The Magic is in You

The Magic is in You by Colin Hosten

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is an extremely simple book for young children. Each page spread is large artwork with a short sentence identifying what is hard, and the next spread is "the magic is in you" for one page with the other page expanding on what can be done (ex: spreading love, recognizing your feelings, finding true friendship, etc.). Not heavy on any story aspect at all, and each challenge and answer set features a different Disney movie. Spotlights in this one are Tangled, Inside Out, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Aladdin, Dumbo, Toy Story, and of course Mickey from The Sorcerer's Apprentice.

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5-Minute Spooky Stories

5-Minute Spooky Stories by Walt Disney Company

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is a collection of Halloween/spooky stories in the common 5 minute collection format.

Toy Story: Toys That Go Bump in the Night
Tangled: Marmalade Moon Night
Finding Nemo: A Fishy Terror
Winnie the Pooh: Boo to You, Winnie the Pooh
Sleeping Beauty: Maleficent Returns
Monsters, Inc.: Parade Day Dash
Peter Pan: Captain Hook's Shadow
Mickey & Friends: Haunted Halloween
Aladdin: Get in the Spirit
Cars: Mater & the Ghost Light
Beauty & the Beast: The Haunted Castle
Wreck-It Ralph: Tricky Treats

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5-Minute Girl Power Stories

5-Minute Girl Power Stories by Walt Disney Company

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Lilo & Stitch: Ride the Waves
Even though there was surfing in the movie, this is written as if Lilo & Stitch are learning to surf for the first time. Of course, the whole family pulls together as usual.

Toy Story 4: Officer McDimples on Duty
Not all toys are meant for kids. The toys have a new adventure discovering a Taco toy that is meant for dogs. Now to find the perfect dog to play with them.

The Little Mermaid: The Tambourine Dance
Ariel still has trouble living on two legs, but she loves to try new things. It's encouraging to see her family supporting her this time around and everyone joining in to contribute to this new tradition for her.

Moana: A Day with Moana
Gathering sugar cane turns into a bit of an adventure when hide and seek doesn't go as planned. The group stays remarkably calm as they follow clues to find their lost friend, and the sugar cane they originally set out to collect, too.

The Lion King: Nala's Great Adventure
Simba and Nala are on the search for their perfect "cubhouse". Perhaps, it seems, the best place for a couple of cubs, is back at home.

Mulan: Honor for Father
While he comes across harsh at the beginning of the movie, it is scenes like this when he seems to be the ideal dad who truly values his family and his daughter. Mulan truly did do her best, and also showed that her family and friends are more important that a village tournament.

Sleeping Beauty: An Amazing Team
With Prince Phillip away (without his horse?), Aurora steps in to cheer up Samson and compete in the local jousting tournament. Certainly not the usual sport you hear of for a princess.

Aladdin: The Princess Polo Games
We don't usually see or hear anything about Princess Jasmine's mother. Apparently, she was well known for Princess Polo. Jasmine doesn't think she has a good team at first, but she learns to pull her team together and play to everyone's strengths. Perhaps most important of all though, they have fun.

Zootopia: Big Trouble in Little Rodentia
This tale is actually just a small snippet of the movie, focusing on the chase through Rodentia to catch a weasel.

Minnie: The Missing Daffodils
Minnie starts off accusing those who are innocent of being the flower prowler. She picks up towards the end though and realizes that it may be a rather innocent crime and unintentional as a hungry goat certainly has no idea that they're stealing her garden.

Incredibles 2: A Day Out with Mom
Violet and Helen have very different ideas when it comes to fashion, however, the entire family can agree on one thing: they make a great team and they enjoy being superheroes.

The Princess & the Frog: Tiana's Big-City Sound
This time around Tiana puts her focus and determination into helping her cousin and their band when the place they usually played closes down just as she gets to town. Not much of a surprise given the focus on music in the movie as well.

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Rapunzel & the Golden Rule/Jasmine & the Two Tigers

Rapunzel & the Golden Rule/Jasmine & the Two Tigers by Barbara Bazaldua

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Rapunzel's story basically focuses on Flynn and Maximus learning to get along using the Golden Rule. Other than that, it's essentially the story of Tangled, just very simplified and focused on these two specific characters.

Jasmine's story is all about Rajah being lovesick. Even Abu appears to have found a match if you watch the pictures, though it's never actually mentioned in the story. Sweet that everything works out, though there doesn't seem to be much of any other purpose to the story unless you count "being happy."

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Disney's Junior Graphic Novel: Aladdin

Disney's Junior Graphic Novel: Aladdin by Bobbi J.G. Weiss

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The "graphic novel" design makes this ideal for children as the pictures really help tell the story. It's especially good that there are so many on each page since it is a surprisingly text heavy rendition of the movie. Originally one of the last children's books I bought myself at a grade school book fair, this is now part of my daughter's book collection. She doesn't "read" it as often as she looks at the pictures and asks for a story, but she's definitely interested in it.

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Aladdin

Aladdin by Walt Disney Company

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This was one of the last Disney books I added to my own collection as a child. My daughter doesn't really follow this series yet, so it isn't asked for as often, but she does like flipping through the pictures occasionally. I imagine as she gets older, sees the movie more, and learns to read more complex books on her own that she'll come back to this one more in the future. As a book adaptation for a movie, it's decent, especially for a young audience.

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Aladdin

Aladdin (1994)

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


Like with many of the Disney Afternoon shows, the TV series does not match up to the artwork of the original movie in the least. Aside from that, it does contain a fun series of snippets into the lives of the original characters, focusing mostly on Aladdin. Everyone else you mostly get as a by-product of what that particular adventure will drag into the mix. Still, I have fond memories of this one as well from my own childhood and look forward to watching it with my daughter.

Aladdin and the King of Thieves

Aladdin and the King of Thieves (2004)

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Another directly to VHS sequel, this was actually more detailed than the second film, The Return of Jafar. Still lower on the detail scale than the first film, it's overall well done and entertaining. Especially interesting to have the added twist of Aladdin's family coming back on the scene.

Robin Williams returns as the voice of the hyperactive genie in this, the second direct-to-video sequel to Disney's hit animated feature. Aladdin, the street beggar turned Prince, risks all to find his father among the cut-throat 40 thieves and joins his quest to find a Midas-like stone that turns everything it touches into gold. A significant cut above most made-for-video animation, this energetic adventure largely leaves Princess Jasmine and the genie behind for a father-and-son quest. Guest voice Jerry Orbach suggests Sean Connery with his thick-as-molasses delivery as the master thief Sa'luk and, despite his limited screen time, Williams once again delights with his wild flights of fantasy as the big blue Genie. A rousing tale full of last-minute escapes and spectacular, kid-sized thrills that even parents will find entertaining.

- source: listal

Aladdin 2: The Return of Jafar

Aladdin 2: The Return of Jafar (1994)

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


The rating drops here more due to lacking care in the production of the movie itself. The artwork is sub par and the details are often changed or completely lacking from scene to scene. Highly disappointing as it would be an excellent sequel had that attention been deployed. I suppose that's why the film went directly to VHS and bypassed the theaters.

Aladdin

Aladdin (1992)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


One of my favorite Disney films, I must admit to being rather annoyed when the changed the lyrics to the opening song, Arabian Nights, when releasing the film on DVD years after the VHS edition. If you haven't seen it before, this is on the must see list.

Aladdin, a street rat, is the only person who can enter the cave of wonders and retrieve a magical lamp for the dark Vizier Jafar. Aladdin becomes trapped in the cave with his sidekick, Abu, and accidentally discovers the resident of the lamp. Aladdin develops a relationship with the Genie and uses his wishes to become a prince to chase the affections of Princess Jasmine. When Jafar finally steals the lamp and gets three wishes of his own, Aladdin must rely on his intelligence to trick Jafar and save his friends and the Kingdom.

- source: listal