Don Williams (4)

A really good shortened version of the Disney movie. Focusing on how being clever and brave are strengths, and how women (not just men) can be strong and honorable.

This shoddy adaptation of the 1964 animated television special is primarily a coloring book, so the text probably wasn't considered very important.

But my daughter enjoyed it when she was three. Or at least she enjoyed scribbling on the pages with a crayons and markers.

FOR REFERENCE:

Rated "Indifferent" in our old book database by Rod; rated "Good" by Adelia.

ISBN 0307302008 – Illustrations by Don Williams, fantastic. Standard Disney quality, vibrant colors and even a slightly delicate touch to some of the images. The story, though… I love the Pocahontas story and I admire Disney for trying. I don’t think they did it very well here, and I can’t blame adapter Justine Korman, who had a lot to pack into very few pages.

Pocahontas is expected to marry Kocoum, a man chosen by her father, but she feels that this isn’t the right path for her. show more Grandmother Willow, a tree spirit, encourages her to follow her heart and her dreams. These lead her to meet John Smith, a man who has just arrived from England on a ship that is looking for gold. When it begins to look like their people plan to go to war, Pocahontas and Smith attempt to put a stop to it and risk death to keep peace.

The jump from Pocahontas and John Smith speaking different languages to them conversing freely is rather abrupt. Overall, the book tries so hard to cover so much material that it really doesn’t do the story justice. Fans of the Disney movie will enjoy the book and they’re the important audience. If it gets them reading, it’s a good thing; for a better thing, buy ISBN 0307128865, another edition of the same tale.

- AnnaLovesBooks show less

This Pocahontas trade book tells a simplified version of the movie Pocahontas. It tells the tale of John Smith and his English crew coming to America, and trying to take the land from Pocahontas’s people. Pocahontas and John end up falling in love, and she saves his life. It also has sound effects that go with the story nicely. The sound effects are a really good idea, because then children can absorb the story in more than one way. I think this story is a representation of how badly the show more Indians were treated by English settlers, although it is greatly inaccurate. I do not think this should be used in school because of this reason. Children should get correct information about history, but I think the book would be okay for free reading. The illustrations were just like the movie Pocahontas, so I liked them. show less