The Hunchback of Notre Dame

by Walt Disney Company

Set in medieval Paris, Victor Hugo's powerful historical romance The Hunchback of Notre-Dame has resonated with succeeding generations ever since its publication in 1837. It tells the story of the beautiful gypsy Esmeralda, condemned as a witch by the tormented archdeacon Claude Frollo, who lusts after her. Quasimodo, the deformed bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral, having fallen in love with the kindhearted Esmeralda, tries to save her by hiding her in the cathedral's tower. When a crowd of Parisian peasants, misunderstanding Quasimodo's motives, attacks the church in an attempt to liberate her, the story ends in tragedy.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Adventure, Classics, Kids, Own

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Note: The decision was made to consolidate all Disney publications under the name Walt Disney Company. This profile is for Walt Disney, the characters he created, and the company he founded. Any questions, please ask in the Librarian's Group.

Walter Elias “Walt” Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entrepreneur, entertainer, international icon, and philanthropist. Disney is famous for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. As the co-founder (with his brother Roy O. Disney) of Walt Disney Productions, Disney became one of the best-known motion picture producers in the world. The corporation he co-founded, now known as The Walt Disney Company, today has annual revenues of approximately U.S. $35 billion.

Disney is particularly noted for being a film producer and a popular showman, as well as an innovator in animation and theme park design. He and his staff created some of the world's most famous fictional characters including Mickey Mouse, a character for which Disney himself was the original voice. He has been awarded four honorary Academy Awards and has won twenty-two competitive Academy Awards out of fifty-nine nominations, including a record four in one year, giving him more awards and nominations than any other individual. He also won seven Emmy Awards. He is the namesake for Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in the United States, as well as the international resorts Tokyo Disney, Disneyland Paris, and Disneyland Hong Kong.

Disney died of lung cancer in Burbank, California, on December 15, 1966. The following year, construction began on Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. His brother Roy Disney inaugurated the Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971.

The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) (commonly referred to as Disney) is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by brothers Walt Disney and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, the company was reincorporated as Walt Disney Productions in 1929. Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into live-action film production, television, and travel. Taking on its current name in 1986, The Walt Disney Company expanded its existing operations and also started divisions focused upon theatre, radio, publishing, and online media. In addition, it has created new divisions of the company in order to market more mature content than it typically associates with its flagship family-oriented brands.

The company is best known for the products of its film studio, the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, today one of the largest and best-known studios in Hollywood. Disney also owns and operates the ABC broadcast television network; cable television networks such as Disney Channel, ESPN, and ABC Family; publishing, merchandising, and theatre divisions; and owns and licenses 11 theme parks around the world. On January 23, 2006, it was announced that Disney would purchase Pixar in an all-stock transaction worth $7.4 billion. The deal was finalized on May 5. On December 31, 2009, Disney Company acquired the Marvel Entertainment, Inc. for $4.24 billion. The company has been a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since May 6, 1991. An early and well-known cartoon creation of the company, Mickey Mouse, is the official mascot of The Walt Disney Company.

--from Wikipedia

Reviews

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I had to read this book each and every single night for more than three weeks now, I finally decided to count it. *lol* I swear my kid loves this.

Funnily enough she even likes Frollo. Guess my love for villains is already rubbing off on her. XD

This said, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" deals with pretty important and mature topics which I never seemed to notice when I was a child. Still, I think the friendships in this Disney book are amazing and it teaches a lot about acceptance and the importance of never judging a book by its cover. =)

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read for my toddler's bedtime. Excellent classic story.

[Ines Muslic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Predivna priča 😍❤

[EpidermaS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nostalgiczny powrót do historii z dzieciństwa. :)

Książka jest dość brutalna, więc może niekoniecznie nadaje się dla niewinnych najmłodszych, ale odbiorca z każdej grupy wiekowej jest w stanie coś z niej wynieść. "Dzwonnik z Notre Dame" to opowieść o dyskryminacji na tle etnicznym, o różnych odcieniach piękna i o trójkącie miłosnym, z którego da się wybrnąć z honorem.

Wydanie obfituje w przepiękne, szczegółowe ilustracje, które niesamowicie ciągną oko i nad którymi warto się pochylić.

Lektura to genialna podróż do przeszłości.

[MelMon Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Disney reading. I've always loved , " The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and always will.

[Canette Arille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this fairy tale. it is beautiful and touching. I recommend it to everyone, regardless of age

[Vaishnavi Rai · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good book for children , the plot is good

[Julian Roa · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is about a man with a hunched back this takes place in a village and so what happens is that the hunched man is working for his king but then he got tired and went for a walk so then what happen he = qwasymoto seen this beautiful lady with this other prince so then he got close and closer to the young female but then he said what hold up this woman is not going to fall in love with me i am to ugly and nasty.

so then the next morning qwasymoto went to the woman and said i my name is qwasymoto and she said hey so then a few days past and they both got a long just fine. until one day qwasymoto master said COME OVER HERE KNOW!!!!! so he ran as fast as he can....

and final he got there and said where have you been he did not say nothing so then his master punished him.

so then the next day qwasymotos master seen him with the woman qwasymoto has been hanging around with until he said to the young woman come with me and you will be rich for life and she said yes so what the master did was took her to a palace and said you will be mine and she said no i wont she kicked him and ran away as far as she can untie he found her again and thins time he hunged her up...

and said were is qwasymoto and he was there he was seeing what the master was doing to the woman so than qwasymoto said NOOOO!!! and the master said yes and killed her so than qwasymoto ran after his master all the way to the top of the palace and then qwasymoto pushed his master out of a window and died so then years past and then they put the woman's body somewhere and then he found here bones and qwasymoto sated there with her and then they bothed died.

[C. John Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book. I have not read the original novel, nor seen the Disney film so I cannot compare this book to either. Standing on its own though this is a decent book for children. I suspect the ending of the book is not what happens Victor Hugo's classic, but then happy endings are what one expects from a Disney film. Moreover, its intended audience wants a happy ending. So Disney has given them one. Personally in this day and age I find the ending appropriate. It says that a person should be a person should be judged on who they are, not on their appearances or other such things. A book that is pleasant to read and has a moral that it doesn't hit us over the head with. What more can you ask for. Oh yes I am curious about one thing. The first two Gargoyles' names i get, but who is Laverne a reference to?

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Disney's Wonderful World of Reading book that I own and have read (and loved) for many many years (probably over 20ish, or near there). Are some of the themes a bit dark? Yes, but this version leaves out much more of the darker components of the film (leaves out Hellfire and Frollo's moves on Esmeralda). I find this to be a really faithful adaptation to the story with enough of the darkness, but not all of it, leaving it largely manageable for kids to a certain degree. I certainly read it and watched it without too many issues as a kid. I'll continue to read and enjoy this one for many years to come.

[Hanadi Khoury · Rating 5 out of 5]

The hunchback of Notre dame was not so quit of a good book. well the thing is it's a babies book that on each page there's a paragraph, but I wanted to read it so badly when I was in third grade but I couldn't because it was way above my reading level and no one from my family did read to me as a bed time story. But I read it, and I’m really happy that I did. Right now I know the story of this poor little gypsy baby the turned out to be a very brave adult.

[Allison Tubaugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: traditional literature
Grades: k-2

Quasimodo the Notre Dame Bell ringer joins a parade and ends up being crowned the king of fools. It was not for long though until someone came to his rescue. To see who rescues him you’ll have to read the book.

[Neema · Rating 5 out of 5]

i forgot what happened

[Kenneth Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the story a lot!

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very dark story. not suitable for the very young

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, we were suppose to take two nights to read it but my son really got into it.

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute Disney book that is about Quasimodo who is the bell ringer of the Notre Dame Cathedral.

[Karen]

Not my favorite story for young children.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story great pictures quick read

[Sukriti · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame," presented by the Walt Disney Company, is a captivating hardcover book that brings to life the touching story of Quasimodo, the bell ringer of Notre Dame Cathedral. Set in Paris, it explores themes of acceptance, love, and the battle against evil. Through vivid illustrations and engaging storytelling, Disney adapts Victor Hugo's classic tale for younger readers, making complex ideas accessible and entertaining. The book emphasizes the importance of looking beyond appearances to find true beauty and kindness. It's a heartwarming story that teaches valuable lessons about compassion and bravery, making it a great read for both children and adults.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a pristine copy of this book at a local consignment shop. It was so cheap it was almost free, and I had to have it for my Little Free Library. I'm really glad I spent a few minutes reading it for myself first. It's just a retelling of the animated Disney film, but the illustrations are gorgeous and left me feeling immersed in the movie even though I haven't watched it for years. The story itself is definitely a watered-down version of the film, but it makes it more palatable for younger children than the movie was, in my opinion. I look forward to passing this book along for a child in my community to enjoy.

[Kelsey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think this story ages too well. Some of the terminology used is kind of ableist sounding (as in, not just the derogatory words used by mean characters, but the narrator’s tone is also not very kind). I think the story has good moral lessons in it and the book is a faithful adaptation of the film, but the story needs an update if it’s going to reflect a modern perspective on disability and differences.

[Julieanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not a bad summary of the movie I was a bit irked that the book colored Esmeralda's eyes blue rather than green as they are in the movie. That is a personal gripe though.

This is a good retelling of the film without the creepiness that is Frollo's movie version being as notable. It isn't Disney's best retelling of the film, but for the age demographic it certainly works ^-^

[Ayesha · Rating 3 out of 5]

While a good story itself, the book softens it even more than the movie. I am out of the age range of enjoying a children's book, but I do still believe it to be a little grossly oversimplified and lacking the point the movie and actual novel tries to make. It's still a fun book, although the film is better

[Gore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember reading this book when I was a child, and, now that I'm currently obsessed with Hunchback, this book really lets me relive the time I watched the animation film, as well as when I first read the book. Or, better yet, when I was being read to. Good times. Still one of my favorite Disney films of all time.

[Pallavi Kamat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found nothing extraordinary about the book. Maybe I need to pick up another version? This one was the Om Illustrated Classics one for kids.

[L · Rating 3 out of 5]

My daughter loved it! Very colorful, but the story is really reductive of the film. We'll have to watch the movie together!

[Od Shushusinead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a sweet children book. I read them with my children many years ago and now I'm passing them on to my grandchildren

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this to my little people, it is a wonderful example of learning to judge a person by how they look.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m 9 months old and enjoy this book. It keeps my attention despite having a lot of words.