Review – Zootopia Books

Disney’s Zootopia is still a month away from hitting the big screen, but Disney Press is willing to feed your child’s excitement with two books based on the film. The tradition of the Read-Along book is still alive with a soft cover book and CD that retells the story from the film. Those looking for a bedtime story will be thrilled with Judy Hopps and the Missing Jumbo-Pop. 

Zootopia Read-AlongDisney’s Zootopia Read-Along: Storybook and CD features 32 high gloss pages with new two-dimensional art to tell the film’s story. Cindy Robinson narrates the 17-minute auditory experience, which features audio from the film including actors Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman and Idris Elba. Judy Hopps is the newest member of Zootopia’s Police Department, but she is only allowed to be a meter maid because she’s a bunny. When she is given 48-hours to solve a missing person’s case, she must partner with her arch nemesis, a sly fox named Nick Wilde. But their case uncovers an even bigger crime that could destroy Zootopia if they don’t stop it in time.

Judy Hopps Jumbo-PopJudy Hopps and the Missing Jumbo-Pop is a large (over 1 foot tall) hardcover picture book with stylized illustrations. It’s an original story in which Judy helps an elephant named Ernie track down his missing jumbo-pop. Their quest takes them to all of the districts of Zootopia, giving readers a fun tour of the city. If your little one’s love animals and police cars, than this is a perfect story to add to your bedtime rotation.

Both the Zootopia Read-Along and Judy Hopps and the Missing Jumbo-Pop are now available in bookstores to help fuel your excitement for Zootopia, which comes out on March 4th. Kids hoping to know the whole story before seeing the film will get the most enjoyment out of the Read-Along, which can also be used as an aide for elementary school students working to expand their ready skills. Judy Hopps and the Missing Jumbo-Pop features shorter text with lots of onomatopoeias to make its exciting for preschoolers.

Alex Reif
Alex joined the Laughing Place team in 2014 and has been a lifelong Disney fan. His main beats for LP are Disney-branded movies, TV shows, books, music and toys. He recently became a member of the Television Critics Association (TCA).