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What’s the Story?

Reviewed by Nell Minow

Disney's classic animated tale of DUMBO begins when the stork delivers babies to the circus animals, including Mrs. Jumbo's baby, an elephant with enormous ears. The other elephants laugh at him and call him Dumbo, but Mrs. Jumbo loves him very much. When Dumbo is mistreated, she is furious and raises such a fuss that she is locked up. Dumbo is made part of the clown act, which embarrasses him very much. He is a big hit and, celebrating his good fortune, accidentally drinks champagne and becomes tipsy. The next morning, he wakes up in a tree, with no idea how he got there. It turns out that he flew! He becomes the star of the circus, with his proud mother beside him.

Is It Any Good?

4

This is a classic family film, with the gorgeous handcrafted animation that's a hallmark of early Disney films. Composers Oliver Wallace and Frank Churchill won Oscars for the film's musical score. The themes in this movie include friendship, tolerance of differences, and the importance of believing in yourself. Some of the characters (particularly the crows) are quite dated by today's standards, but kids will sill appreciate the story of the little elephant who learns to believe in himself.

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