Disney's The Jungle Book - Little Golden Book

Released on October 18, 1967, Disney's The Jungle Book leapt to overnight fame in film format, amongst children and adults of all ages. In 2003, Little Golden Books condensed the movie into a shorter written version of the animated movie, allowing for quicker reading of a timeless tale at bedtime. Over the past decade (almost), The Jungle Book from Little Golden Books has become one of the best Disney books for kids; a staple on the bookshelves of every family home.

What happens in Disney's The Jungle Book?

The concept in the book version is the same as in the film, only abridged. Mowgli is a little boy who has grown up around animals in the jungles of India. He lives with a pack of wolves with whom he's grown up, after his adopted wolf mother found him as an abandoned infant and raised Mowgli as one of her own. However, he's cast out for his own safety -- his pack believes it's time for him to return to the man-village to live his path as a human.

His protectors are charged with his safe journey. They include a black panther named Bagheera, and an amusing bear named Baloo -- both of whom steer him clear of enemies, such as the tiger (King of the Jungle), Shere Khan, and a squeeze-happy Indian Python, Kaa.

The whole tale is quite dramatic, with bits of humor tossed in here and there. The key elements represented in the Little Golden Books version include -- when Mowgli becomes hypnotized by Kaa, when he faces off against Shere Khan, and when he meets the jubilant and devious Orangutan King, Louie. Disney's The Jungle Book ends in a bittersweet way as Mowgli follows a little girl into the man-village, where he decides to stay. His protectors turn to leave, knowing Mowgli is content and safe within the village.