Search - Read-Along :: Treasure Planet Read-Along (CD, Book, and Cassette)

Treasure Planet makes you wonder whether Captain Hook (of Treasure Island fame) didn't enlist Tinkerbell to wave her magic wand over Star Wars and weave its major themes into his own story. The read-along, however, manages to spare no suspense. Like most Disney read-alongs, Planet's cast bursts with more stars than young Jim hurtles past on his high-flying adventure. Laurie Metcalf is Jim's saintly mother, Sarah; David Hyde Pierce is Dr. Doppler, Jim's aboard-ship guardian; Emma Thompson is instantly recognizable as Captain Amelia; and Martin Short plays B.E.N., a half-baked but helpful robot. Vivid film images and effects fill the 24-page booklet and cassette, but computer-fluent 5- to 10-year-olds will like the interactive story best. A "mode" option allows for narration or reading, and a roulette-style scene navigator lets any kid who's ready to skip ahead or shuffle back to a favorite scene feel like a swashbuckler with a mouse. --Tammy La Gorce