Common Sense Media Review
By Stephanie Morgan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Magic storybook show may foster a love of reading.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Book of Once Upon a Time
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
THE BOOK OF ONCE UPON A TIME is a unique collection of short stories that feature both animation and live action. Each episode starts with a narrator introducing the featured Disney story and opening a book to begin reading. Uniquely, the story isn't animated. Instead, pictures from the book are shown as the narrator reads and the narrator themselves occasionally jump into the scene to act out parts of the stories.
Is It Any Good?
With its unique format, this is the rare show that may actually compel young viewers to ask adults to read to them. The Book of Once Upon a Time starts off as many storytelling shows do, with a live action host introducing a book and then proceeding to read it aloud. What's different here is how the story is brought to life. There's no moving animation. Instead still shots from the pages of the book are shown interspersed with the narrator jumping into the scene as they continue to read. It sounds a little chaotic, but the overall effect is similar to the magic created by traveling puppet troops who visit elementary schools to put on their shows. Young viewers will be drawn into the story in a novel way, never forgetting how entertaining reading can be.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the narrators of the story. Do you like listening to them reading the story? Why or why not? How would you do it differently if you were the narrator?
Who makes this show and how does it affect which stories are read? What other stories would be fun to hear read in this way?
In the first three seasons the narrators are adults but in the fourth season the stories are read by kids. Why do you think that change was made? Is it different seeing a story read by kids? How come?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 18, 2015
- Cast : Rupert Degas
- Network : Disney+
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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