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The Story of Moana: A Tale of Courage and Adventure
Inspired by Disney Animation Studios' latest film, Moana, this middle grade novel features characters and adventures based in the rich culture of the islands of Oceania. It includes original content in the form of mini folk tales interspersed throughout the story of the film. Bonus temporary tattoos included!
300 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2016
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762 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
May 19, 2018
3 Stars.
Liked this one, have to admit watching the movie was a little more magical for me with this one but I still really enjoyed this story and I am in love with the character that is Moana.
Liked this one, have to admit watching the movie was a little more magical for me with this one but I still really enjoyed this story and I am in love with the character that is Moana.
January 7, 2018
Y'all, I LOVED THIS BOOK! I found it in my backpack this morning and remembered that I'd borrowed it from a student and promised I'd read it over break (she didn't force me to, I asked her if I could borrow it), so she could have it back. It's so good.
To be honest, I'm not sure what, exactly, I expected the writing quality to be, but it really was stellar. The story is told in chapter form, with legends from the past intermingled between a few of the chapters. The vocabulary was higher than expected, for sure (turns out, it's a level 6.0), as I rather thought at first that it would be watered down. Boy, was I wrong.
As for the story itself...I just absolutely adored it. I felt Moana's frustration, fear, hope, and daring. I was supremely irritated with Maui a few times, but then, at others, I almost CRIED.
HeiHei cracked me up. And frustrated me. But mostly cracked me up.
And Te Fiti. I actually wanted to hug her at the end.
Definitely for fans of Disney in general! According to H, who loaned it to me: "It's pretty much exactly the movie without the music, but with the extra stuff from the past, which really helped me understand the story better."
If you're not Disney fans, but have a kiddo that loves old myths and legends, this definitely fits the bill.
To be honest, I'm not sure what, exactly, I expected the writing quality to be, but it really was stellar. The story is told in chapter form, with legends from the past intermingled between a few of the chapters. The vocabulary was higher than expected, for sure (turns out, it's a level 6.0), as I rather thought at first that it would be watered down. Boy, was I wrong.
As for the story itself...I just absolutely adored it. I felt Moana's frustration, fear, hope, and daring. I was supremely irritated with Maui a few times, but then, at others, I almost CRIED.
HeiHei cracked me up. And frustrated me. But mostly cracked me up.
And Te Fiti. I actually wanted to hug her at the end.
Definitely for fans of Disney in general! According to H, who loaned it to me: "It's pretty much exactly the movie without the music, but with the extra stuff from the past, which really helped me understand the story better."
If you're not Disney fans, but have a kiddo that loves old myths and legends, this definitely fits the bill.
September 16, 2021
This is so cute ahh!! I'm gonna give this book to my cousins! Can be used as a bedtime story, vocab lesson, and comprehension/cross-media analysis tool for kiddos in ELAR classes.
WIL
1) new material. Keeps things interesting for the Moana fans.
2) material differing ever-so-slightly from the movie. Gives kids a chance to learn reading comprehension and critical analysis. They can compare what they read to what they've seen in the movie and *talk* or *write* about the little differences! It's engaging and encourages interest in ELAR!!
3) media translations. Respect to Sutherland for so effectively "translating" the movie into written word.
4) vocab challenges. There are some decently large words in here- great for vocab assignments/learning opportunities for target market.
5) balance of material. Sutherland's got this proportioning thing down to a science. The balance of material established in canon in the movie to new material or *slightly* differing material in the book is perfect for keeping up reader interest while still providing a sense of familiar territory for new readers.
WIDL
1) As much as I love the idea of the changes, some of the decisions were not ones I would've personally made. Some of the vocab choices felt a little too stilted... but maybe that's a good thing? Bc it draws extra attention to them?
WIL
1) new material. Keeps things interesting for the Moana fans.
2) material differing ever-so-slightly from the movie. Gives kids a chance to learn reading comprehension and critical analysis. They can compare what they read to what they've seen in the movie and *talk* or *write* about the little differences! It's engaging and encourages interest in ELAR!!
3) media translations. Respect to Sutherland for so effectively "translating" the movie into written word.
4) vocab challenges. There are some decently large words in here- great for vocab assignments/learning opportunities for target market.
5) balance of material. Sutherland's got this proportioning thing down to a science. The balance of material established in canon in the movie to new material or *slightly* differing material in the book is perfect for keeping up reader interest while still providing a sense of familiar territory for new readers.
WIDL
1) As much as I love the idea of the changes, some of the decisions were not ones I would've personally made. Some of the vocab choices felt a little too stilted... but maybe that's a good thing? Bc it draws extra attention to them?
October 18, 2023
I actually own a copie and you know what the nice thing is it has tattoos in it kind of like that because I have a scar on my back and I don't like it showing so all this put it on that but I like this book I got it at the Goodwill for 96 cents good bargain I really loved it and it looks really good I really want to read it so I have it now and I'll read it and I'll tell you what I think about it but I like it I have a movie I like the movie really good
May 15, 2023
I am a big Disney fan, so I knew I had to read this book once I saw it. I absolutely love the story, the message, and the funny characters. Also the imagery made me feel like I was there in the book, traveling from scene to scene with Moana. I definitely recommend this to families and Disney/fantasy lovers!
June 11, 2017
I Haven't read the book but I have seen the film. So I bet the book is just as good. By Janvi
Kapoor.😊
Kapoor.😊
February 6, 2020
My 4 year old daughter received this book as part of last year’s birthday gift. While reorganizing her bookshelf, we rediscovered it and she was anxious to begin reading it. My daughter adores books, but she would easily drift off to sleep while we read it at bedtime. No pictures, longish chapters do not create an atmosphere of waking suspense for a young child! For me, that was a different story! I remained in her bed, long after sleep consumed her, reading it aloud, alternating my tone during calm and suspenseful moments. I continued, even though I had no audience, creating voices for each character. Having seen the movie plenty of times beforehand, I already had an idea how every character sounded, so that was the simple part. The book was completely aligned to the movie, give or take a part of two. Being a huge Disney fan, I always seemed to lean towards Rapunzel as my favorite character, but move over Blondie, because there’s a new heroine in town! The book and movie both send a powerful message to little and big people: trust in yourself. Know who you are and great things will come from you following your heart. Moana may be young, inexperienced and a bit of a rebel, but she believed in her heart that she was chosen to restore balance to her world in order to save her family and fellow villagers. She graciously and heroically accepted her calling to be the next chief of Motunui, her island home. She also let her heart lead her to fulfill the flip side of her destiny: to restore the stolen heart of the Mother Island, Te Fiti. She braved the unknown with the hilarious demigod Maui by her side. Together, they were able to stop the darkness from consuming her island, as well as the rest of the world. The interaction between Maui and Moana is hysterical! My 4 year old understood the relationship between both characters and found much humor in the way Maui dealt with living in solitude for 1,000 years only to be challenged by a vivacious, wayfinding ignorant teenager. Moana reawakens the spirit of her people and the hibernating desire of her father to discover what lies behind their reef.
December 25, 2016
3.25/5 Stars
It was such a fun story, and it was so accurate to the movie that I really enjoyed it!
It was such a fun story, and it was so accurate to the movie that I really enjoyed it!
July 8, 2022
Muy infantil, pero con varias enseñanzas y frases
March 24, 2025
3.5 stars, rounded up
A solid retelling of the Moana film. Loses a little bit of the Disney magic since you don't get all the songs, but still an enjoyable read nonetheless. As I said in my initial update, I picked this up because I was itching for more Moana content after seeing the sequel in theaters, and it satisfied that, to some extent. Definitely much more excited for the Twisted Tales book that I believe is coming out later this year (or perhaps next year? Whatever, it was announced very recently). Also remembered that I have another book in my TBR that's inspired by Polynesian folklore, so maybe I'll give that a read sometime soon too (perhaps over the summer).
The highlights of this book were obviously the little bits of folklore sprinkled throughout. They were much more interesting to read than the film retelling, and kind of the whole reason why I stuck with this book, when I considered dropping it early on. But it was worth sticking with, and I'm glad I read it. Really hoping the sequel gets a similar novelization treatment soon, 'cause I think there's only a junior novel out now, which would be quite a bit below my reading level. (Not that I'm totally against reading it, but I prefer sticking with middle grade level stuff when it comes to the kids books. And yes, I mostly want said novelization to exist so I can have more Matangi content. I love her a lot.)
A solid retelling of the Moana film. Loses a little bit of the Disney magic since you don't get all the songs, but still an enjoyable read nonetheless. As I said in my initial update, I picked this up because I was itching for more Moana content after seeing the sequel in theaters, and it satisfied that, to some extent. Definitely much more excited for the Twisted Tales book that I believe is coming out later this year (or perhaps next year? Whatever, it was announced very recently). Also remembered that I have another book in my TBR that's inspired by Polynesian folklore, so maybe I'll give that a read sometime soon too (perhaps over the summer).
The highlights of this book were obviously the little bits of folklore sprinkled throughout. They were much more interesting to read than the film retelling, and kind of the whole reason why I stuck with this book, when I considered dropping it early on. But it was worth sticking with, and I'm glad I read it. Really hoping the sequel gets a similar novelization treatment soon, 'cause I think there's only a junior novel out now, which would be quite a bit below my reading level. (Not that I'm totally against reading it, but I prefer sticking with middle grade level stuff when it comes to the kids books. And yes, I mostly want said novelization to exist so I can have more Matangi content. I love her a lot.)
August 11, 2017
I loved this movie when I saw it and I was hoping I would enjoy this book as much as I did the movie. At the beginning of the book I thought about giving up on it and not reading it but I pushed through and ended up loving it by the end. The beginning wasn't exactly like the movie and it needed more details and explanations because it was a little hard to follow but once I got part the first quarter or so of the book it was amazing. The last three quarters or so of the book were very well written and absolutely amazing. It gave more detail to the movie and made it even better. I enjoyed this book and am glad I didn't give up on it. I would definitely encourage fans of Moana to read this book. The short stories throughout the book were a little distracting from the storyline of the book but they were a nice touch. I wish they would have been added in a little better or included separately at the beginning or end of the book or something instead of throughout the book. Overall through I enjoyed this book and am very glad I didn't give up on it in the beginning.
June 1, 2023
3.5
la verdad es un libro muy bonito que tiene una gran enseñanza que acompañas a Moana en su la historia tiene muchísimo corazón los personajes son le puse esta calificación Pues es un libro igual a la película La Yo pensé que iba a ser diferente Pero ni siquiera me detuve a leer la sinopsis solo lo compré porque está bien bonito la verdad tiene ilustraciones y así entonces yo que contaría una historia diferente al Universo de moana cosa que no es así es la misma historia de Y si bien me gustó pues le quitó la que pude haber sentidos sin haber visto la si viene el libro trae unas cortas entre sinceramente creo que no aportan absolutamente nada la trama bien son entretenidas no aportan se ve bastante rápido la historia fluye muy bien y tiene capítulos largos algo que sí me molesta un poquito pero eso es ya es algo personal en general la historia es muy bonita Tiene un gran corazón pero sin es la misma historia de moana Yo pensé que sería diferente cosa que no fue así pero creo que fue mi culpa en parte por no haber leído la sinopsis y comprar libros por su portada
la verdad es un libro muy bonito que tiene una gran enseñanza que acompañas a Moana en su la historia tiene muchísimo corazón los personajes son le puse esta calificación Pues es un libro igual a la película La Yo pensé que iba a ser diferente Pero ni siquiera me detuve a leer la sinopsis solo lo compré porque está bien bonito la verdad tiene ilustraciones y así entonces yo que contaría una historia diferente al Universo de moana cosa que no es así es la misma historia de Y si bien me gustó pues le quitó la que pude haber sentidos sin haber visto la si viene el libro trae unas cortas entre sinceramente creo que no aportan absolutamente nada la trama bien son entretenidas no aportan se ve bastante rápido la historia fluye muy bien y tiene capítulos largos algo que sí me molesta un poquito pero eso es ya es algo personal en general la historia es muy bonita Tiene un gran corazón pero sin es la misma historia de moana Yo pensé que sería diferente cosa que no fue así pero creo que fue mi culpa en parte por no haber leído la sinopsis y comprar libros por su portada
March 22, 2023
I’m what you call a Disney Adult LOL ! Moana is my favorite princess. Initially I bought this book just because I love Moana so much. In trying to reach my 50 book goal this year, I decided to open up this book. (Originally I just wanted to keep it untouched hah) Anyways, this book is a great book. I read a bit of it to my son (he’s just a baby so he was more interested in trying to rip the pages); but this book is GREAT for all ages!!! I think independently a 10 or 11 year old could read it. But you could easily read this to any kid. It’s just like the movie but has added section of tales from the past. It was SO fun reading it … since I’ve watched the movie more times than I’d like to admit, it felt like I was right in the story but with BONUS scenes! I loved it - highly recommend 🌟
May 27, 2017
I was very glad to find this. Many times it's hard for me to read a book after I've seen the movie, but this was a little bit different because it lined up with the movie well enough and I could see characters in the movie in the book as well as hear their voices. Moana SHOULD be a story everyone loves, but it's possible that not everyone will. I love the whole concept behind Moana, the culture, and the general story - it not being a romance where a female character has to fall in love with a male and is a damsel in distress. I like that this story has the main character being a strong female who can lead (culturally correct or not). One of my favorite movies and a really good story.
January 29, 2019
I loved this book more than I thought I would and more than the movie itself. While reading the books means that you would miss the musical parts of the movie, it more than compensates in describing Moana's feelings that are not very evident in the movie. On top of that, the book features extra short stories to make the whole Moana experience even greater. The book also boasts temporary tattoos for those who wish to channel their inner Moana and in all very beautiful from the cover to the borders of the pages. I may have bought it on a bargain, but this book would remain my top-prized collection for years to come.
August 1, 2017
My 5 year old's favourite movie. Even though the book is written more for a 10 year old, knowing the movie so well helped her to visualize where we were in the story.
A big part of the movie's allure is the visuals and music so I'm not sure how enjoyable the book is if you haven't seen the movie but I thought the author did a great job on the writing. Also, there are a number of Polynesian folk-lore short stories sprinkled throughout.
The hardcover book itself is really nice though which is factored into the rating :). Maui tattoo style art to begin each chapter.
A big part of the movie's allure is the visuals and music so I'm not sure how enjoyable the book is if you haven't seen the movie but I thought the author did a great job on the writing. Also, there are a number of Polynesian folk-lore short stories sprinkled throughout.
The hardcover book itself is really nice though which is factored into the rating :). Maui tattoo style art to begin each chapter.
August 4, 2022
This book really gave me a deeper level of understanding Moana. I loved the folklore that it included too. Until I read this book, I never knew that Moana was a person of importance to the people of the Pacific Islands. I thought she was just a character than Disney made up. I portrayed Moana in a play in 2021, and I didn't realize that I played someone who was real and of great importance and meaning to the culture and people of the Pacific Islands. This was a very good book; it even had lines and things that happened that were not in the movie that I wish was in the movie.
May 17, 2017
I will have happy memories for years to come of reading this novelization of Moana with my daughter. :) The book stayed pretty close to the storyline of the movie, with a few exceptions. The language of the novel was surprisingly advanced for a children's book - it provided several opportunities for my daughter to learn new vocabulary. We enjoyed reading the little story vignettes in between the chapters as well.
February 23, 2017
This is a pretty quick, easy read. However, I was surprised by the vocab used and the structure for a "little kid's" book. I enjoy Moana, and this book is the exactly the movie, in a transcript, basically. Very descriptive, enlightening, and a joy to read.
June 3, 2018
I love this book because there is just so much detail into it . My favorite character is grandma tala because I like how she is just so crazy and can tell things in such a different way then the people in the village #villagecrazylady
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2019
I was happily surprised by this beautiful rendition of Moana. The writing is quite good, and the indigenous fables throughout Moana’s story are superb. Honestly, I would have liked if a few of the songs from the movie had appeared here in poem form, especially Maui’s “You’re Welcome.”
Read
September 26, 2024Great little stories hidden in the book, to teach the reader more about Moana and Maui and their world. Not just a film to book, I enjoyed it. I give it 4 stars as I can't wait to read it to my granddaughter, and can't wait until she's able to read it for herself.
July 20, 2025
Most of this you’ll have to watch the film to get a better understanding of certain acts. Heads up: The book has fables in between chapters, which is about 15% of the book. Only two of them tie into the main storyline.
May 18, 2017
This was delightful. I absolutely love Moana!
May 22, 2017
i loved this book. it was so good and it was so much like the movie. i rally like th away it was set up as well.
November 22, 2017
I really liked the movie, and was nervous to read the book. I read it with my toddler who loved it and i did too. Moana is soo much more. i feel like the ending was too rushed. but its still good!
January 13, 2018
Las historias adicilnales no incluidas en la pelicula lo hacen mucho mejor!
January 24, 2018
I liked that Maui got his hook back, but I didn't like the part where Moana got stuck in the cave.
April 3, 2018
I love the short stories in between chapters!
June 11, 2018
Read this one aloud to my first grader who loved the movie, and he enjoyed it! The addition of the Pacific Islander folk tales is cool, too.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews