the 5.5" by 4.5" book with loads of colorful artwork and interesting insights into the recent Disney masterpiece.

"The Art of Pocahontas" traces the creation of the film from conception to completion, including wonderful reproductions of concept sketches, background paintings, layout drawings and final animation art. The 189 pages of this small volume contain over 400 color and black-and-white illustrations.

The text was written by Stephen Rebello, an editor of "Movieline" and author of "Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of 'Psycho.'" He provides many insights into the collaborative and creative process behind the making of "Pocahontas."

Even though "The Art of Pocahontas" is an easy read--it takes less than an hour or two to read from cover to cover--the book provides plenty for fans of animation to contemplate. Much of the "behind the scene ... Read more

Book Description

The complete retelling of favorite Disney movies in a true read-aloud style. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Tarzan
The Edgar Rice Burroughs books are full of suspense, a perfect bedtime story. The best thing is that many (if not all of them) can be downloaded from from Project Gutenberg. Try reading the first one, Tarzan of the Apes, to your child as a serial bedtime story. They'll be begging to go to bed.

Disney's Tarzan , clear and Precise
This version of Disney's Tarzan is clearly written and has accurate drawings true to the film's content. Rarely do you find a smaler version of the big books so well presented.

Smaller successor to the Disney Classic series
Disney Mouseworks seems to be moving to smaller books and it looks like the end of the line of the Disney Classics series. The new Read-Aloud Storybooks are shorter (by about 20 pages) and smaller (by an inch here and there). That's too bad for those of us who have been collecting the old series. The paper is nicer and the artwork is very good, though, so it's not a total loss.

at least they didn't make him sing!
anyone who wants to read about tarzan should read thje books of edgar rice burroughs, not waste their time with this watered down shadow of the lord of the jungle. mr burroughs must be spinning in his grave like a top.

edgar rice burroughs must be rolling over in his grave!
edgar rice burroughs created a hero to equal ulysses,hercules, or paul bunyan. walt disney studios reduced this giant to the size of mickey mouse. after you see the movie, read the REAL story in burroughs' TARZAN OF THE APES, thankfully still in print, and see how it really happened. ... Read more

Book Description

Four board books in a carry-along box! ... Read more

Book Description

When Jessie tries to join in the fun and games with Woody and Buzz, she finds out that some games are simply meant for two . . . until the gang rounds up a game that everyone can play—including Jessie! In super-brief, super-simple text, this book promotes the power of inclusion.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Me Too, Woody
Our 6 yr old in kindergarten read this book today! It was great he only needed a little help and he was very proud of himself. It is a nice simple story about Buzz,Woody and Jessie that is separate from the movies. ... Read more

Book Description

A Learn and Grow Book: simple board books featuring early learning concepts. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Delightful!
Accompany Christopher Robin through the Hundred-Acre-Wood as he gives "colorful" treats to each of his friends. This sweet little board book teaches colors while capturing babies attention with a delightfully rhythmic beat, "A GREEN one for Rabbit, a RED one for Pooh, an ORANGE one for Tigger, and YELLOW one, too!," and so on. Additional colors include: purple, pink, brown, blue, gold, gray, black, and white. The illustrations are charming and appeal to young children. "Colors", is a charming book with simple images for easy comprehension. Birth and up. ... Read more

Book Description

Winnie the Pooh and baby, too! This lovely collection of playful rhymes and stories will delight the littlest listener in your family. From bouncy songs to simple, silly stories to hush-a-bye lullabies, this treasury will help babies explore the worlds of rhythm, rhyme, and play. A beautifully illustrated, jacketed hardcover, this picture book makes a wonderful baby gift, and a strong addition to our collectible Disney Treasury line. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Adorable! Full of fun things for baby to look at and learn!
This book is so cute! Anything Pooh is adorable, but this has rhymes that get baby involved like Pat-A-Cake and This Little Piggy and Open Them/Shut them! (and it tells you how to do the motions!) Older babies will love the Letters, Numbers, Colors and Five Senses sections! FUN!

Lovely rhymes, stories, a book that grows with baby
I love the rhymes for my lil' baby and I look forward to using this book as a letter, number, color identifier when she's older. I usually avoid Disney books, but I couldn't resist this one! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great for Kids
I bought this book for my niece, and she loved it.I thought it was an excellent cooking book for kids. She really enjoyed cooking with this book!

Cooking With Mickey & Friends
This is a great book for kids and moms (or dads). It has simple, easy to follow recipes and little girls especially love the Disney character illustrations.Just be prepared when your child gets this book; they willwant to start cooking right away. The only change I would like to see isfor it to be spiral bound or note-book style so that it will lay flat. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Robotic charmer Rolie Polie Olie and his best friend, Billy, little sister, Zowie, and faithful dog, Spot, come together in one fabulous tote box, complete with a sheet of colorful Rolie Polie stickers and four mini board books by William Joyce (Olie, Billy, Zowie, and Spot). Kids love reading about the surprisingly ordinary day-to-day adventures of these otherworldly characters, with their shiny, spherical heads (except Billy, who's more cubical) and wiry antennae. The sturdy cardboard briefcase-shaped box has snap closures and a plastic handle, so young readers can take their robot pals everywhere. Brilliant colors, lighthearted stories, and a computer-generated contemporary style ensure an appreciative audience for these unusual and appealing books and stickers. (Ages 2 to 5) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great Find
The book is very colorful but there isn't much of a plot line- then what do you expect from a 2 yr olds book right? I would say go for it its more of a picture book but the color quality is great for children. I purchased this for a little girl and she loves it to death. She's 3yrs old right now but still keeps reading or looking at the book. The box doesn't last long but its nice to get the entire set for this price.

a great collection!
This case filled with four books is so cute. One is about Olie, Zowie, Billy and Olie's dog Spot!! This set also comes with some very colorful sticker too!!! My son loves this collection. The books are very colorful! Each book has a cute little rhyming story about each of the characters. If you have an Olie fan out there this collection is a must have!

Excellent! Travel Box of Entertainment
My daughter loves her travel box of Rolie Polie Olie books! They are a life saver. Easy to read and sweet stories. Good graphics. Offers hours of wonderful reading.

Olie's fun to read!
These books are great for younger kids. Both my 2 year old nephew and 2 year granddaughter love looking through each book and for me to read the books to them. The box is a great way to keep all the books together & we make it part of the routine, so they learn to put away their books.

Rolie polie fun!
These books are great. There are books for each character, Olie, Billy, spot and Zowie. My son loves them and the snap case is great. When he is done we ask him to put them back in his case, to clean up. Very sweet books. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great carry along book!
Whoever thought of the idea of putting a handle on a hard cover book is a genius. It's perfect for a 2-3 year old to tote the book everywhere with them. My 3 year old son loves Buzz & Woody and this was a great gift. He carries it to him to bed, and carries it with him when he gets up. Wished they had more Disney books with the handle!

misguiding name
This is a nice book containing stories from both movies. I was a little disappointed because they called it a carry a long treasury, leading me to believe it was a case filled with several books. It is just one single book with a handle on it for some reason.

Read It At Walmart
It's good for baby's, toddlers, kids, teens, and parants! If you are a baby, toddler, kid, teen, or parent get it before they're all gone, sold out, or out of print! ... Read more

Book Description

A Learn and Grow Book: simple board books featuring early learning concepts. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Awesome
My son learned his ABC's at 14 mths because of this book and now at 22 mths he can resight the endings of sentences. I personally love this book and highly recommand it!

Delightful!
Come along with Pooh and friends to help Christopher Robin find his alphabet blocks. This adorable board book teaches the alphabet while capturing babies attention with a wonderfully rhythmic intonation, "A and B are in a tree. C and D have come to tea," and so forth. The illustrations are sweet and appeal to young children. ABC's is my favorite in the Learn and Grow series, with 123, by Lisa Ann Marsoli, and Colors, by Andrea Doering tied for second. ABC's is a delightful little book with simple images for easy comprehension. Birth and up.

Learn your ABC's
Pooh and his friends help Christopher Robin find his Blocks after the wind blew them away. Teaches the alphabet in a fun way. ... Read more

Book Description

11 songs from the soundtrack of the Disney hit. Includes: Colors of the Wind * If I Never Knew You * Just Around the Riverbend * Listen With Your Heart * Mine, Mine, Mine * Savages, Parts 1 and 2 * Steady as the Beating Drum (and Reprise) * and The Virginia Company (and Reprise). Also features beautiful, full-color artwork. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Definately a good find
I think if you play the panio then this is a great find. Disney's songs are always excellent and Phcohantus is no exception. They are songs you will fall in love with and you will want to practice over and over again. ... Read more

Book Description

A Learn and Grow book: simple board books featuring early learning concepts. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sweet book!
Come along with Pooh and friends to learn about contrary concepts. This adorable little board book teaches opposites, while carrying a wonderful rhythmic beat that captures babies attention, 'Piglet is SMALL truly tiny to see. Tigger is BIG, just as big as can be.' and so forth. The illustrations are sweet and appeal to young children. Opposites, is a delightful little book with simple images for easy comprehension. Birth and up. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Stunning Illustrations
The A-Z format was concise and easy to understand for children of this age group, while the top notch illustrative style of Doug Hart reinforced the visual learning of the alphabet. Children will enjoy the familiar Disney characters, parents will love the illustrations. A must for preschoolers! ... Read more

Book Description

A Learn and Grow Book: simple board books featuring early learning concepts. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Charming!
"Count" along with Pooh and friends to celebrate a very special day. This adorable little board book teaches the number one to ten, while carrying a wonderfully rhythmic cadence that engages babies, "ONE happy butterfly dancing in the sky. TWO great big acorns to make an acorn pie," et cetera. The illustrations are sweet and appeal to young children. 123, is a charming little book with simple images for easy comprehension. Birth and up. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

efiL s'guB A
Hello, this book is very realistic compaired to the
movie. I am a big fan of The Simpsons, but I still
love A Bug's Life. This book does have 96 pages,
perdectly following the main story. The illistrations
are beautiful, and almost as good as movie. OF
COURSE we can't copy every single quote from the orig-
inal movie, but this book IS A MUST FOR LOVERS OF
A BUG'S LIFE!!!...

It's a buggy world!
My 2 year old son loves this book! He was in a phase where he wanted to watch the movie over and over and over and over again. In an effort to get him off the TV, but still into the story, I ordered the book off of Amazon.com He loved it so much we have purchased more of the Disney story books. They're great!

This was by far one of the best books out there!
Ok, I just have to start off by saying that this book and the movie that goes with it are by far the coolest things that Disney and Pixar have come up with. They are funny, heartwarming, and educational as well. Here is Flik, a kind ant that wants to do good for the colony and make a difference. However, Flik's got one problem... he's a bit of a clutz... he shows children and adults that standing up for what you believe in and never giving up is the best way to live life. I'm fourteen, I love the book and the movie, and I WILL be seeing the movie, as well as reading the book, again and again. The wonderful story of the young ant Flik who wants nothing more than to make a difference in his colony and win the heart of the beautiful Princess Atta has touched my heart, and I garinty the same with you.

A short and cute book
This book has animated scenes from the movie. One is of Princess Dot and the other of Hemlich. The pictures are animated well and motion blur helps the pictures seem realistic. My only complaint is that the book is too short. It needs more scenes.

Thumbs up from Heimlich
As a kid I made my own flipbooks. Starting in the corners of math textbooks I later graduated to 4" by 5" index cards. Now I'm happy to find one of the scenes I animated from "A Bug's Life" in this flipbook (Heimlich chomping on a leaf on the way to Ant Island). There is also a really fun bit of animation of Dot from a very talented animator, Karen Kiser. I only wish they would make more of these books, from "A Bug's Life" and other animated films. Flipbooks are the simplest way to look at animation; frame by frame, page by page. I highly recommend this book for anyone (especially kids) interested in animation. And for anyone who is a fan of "A Bug's Life." ... Read more

Book Description

A Disney First Reader book: paperbacks perfect for young children just beginning to read on their own. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Winnie the Pooh Graduates With Honors
This year, I am graduating high school. For 12 years, my body and mind have been focused on school, friends, and getting by. Winnie the Pooh has also been a favorite of mine since childhood... I discovered this book last year. It speaks of changes in life, finishing a task and beginning new ones. This story, in a way sums up what every high school and/or college student goes through when they graduate. ... Read more

Book Description

A Learn and Grow book: simple board books featuring early learning concepts. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Images are charming, but the content is not clear.
"There's a party today for Winnie the Pooh! Let's tag along and learn shapes, too!" This sweet little board book captures babies attention with a pleasantly rhythmic beat while teaching shapes: circle, square, rectangle, triangle, heart, oval, diamond, and star. The illustrations are charming and appeal to young children, however, the text does not reference the individual shapes as a reinforcing teaching tool. For instance, the word SQUARE is placed next to the "square shaped blocks", but does not appear in the text itself. Emphasizing the word to the shape facilitates better learning, and the reason why this book receives a three star review. "Shapes," is not my favorite in the Learn and Grow Board Book series, however, the images are charming, and the prose is pleasing. Birth and up.

As a recommendation, Julie Aigner-Clark's, "See and Spy Shapes" by The Baby Einstein Company is an excellent book for teaching shapes.

Excellent Book! I would buy this for a friend's child
My 15 month old loves this book. It has a story line of Winnie-the-Pooh's birthday party, and uses gifts to show the shapes. The pictures are colorful. My daughter usually brings this book to me on a daily basis for me to read to her. I don't mind reading this one for the 50th time. It makes learning fun for her. ... Read more