You may have seen the trailer of the upcoming film The Lion King, which is based on the evergreen animated Disney classic that was released 25 years ago. Disney Wonderful World of Reading also offers the print version of that very classic that may not have the songs, but the impact is more or less the same.

What’s more, you don’t need anything from DVD, TV to YouTube, to relive the Disney classic because this print version takes you into the kingdom of Mufasa the moment you open the book.

The story begins in the Pride Lands where King Mufasa and Queen Sarabi celebrate the birth of their first-born cub Simba, in front of all the animals in their kingdom and under the supervision of Rafiki the Baboon. Simba joins the Circle of Life and is fortunate enough to learn from his father who is a popular king.

The cub’s uncle Scar, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of his elder brother and want the throne for himself. It is his scheming ways that see Mufasa die and Simba run away thinking that it is his fault that his father is dead. Scar uses the death of Mufasa and the absence of Simba to become the King ... until Simba’s return many years later.

How Simba survives all those years away from his family, his friends and above all, with his saviours Timon and Pumbaa make this book a must-read.

Although most of us know the story of Lion King, even then this book teaches you a thing or two. At least it tells young readers what the animated film misses, such as the facts that Timon was a meerkat, Pumbaa a warthog and Zazu a hornbill, while the hyenas were named Shenzi, Banzai and Ed.

Furthermore, it narrates the story in a better way, one that is suited for bedtime reading or reading with friends.

The illustrations have been taken from the animated film, yet the attention to detail is amazing and worth your time.

The presence of all kinds of animals in a book will attract new readers as well those who are more into reading than watching. Many of you may have already read a different edition of the book and may be familiar with its content, but a new edition always has a few surprises.

Published in Dawn, Young World, December 22nd, 2018