Book Review: Moana Read-Along Storybook and CD

moana-read-alongMoana comes to theaters this Thanksgiving, but kids can get an early preview of the adventurous story with Disney’s Read-Along Storybook and CD set. With a narrator and actual audio from the film, this is the closest you can get to seeing the film ahead of its release. 32 pages of beautiful full color artwork add imagery and kids can choose to read it themselves, or let the CD read for them.

Long ago, the demigod Maui stole the heart of the mother island Te Fiti, releasing a horrible beast on the nearby islands. Now Moana, a chief’s daughter, must set out on an adventure to find Maui and restore the heart to Te Fiti in time to save her people before it’s too late. This thrilling adventure is full of action and humor.

Narrated by New Zealand actress Rena Owen of Star Wars fame, the CD uses some traditional Oceanic music to help support the story. Dialogue directly from the film is used when appropriate, featuring the voices of Dwayne Johnson as Maui and Auli’i Cravalho as Moana. The score highlights the intensity of some of the scenes and sound effects help create the world.

I always loved read-along books when I was a kid and love that they are still being created today. If the little ones in your life are excited for the film, this is a perfect way to introduce them to the story. Especially since some moments in the movie might be intense for little ones, knowing how it ends might ease their fear.

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).