ISBN 0307128865 – This Disney edition of Pocahontas, adapted by Margo Lundell, is a lot better than 0307302008. Lundell’s version feels slower paced but still packs in most of the important details of the story. For simplicity, I’m re-using the recap from the other edition.

Pocahontas is expected to marry Kocoum, a man chosen by her father, but she feels that this isn’t the right path for her. 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 illustrator of this edition is Jose Cardona and his work lives up to Disney’s reputation. It’s interesting to compare certain of his works with the ones in the other edition, by Don Williams, because they chose some of the same images. Cardona misses some of the delicate beauty that Williams captures, but his images are equally appealing. Lundell is still forced to deal with the sudden ability of Smith and Pocahontas to speak to one another, but she handles it slightly better. Worth picking up!

- AnnaLovesBooks ( )