Many of us grew up reading Little Golden Books, picture books with simple but sweet stories that entertained children as well as parents. So imagine my surprise and delight when I learned that the beloved book series recently added three stories themed to Disney Parks attractions to its collection. The attractions featured are it’s a small world, The Jungle Cruise, and The Haunted Mansion. Let’s take a look at what these new additions have to offer!
It’s A Small World Golden Book- Available Now
[Available in Hardcover for $5.99 and on Kindle for $5.99]
I didn’t know what to expect for this one, given that the ride has a rather simple premise . . . but I was pleasantly surprised. The art not only maintains the Mary Blair-esque style seen in the attraction but also includes the Disney characters added to the Disneyland version of the attraction in recent years. My favorite detail is that every new country visited includes their language’s way to say “Hello,” complete with phonetics.
Here is the publisher’s summary for this book:
Travel our small world the Disney way in this beautifully illustrated Little Golden Book! From the Eiffel Tower to the Egyptian Pyramids and the Taj Mahal, readers can experience Disney Parks’ famous “it’s a small world” attraction like never before in this storybook.
And here’s a little Mary Blair bonus I stumbled upon. I grew up reading her Little Golden Book, I Can Fly. But she also did Golden Books titled Baby’s House, The Up and Down Book, and The Golden Book of Little Verses. While most of those books have been out of print for decades, there’s a treasury of all 4 books with additional content now available: The Mary Blair Treasury of Golden Books ($10.99)
Jungle Cruise – Available May 25, 2021
[Available in Hardcover for $4.99 and on Kindle for $5.99]
Given that the Jungle Cruise is being redone in the Parks, I can’t help but wonder how the story in this book handles the portions that are set to be replaced. In any case, the cover art fittingly colorful with slightly silly-looking animals (which I count as a good thing).
This book is available for preorder now for an end of May delivery, so there’s not much more info for me to share, but here is the publisher’s summary:
Climb aboard the Jungle Cruise and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime! Featuring terrifying tigers, mysterious ruins, and the eighth wonder of the world, readers can experience Disney Parks’ world-famous Jungle Cruise attraction like never before in this new Little Golden Book.
The Haunted Mansion – Available July 13, 2021
[Available in Hardcover for $5.99 and on Kindle for $5.99]
Out of the three, this is the Little Golden Book that I am most excited to get my hands on. Not only do I adore the art style used, but the story, which takes the reader on a tour of the titular Haunted Mansion, sounds like a great way to prepare little ones to ride the real thing when they are ready.
Here is the publisher’s summary for this book:
It’s easy to get into the Haunted Mansion… but can you find your way out? Join the Ghost Host and search your way through all the creep-tastic rooms of Disney Parks’ Haunted Mansion-from the ominous Séance Room, to the ghoulish party in Grand Hall, to the attic that holds many scary secrets.
Let’s Hear From You
If you’re like me, you’ve got a tattered collection of treasured Golden Books from your childhood tucked safely away on a shelf. Are you interested in these three new Disneyland attraction books? Are there other Disneyland attractions you think would make a great Little Golden Book adaptation? Let us know in the comments below.
Before we close the book on this article, I’d be remiss if I didn’t link you to one of our most popular columns of all time, also about a Disneyland Golden Book . . . The Little Man of Disneyland:
The Little Man of Disneyland
[Available in Hardcover for $4.99 and on Kindle for $4.99]
This classic Little Golden Book is much, much older than others included in this list above. In fact, it was originally published in 1955! But given its special ties to Disneyland, I knew it should be included for special mention.
This charming story follows Mickey, Donald and Goofy, who begin the process of building Disneyland from Anaheim’s orange groves. Shortly thereafter, the trio meet Patrick Begorra, a little man who lives inside the roots one the orange trees. They now need to figure out how to convince little Patrick to let them construct Disneyland.
And as an extra bonus, we have a special moving version of the story, crafted by Disney artist and all-around creative genius, Mike Peraza. You can view the video, along with a glimpse into his adaptation process here:
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