Moana

By: Disney Press

Narrated by: Rena Owen

Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Walt Disney Animation Studios' Moana is a sweeping, CG-animated comedy-adventure about a spirited teenager on an impossible mission to fulfill her ancestors' quest. In the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, Moana, a born navigator, sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her incredible journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, to traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage. They encounter enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds, and ancient folklore. In theaters in late 2016, the film is directed by the renowned filmmaking team of Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Frog, Aladdin). Moana retells the whole exciting story and is perfect for listeners ages eight to 12.

©2016 Disney Press (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Fantastic, the narrator is great!

My 7 year old loves it, even my 3 year old pays attention. and I'm enjoying as well.

boring reader.

my kids love moana, but the woman's quiet tone of voice and slow speed made them hate it.

my kids love this.

My kids love this. They listen to chapters before bed time and naps. I have to believe it's improving their vocab and visualization abilities.

Good book. Poor narration.

This audio book is good but the narrator isn't the best. You can barely notice any voice changes between each character.

Rena Owen

Her narrative was amazing. She made the book come alive like the movie. I loved it.

Bad narrator

The story was great but the narrator was very bland and the story is dragged out over an extended period of time which gives the story a bored and long feel to it. The narrator is very emotionless and seems to have no respect for the story or characters. Other than that the stor ya was good and the overall experience was ok.

Beautiful Narration of a Beautiful Story

The Moana story itself is beautiful. It's one of those stories that stands out immediately when you first see the film. At least, that's how it was for me. I enjoy the film, since it gives you a lot to think about. I love the idea of finding your life's call and purpose

This book adaptation is just as good, since you get to use your imagination and not just rely on the people at Disney to create pictures for you.

But enough about the story. The narration by Rena Owen is beautifully done. I'm not sure what she was thinking, but her pacing is perfect. Here, we have a New Zealand-based actor who knows something about how to tell a good story. She narrates slowly enough so you hang on every word, yet you don't fall asleep. She is also very clear and precise in her diction, so if anyone has trouble reading due to a disability, she seems to encourage you to hang in there. She is not unlike the storyteller at the beginning of the film, using the words, along with her skills as an actress, to create an atmosphere and tell the story.

Bottom line: This book is what you get when you merry a good story with a good narrator. Highly recommended.

Not the best narrating

I love the idea of the new Moana and it is really cool. But the narrating was horrible.

My daughter loved it

My daughter absolutely loved thus audio !! Not only is this book so amazing but I absolutely adore the narrator on this audio!!! Just started listening to audio books and now im hooked lol

What a great idea!

Would you listen to Moana again? Why?

We're going to have to- my 4 and 3 year old (and myself) struggle to understand the narrator at times.

Did Rena Owen do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

She does have great characterization, but her accent was a struggle for my group (we are talking about kids here.

Any additional comments?

My kids love these Disney books. This one is a tad more difficult for them to keep up with, and they become more distracted by the accent.