Disney's Finding Nemo: A Read-Aloud Storybook

Yeah, you can read this one aloud - IF the little person you'e reading aloud to hasn't already seen the movie! Otherwise, he/she is going to try to read it to YOU and tell YOU the characters and story plot before you can read it to THEM!

First of all, I wish to state that the version I have and read to my niece is a bit larger than the edition rated here. Mine is an 8 by 11 inch version of the story, but otherwise is the same as the smaller (7 by 10-something) version noted here. They are both official Disney Pixar versions.

This condensation is divided into four parts, The Drop Off (where Marlin loses his wife Coral and all babies except the one he names Nemo, per his wife's wishes); Meet The Tank Gang (where we meet the fish who wound up in the Dentist's office aquarium, and learn of Marlin's search for Nemo); Keep Swimming (which focuses on the obstacles the two groups face leading up to...); The Great Escape (Will Nemo be reunited with poppa Marlin?).

We read the entire book at one sitting, and Mattie's rather short attention span stuck with it just fine. It could also be divided up for four shorter sessions, for bedtime or snack-time stories. Mattie delighted in naming characters as they appeared on the pages (even if she forgot the actual names; she would tell me what they did, or who they were in relation to the story), and she would tell me bits of the story that were getting ready to happen, but she didn't actually "spoil" the stories for me - she let me read most of it and let me discover it as it unfurled by the story writer.

The printing was large enough for me to read easily, even when a five-year-old was inserted between myself and the book. The illustrations are by "The Disney Storybook Artists" so you know what their quality is like - colorful and very engaging. Nemo, the Clownfish, is very lifelike even though cartoonish. The hand of Darla, the dentist's bratty daughter, is another touch of realism that left an impression on me, as she snatched up the plastic bag containing Nemo. The story itself was certainly interesting, as it kept my attention (myself being one of the few adults in the U.S. to have escaped seeing "Finding Nemo" at the theatres OR on home video!)

Overall, I would think this book is a great value for a read-aloud (or for an older child, a read-it-myself) book. The colorful illustrations help to carry the story along, and the text is interesting as it tells the suspenseful tale of Nemo's separation from his Dad, and whether they will be reunited, and whether or not Nemo will escape the dangers of being captured by the dentist and his daughter! And, Crikey, I don't think I've ever seen a Disney book I wouldn't recommend to the highest! And by the way, I like the larger version since it's easier to share with the little ones while you're reading!