Description:
Disney's Animated Storybook Collection is a three-in-one package that takes new readers to familiar Disney stories. Along the way, it helps them learn to read those tales on their own. The collection offers three storybook versions of some of its classic cinematic releases: Toy Story, 101 Dalmatians, and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too. Each follows a relatively straightforward format--a pared-down version of the story is presented to users along with an interactive illustration. As the story is read aloud, the words being read are highlighted so children can, with repeated viewings, learn to recognize them. This reading practice is interspersed with animations and games. In one such activity, players help put away Andy's toys before a hoard of children descends upon his room. In another, Roo of the 100 Acre Wood plays tic-tac-toe with you. This package provides a pleasant diversion for preschool children who are already interested in learning to read. The amount of text provided is far from overwhelming, and the vocabulary is kept simple. There are enough distractions from the educational content to keep the program from becoming drudgery, and the familiar Disney content should pose little challenge to most users. As children gain reading proficiency, though, they may become frustrated with the games' insistence on playing out the lengthy animations. There is little scope for players to skip ahead, in other words--even if Pooh has explained the game navigation menu to them 40 times, children will have to sit through the instructions again. This aside, Disney's Animated Storybook Collection is ideal for Disney fans ages 4 to 6. --Alyx Dellamonica
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