Disney Books

Island at the Top of the World was one of the first books I read as a kid, and it really captured my imagination. A great adventure story with an airship that goes to the Arctic in search of ambergris, the stuff in sperm whales they use in perfume. The subplot has a guy searching for his long lost brother if I recall right. Anyway it's great for kids and someday I hope to see the Disney film.

I read this book when I was about 9 years old and it has stayed in my mind ever since. It was the first book I read from beginning to end. It definitely left a lasting impression on me.

I first read this book in 7th grade, 30 years ago. I have read it at least 10 more times since. A mystery/adventure tale set in the Canadian arctic. Plenty of action and suspense. I highly recommend it for the teenage boy who does not like to read. You just might make a reader of him. It worked for me.

If you like Jules Verne, Ian Fleming, or even Clive Cussler, you should like this novel. It made for fast reading in an adventurous way.

Although I have not seen the movie, the novel was descriptive enough that I feel I almost did.

Light hearted pre-techno-thriller reading.

As a single Mom I have found a perfect way to get your kids involved in beginning to read, and beyond. Since your kids are bound to know all the characters and the voices getting them involed in following along with the written story is as easy as it comes. Later they will read the stories themselves again and again. Not only is this collection entertaining for the kids but you parents will not get bored with them as well. As you know those long trips to Grandma's house you can get pretty sick of those "Sing a Long" kids songs after the first few times through them. This will eliminate that and get the kids on the path to reading enjoyment. A+ in my book.

A real bargin, you get a greate product for a greate price, deffinaly worth the money!
My girl 5,5 years old just love these stories aboute the Lion king, she lissens to them in the car and on her cd-player in her room. We have put the Cd in a hard cd case and bought a plastic box for the books, the box they come in were not that sturdy, and the books could have been ruined if we did not put them somewere else, especially when she wants them in the car, and then out of the car in her room and so on...
We will definatly buy more books from this serie! highly recomend them, you will not get dissapointed.

I am taking care of a three and a five year old boy. They both love to listen to the stories and the five year old enjoys "reading" along in the books and being able to turn the pages all by himself.
The kid's room turns amazingly quiet as soon as I put the CD in.
I'm very happy with this product!

This is a good product. Perfect for short and long travel. Provokes reading interest in children.

If you want to know more about the Lizzie McGuire series then this is a must.

this episode guide is perfect book ever. it the best book out of the series.this episode guide will tell you everything to Know about lizzie mcguire the t.v series.it has the tv episode summmry a " did you know" seletion and it tells you the bloopers they have.Also it has pictures of all 65 episodes and the cast Biograghy in the back. You sould buy this book if you are a Lizzie McGuire FANATIC!!!

The Lizzie McGuire Official Episode Guide rocks! It's so totally awesome, and a must have for any Lizzie McGuire fan. There are cool coloured pics for each of the sixty five episodes. For each episode, it shows the name, writer, cast, episode summary, bloopers, and a "Did You Know?" section. The "Did You Know" section has lots of ultra cool facts. The bloopers are really funny, check the episodes to see if you can spot them. There's also a cool sneak peek of "The Lizzie McGuire Movie". It shows the cast, a summary, and a "Did You Know?" section. There are also biographies of Hilary Duff (Lizzie), Lalaine (Miranda), Adam Lamberg (Gordo), Robert Carradine (Sam McGuire), Hallie Todd (Jo McGuire), and Jake Thomas (Matt). There are also mini bios of Stan Rogow, Susan Estelle Jansen, and Terri Minsky. A must have for every Lizzie fan!

this book has a lot of cool information about the show it is sooo coolit has can you spot the bloopers and a all about the show and then an all about the episodes and cool color pictures of all 65 episodes if you are a lizzie mcguire fan this is a must have

I just received this book in the mail, (i ordered it off here for .50 cents for the book) it was brand new looking and i think my daughter will love it for Christmas. Great deal specially since they dont print these books anymore!

I have been reading Pooh stories to my children for many years. When my oldest son was little, Pooh was his nickname. How great to have these wonderful stories to give to my grandchildren. It is like passing on part of my sons childhood to their children. Both of my grandchildren love Pooh just as much as their Daddy's did. Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and the rest will never go away. I have to confess, I'm the Nana, but I love reading these stories to my grandchildren. They are my favorites too.

My 2 1/2-year-old discovered Pooh on the Disney video. However, she wanted to hear about his adventures at bedtime, so I bought this book. Now she actually prefers it to the video, which makes everyone happy. Of all of her Pooh books, this is her favorite.

We bought the movie for my daughter's 2nd Birthday. She loves the movie so much that she has almost the whole thing memorized, but the real fun started when we found the book. She sits down and "reads" the book herself. This book is so close the the movie that she can repeat the story as she looks at the pictures in the book. What more could a parent ask for than a book that children can relate to and encourage them to read instead of watch TV. Thank You.

Work tapes, demos...don't be deceived, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman produce nothing but pure magic. Marvel at the quality of their 'rough' stuff, and the music that never made it. I had been trying to obtain a copy of this set (CD apparently discontinued) for ages; I was not disappointed. Obviously if you are reading this then you like/love Disney music, and this will only increase your appreciation of the beautiful, timeless lyrics and melodies . The accompanying book is excellent, through it you are given an idea of how work on the music for these three films proceeded. The inclusion of the original score to Aladdin is a real gem, and if you didn't already consider these three men geniuses....

If you adore the music of "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Aladdin", you will love this set. Besides final versions of most songs, it also contains work tapes and demos perfromed by the song writing team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. The music and the book that comes with it are gems. As a special treat, the origional score for "Aladdin" by Ashman and Menken is included. They paint a whole different feel for the film

This boxed set is INDISPENSABLE for any fan of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman's work together, not to mention admirers of their Disney music and films in particular (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin). To hear the composer and lyricist developing what would become some of this generation's most beloved and widely known melodies sends chills down the spine (as does the demo track where Menken works through various iterations of the tune for the title song of "Beauty and the Beast" before finally coming to the best version - you can hear him make the breakthrough on tape.) The discs are inspiring for fans of the duo's work, and a terrific insight into how a great musical number for film or stage is crafted.

Ashman passed away long before his time, and with Little Shop of Horrors and these Disney films as his popular legacy collaborating with Menken, listeners are fortunate to find such a wealth of material here (for a similar "behind the scenes look on Little Shop of Horrors, check out the 2003 Broadway cast edition which features demo recordings as bonus tracks - Little Shop of Horrors (2003 Broadway Revival Cast))

Note that while Tim Rice is given equal billing, this set really is all about Ashman and Menken (Rice contributed to a handful of songs out of the four disc collection). This is an example of a Disney music collection done right, with four full discs to provide hours of listening (the Aladdin score disc isn't as long as the others, but the main discs are jam-packed).

Amazon does not generally carry this set in stock, so be sure to check their marketplace sellers for new copies; also note that Amazon has this collection listed at least three times on their site under different titles and each has different marketplace sellers (and pricing!) - aside from this listing, here are at least two of the alternate listings:

The Music Behind the Magic, the Musical Artistry of Alan Menken, Howard Ashman & Tim Rice

WALT DISNEY RECORDS PRESENTS: THE MUSIC BEHIND THE MAGIC THE MUSICAL ARTISTRY OF ALAN MENKEN, HOWARD ASHMAN AND TIM RICE

The Music Behind The Magic is simply just that...magic! It doesn't matter whether you enjoy 'Disney' music or not; this collection is a must buy for any serious musical composer. By experiencing these tapes, you actually go behind the scenes to the creation of some of the most famous and magical songs ever written. Want to hear 'A Friend Like Me' in its demo version? How about 8 time Academy Award(R) winner Alan Menken playing around the piano trying to think of 'Arabian Nights'? This set not only includes the entire scores and songs to The Little Mermaid, B&B, and Aladdin (although some minor score cues are left out), but it also includes priceless work and demo versions of these beautiful and moving songs. Imagine hearing Alan on the piano humming the theme to a Whole New World before the song even had lyrics! Or what about Howard Ashman singing Poor Unfortunate Souls with lyrics that were cut from the movie. The book is a great addition, providing photos, great behind the scenes info, and the entire lyrics to all the songs in this collection. You'll not only enjoy the superior brillance of Mr. Menken, and the late Mr. Ashman, but you'll also learn some stuff about composing and writing worthy musical material. It took me months to get a hold of this set. Thank God for amazon.com...take advantage of it and purchase a piece of pure sophistication!

It was a great book, although I warn people who are avid fans of the movie that it is of course different from the film, and a little disapointing because some of the parts I loved were changed, oh well. It was a darn good thing I wasn't at any of the stores when the book was first released, otherwise I would have spoiled it for myself in the time it takes to breath.

I bought this item for my son. He was very excited about receiving it. He is 10. He looks forward to reading the whole book. Which is great for me to find books at a great price that my son will actually read.

I just ordered the book, hopefully its as good as the movie. I read stories from the set in the book Mr Instability and that was pretty cool!

In a crowded theater in Washington, D.C., a shot rings out, changing the course of history. Nearby, a man by thename of Thomas Gates deciphers a code that costs him his life. But not before he tries to destroy several pages of a diary...

Over a hundred years later, a stranger approaches Benjamin Franklin Gates and reveals that Ben's family might have had something to do with Lincoln's assassination. Soon Ben finds himself on a different kind of hunt. Along with his friends, Riley and Abigail, he will have to travel from the streets of Paris to the middle of the United States to find a book that could revealone of America's greatest secrets---and treasures.

This book is so awesome! I bought it yesterday and finished it today. It was a definite page turner that you just can't put down. Once you read the first chapter, your sure to be hooked! It combines humor, history, and suspense all in one. It will teach you about things you have never heard about and never cared to find out about...until now!

The New Amsterdam Theatre is amazing. It has been given a new life. This book tells that story. It brings us back to Old New York when there used to be over fifty theatres!! It is a shame that we've let them be destroyed. But this book gives the story of a theatre and a peek into a past that deserves to be remembered.

This is the most beautiful book I own. I had been to the New Amsterdam in its most painful days. At this time I saw Mondo Cane and would not sit down it was such a flea bag theatre. It was a historical sight...Ziegfeld Folies et al. I really felt sad as I stood there feeling the greatness that had passed; at the time I felt... forever. Disney has brought the theatre and the feeling back. I witnessed this with my viewing of LION KING. What I felt had been lost forever can be seen in this wonderful book. The pictures before and after make one feel that nothing is impossible. The beauty that had decayed and looked irreversable has been accomplished and this book, and this theatre stand as testaments to what can be accomplished. Anyone who has walked into a theatre and felt the past rekindle will love to read this inspiring book. This book shows the cycle of a wonderful theatre and all that it was and lost and then saved. It symbolizes the rise and fall of 42nd Street as well as one beautiful theatre. This book will for once and for all show what a thetare can be and fall to and rise above. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in Theatres anywhere and what they should symbolize to all of us.

This book offers an excellent overview of the New Amsterdam Theater from the beginning through the recent renovation with discussions of the architecture of the building, the decorative artwork and of course a history of shows that have played at the theater from the beginning.

Do you know a theater buff who deserves the perfect gift this holiday season? Disney's Hyperion has just released the ideal book for anyone who loves the theater: The New Amsterdam: The Biography of a Broadway Theatre.

The book is as striking as New York's famed and recently refurbished New Amsterdam Theatre. Opening from the center to reveal the main stage framed by delicate murals and art nouveau decorations, the book is brimming with pictures. It begins with decades old photographs and sketches that depict the grace and splendor of the theater when it opened in 1903 and concludes with before-and-after pictures demonstrating the care and effort that went into the building's restoration.

This book does not simply tell the story of the rise, fall, and rebirth of the Broadway landmark, it recounts the history of American theater as it passed over the stage of the New Amsterdam. From the Ziegfeld Follies to Fred Astaire to Jack Benny to Disney's recent staging of King David, the New Amsterdam welcomed America's most famous and talented performers. The New Amsterdam: The Biography of a Broadway Theatre makes this history come alive with photos of movie posters, actors, sets, and costumes.

Disney is to be commended for committing their resources to the painstaking and comprehensive restoration project that has saved the New Amsterdam from its undeserved fate as a forgotten and abandoned relic from Broadway's' glamourous past. They can also be congratulated for offering this remarkable book that preserves and shares 94 years of America's artistic heritage.

This is a fantastic book for Disney collectors of all types and levels.
I highly recommend it to anyone with half an interest in this field. If you don't collect Disneyana before you buy this you certainly will once you get a copy in your hands. It covers so many areas and is very informative. Also it has fantastic pictures of many unknown treasures.

This has good information for current sales, it does not include all Disney collectibles however.

Ted Hake has dealt in Disney collectibles for 40 years, and he has turned his experience into a true collector's companion. This book is a must for both the novice and advanced collector of (early) Disneyana. The selection of items is excellent, discussing great pieces not only from the US but from the entire world.

Ted Hake, the King of Collectibles, has issued a book on Disneyana. I am very excited that this book is on the market. For novice collectors there are lengthy features regarding the history of different aspects of Disney collecting that will bring you up to speed. The articles also work for advanced collectors for detail reminders and a quick, all-in-one reference for those pesky details that will clear that bet you made. This book is hefty, and I know if Ted could have included even more he would have. Each inclusion features a very handy full color photo, detailed description, and a price break-down for varying conditions and parts (i.e. box value AND item value). The book is divided into sections for each character(s) or particular items (posters, four-color comics, Walt Disney, etc.)and items are listed in chronological order making the tome extremely easy to reference. Each section begins with a history of the characters or items, making dating items particularly easy. Prices listed are realistic, fair market value; however you have to make up your own mind what you would sell/pay for any item. I am a Disneyland collector so I especially appreciate the sections on Disney Park items. Perhaps in the future the Disney Parks sections can grow...or perhaps a book only on Disneyland collectibles...! But that is only my own desire, not a complaint. This is the first reference book I reach for these days. Every good Disneyana fan or collector should own it!

Any collection strong in animation history and art needs ONCE UPON A TIME: WALT DISNEY: THE SOURCES OF INSPIRATION FOR THE DISNEY STUDIOS. It packs in nearly four hundred color illustrations and essays by a number of authorities as it reveals the Paris exhibition of 'Once Upon a Time: Walt Disney' and considers the films which impacted animation and the film world. Over 300 original works by Disney artists, from paintings and drawings to film clips, backgrounds and cels blend with the Western European artworks which inspired them, offering a unique visual connection between Disney's efforts and their inspirational origins. The cross-cultural connections are simply outstanding and place this 'tops' in any collection strong on Disney, film or animation history.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Wow! Whether you're an art lover, Disney fan, or simply fascinated by Western culture, you owe it to yourself to add this remarkable book to your collection. Much thicker than a typical coffee-table tome, this big, heavy art anthology was published as a companion to an art exhibition of the same name, which collected works from both the Disney archive as well as 50 museums worldwide. The exhibit was shown in Paris last fall and is currently (spring 2007) on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It was compiled by Bruno Girveau, a principal curator at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris.

A delight to browse through, the book reproduces hundreds of original Disney pen-and-ink sketches, conceptual watercolors and actual production pieces for films from 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to 1967's "Jungle Book"; as well as many of the historic art pieces and other cultural material that inspired Walt Disney and his artists. For example, a section on the Evil Queen from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is brilliantly illustrated with a Gothic column statue from Naumburg, an 1898 French oil ("Woman in a Black Hat," George de Feure), a 1937 Disney production celluloid and a 1940 publicity shot of film actress Joan Crawford -- all of which appear to show the same person. (The text is good, too. This section includes a short essay pondering the effects of Walt Disney's hard-luck childhood.)

A chapter on pop art includes two interpretations of Donald Duck by Roy Lichtenstein and another by Andy Warhol -- and those are the dullest pieces! My favorite is David Mach's Matchstick Mickey, a real Mickey doll being eaten by a giant purple head made of nothing but purple matchsticks and glue. Other highlights in the book include more than a dozen gorgeous conceptual watercolors for "Alice in Wonderland" by Disney artists David Hall and Mary Blair, and a discussion that the Blue Fairy from "Pinocchio" is actually an animated homage to Hollywood's original blond bombshell, Jean Harlow.

My only gripe is the book's organization and index. The chapters are grouped not by film, but rather the exhibit's themes of "Disney's European Sources," "Walt Disney and Literature and Cinema," "Disney and Pop Art," etc.; and the index is only by artist. Still, what a find!

A nice companion book is Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation.

Great book to see the images the Disney artists drew from for inspiration and design. Today the Disney images are considered the icons but to see their source material allows for an introduction to the original work, which is wonderful, and therefore have a deeper appreciation of each art form, both fine and animated. A worthwhile catalogue if you were unable to see the exhibit.

Here at Denny Magic Studios we make a point of acquiring anything and everything Disney, it's part of our ongoing education by being in the theme park design business. This passion surrounding the Disney brothers also dictated that we attend the traveling museum show on Walt which we found mesmerizing. However, although this book delivers some wonderful color plates and some good information all rolled into a beautiful coffee table presentation, and without chastising it in any way...we found that we were not too excited about it. There are several colored plates that seem to be rather rare, and the information seems well researched, but there was something that we could not put our finger on that kept it from being an exciting acquisition. Therefore we feel that if you are a die hard fan of Disney... then yes, you are going to want this book. If you are interested in Disney but not "fanatical" then you might want to wait until this one goes on sale.

ISBN 0307001040 - Eugene Bradley Coco and illustrator Ron Dias, who teamed up on Pinocchio (A Little Golden Book), take on another classic with the adaptation of Disney's Peter Pan. This time they're slightly less successful, as they fall into what seems like a pattern with these books, trying to tell too much in too few pages and leaving out important details in the process. The illustrations, however, are fantastic.

Wendy, John and Michael Darling are in the nursery on the eve of Wendy's growing up when Peter Pan appears, looking for his shadow. When he hears that Wendy will be leaving the nursery to grow up tomorrow, he offers to whisk them away to Never Land. The children go with Peter and enjoy themselves until Peter sees that Captain Hook has kidnapped Tiger Lily. He rescues her, but Hook then captures Tinkerbell, forcing her to tell him where Peter and the Lost Boys can be found. Hook captures all of them, including the Darlings, and it's up to Peter and Tinkerbell to save them!

Coco jumps right into the story, which seems to assume that the reader already knows something about it. Peter's distress that there will be no more stories makes no sense, because there hadn't been a story yet. It's a small thing for those who know the whole story, and kids might not notice because they're kids, but the book has an incomplete feel to it. Tinkerbell's jealousy of Wendy, for example, is never mentioned. I think young children will love the story, regardless, but for fans of the original, it falls a bit short.

- AnnaLovesBooks

The Book Peter Pan is probable my favorite childrens book of all. Peter Pan is about a young boy named, of course, Peter Pan. Peter lives in a place far away called Neverland. In Neverland no one there can get older. The only adults in Neverland happen to be pirates, and although Peter is just a boy all of the pirates are scared of him because he is the only person who can fly. The book is jam packed with adventure, Peter even has a friend fairy. Peter Pan also has friends called the lost boys. This book is a definate must get book for your child. I recommend this book to all ages, because every kid needs Peter Pan

If kids like Peter Pan, then this is a book for them. With illustrations and the vocabulary the kids can understand, this book provides an easy way for the kids to understand the story. It is a must for any children's book collection.

A wonderful version of this classic Walt Disney story! With beautiful illustrations, it is the perfect addition to your book collection for your children.