Disney Shares Brand New Disney Princess Storybook Collection To Help Inspire A Kinder World

London, 14.00, 27 April 2021: Disney today launches Tales of Courage and Kindness, a new digital storybook collection, with 14 original Disney Princess stories, aimed at inspiring children to help create a kinder world. The digital book, featuring unique illustrations by artists from around the world, is being gifted to kids, as part of Ultimate Princess Celebration - a new, global campaign championing the qualities of courage and kindness.

The storybook will be available for families worldwide to download for free at DisneyPrincessStories.co.uk. It follows new Disney research revealing that the majority of UK parents (77%) turn to trusted characters, such as the Disney Princess and Queens, to help teach their kids important values and lessons, such as kindness.

The stories aim to inspire children through the adventures and values of these beloved characters, who each demonstrate the importance of courage and kindness in the face of adversity. The research found that kindness is regarded as the most important quality for 90 per cent of British parents.

Celebrities Katie Piper and Millie Mackintosh join Disney voice talent Mandy Moore (Rapunzel in Disney’s Tangled) and Kelly Marie Tran (Raya in Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon), to read the new stories for families and kids to enjoy on Disney Junior’s YouTube channel.

In the UK, Katie Piper and Millie Mackintosh’s readings will be made available to seriously ill children in hospitals and hospices through Disney’s long-term charitable partners. Other famous faces lending their support to the campaign, include British athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

Disney has also worked with charity partners across EMEA to identify real-life young people who have displayed extraordinary courage or kindness, who will be honoured within the storybook collection. These ‘Children of Kindness’ will each receive a special dedication to celebrate their own stories and further inspire young people. In the UK, five children have been honoured including:

• Chloe, aged 10, from Isle of Man (Jasmine storybook) – Chloe received her special dedication in recognition of the challenge she set herself when Covid-19 restrictions hit, to run 20km over 20 days to keep her family’s spirits up. Undeterred by her cerebral palsy and epilepsy, Chloe ran on her treadmill, often in fancy dress, and raised £3,700 for Make-A-Wish® UK.

• Lilah, aged 9, from Guildford (Ariel storybook) – Instead of asking for 7th birthday presents, Lilah requested donations for Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, which paid for a sandy beach experience at her local hospice for families to enjoy together, which Lilah also helped organise.

• Izzy, aged 12, from Upper Beeding, West Sussex (Mulan storybook) – Instead of asking for 12th birthday presents, Izzy requested donations to Chestnut Tree House, as the organisation helps care for her little brother. Izzy also strengthened her fundraising efforts by shaving off her hair to raise more funds for the hospice.

• Stuie, aged 14, from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire (Aurora storybook) - Stuie received his special dedication in recognition of his significant fundraising efforts for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, running 5km every day for a month. He started his fundraising two months after his brother Fraser sadly died of Coats plus syndrome, to help other families who were faced with the same situation as his family.

• Zac, aged 11, from Somerset (Pocahontas storybook) – Zac was born with Moebius syndrome, which involves facial and oral paralysis, which left him fighting for his life in ICU, unable to breathe, feed, speak or smile. Through sheer determination, Zac wanted to inspire other children, so recorded a speech for the International Churchill Society’s global competition, despite being told he would never speak. He won first prize and chose to donate his winnings to Great Ormond Street Hospital charity.

With three quarters (78 per cent) of UK parents of young children saying their children have become kinder and more compassionate over the last year, the new storybook demonstrates the positive values of Disney Princess characters, whether that’s Jasmine seeing the good in others, Cinderella treating others with kindness, or Belle befriending the lonely.

Three quarters (75 per cent) of UK parents agree that Disney Princess characters are positive role models for children, and according to UK children, treating others with kindness is the most important way to behave (62 per cent), followed by being a good friend (61 per cent) and being caring (57 per cent).

As well as being available online for families, the storybook will also be available in select schools across the UK as part of Into Film and Disney’s Ultimate Princess Celebration: Kindness Quest learning resource that aims to promote kindness and bravery.

“Teaching children the importance of qualities, like kindness and courage, from a very young age is as important as teaching them maths, science or sport,” says child psychologist Laverne Antrobus.

“Generations have grown up learning important values and the principles of kindness from watching their favourite characters on TV, at the cinema or reading their favourite books. Characters, such as Disney Princess and Queens, help kids understand these important life skills early on. It’s also important to see that doing good things for other people is good for our own wellbeing, as it releases endorphins and boosts our serotonin to make us happier.”

“Disney stories are timeless, and while each Disney Princess character has her own admirable qualities, courage and kindness connect them all. We know that one small act of kindness can have a big impact on others and we hope Tales of Courage and Kindness helps to inspire kids to play their part in making the world a kinder place,” says Tasia Filippatos, Senior VP, Consumer Products EMEA at Disney.

Katie Piper said: “Disney’s new story collection features tales steeped in the power of kindness and the importance of having courage. It’s brilliant to see Disney gifting little ones with such a positive message. Both are key qualities which I do my best to demonstrate to my daughters every day - I think it’s every parent’s hope that their children thrive in a world filled with kindness.”

Millie Mackintosh said: “I have a soft spot for Disney stories, especially Cinderella; her messages of kindness are as important today as when her story was first told. The Tales of Courage and Kindness story collection is a beautiful inspirational tool for parents, and I’m looking forward to sharing my love of Disney Princess stories with my daughter.”

– Ends –

Notes to Editors

About Research 
Independent research company Fly Research questioned 5,000 adults across 5 countries in March 2021.

Additional Research

Top 10 values parents think Disney Princesses teach kids

1. Kindness – 62 per cent

2. Being a good friend – 52 per cent

3. Believing in yourself – 52 per cent

4. Bravery – 49 per cent

5. Being caring – 48 per cent

6. Never giving up – 48 per cent

7. Trying your best – 47 per cent

8. Courage – 46 per cent

9. Honesty – 46 per cent

10. Self-confidence – 42 per cent

Top five most important ways to behave, according to kids

1. Treating others with kindness – 62 per cent

2. Being a good friend – 61 per cent

3. Being caring – 57 per cent

4. Trying your best – 55 per cent

5. Always being honest – 49 per cent

Full list of ‘Children of Kindness’

UK

• Chloe, aged 10, Isle of Man (Jasmine from Disney’s Aladdin)

• Lilah, aged 9, Guildford (Ariel from Disney’s The Little Mermaid)

• Izzy, aged 12, Upper Beeding, West Sussex (Mulan from Disney’s Mulan)

• Stuie, aged 14, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire (Aurora from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty)

• Zac, aged 11, Somerset (Pocahontas from Disney’s Pocahontas)

Rest of World

• Adi, aged 14, Israel (Elsa from Disney’s Frozen)

• Eleni, aged 10, Greece (Merida from Disney’s Brave)

• Francesco, aged 14, Italy (Cinderella from Disney’s Cinderella)

• Valeria, aged 9, Spain (Anna from Disney’s Frozen)

• Elisa, aged 10, Italy (Rapunzel from Disney’s Tangled)

• Judit, aged 11, Spain (Snow White from Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

• Lia, aged 6, Germany (Tiana from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog)

• Ema, aged 7, Bulgaria (Belle from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast)

• Natalia, aged 12, Poland (Moana from Disney’s Moana)

About Into Film and The Walt Disney Company’s Ultimate Princess Celebration: Kindness Quest
Ultimate Princess Celebration: Kindness Quest learning resource is cross-curricular and suitable for children aged 5–8. During learning, children will embark on a quest for kindness as they delve into the world of Disney to identify how a range of Disney Princess characters show kindness, bravery and ultimately friendship during the course of their adventures.

Using the interactive online Character Story Spinner (www.characterstoryspinner.co.uk), children will watch Disney film trailers to spark their creativity to carry out a range of range of challenges which incorporate PSHE Education, Citizenship, Art and Design and English/Literacy designed to deepen their understanding of what it means to be kind, brave and helpful to others. In an exploration of languages within their own community, children will also be challenged to learn from one another how to communicate key phrases in a new language such as French, Spanish, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and British Sign Language. This activity aims to encourage an understanding of the value of diversity and of learning from one another.

The lessons and activities can be adapted for use in the classroom, or as part of blended learning and home learning as required.

About Disney’s Social Purpose
As well as being a responsible business, Disney is dedicated to providing comfort and inspiration to those in need and creating inspiration and opportunity for those who want to improve their world.

Disney’s Ultimate Princess Celebration campaign is an example of how, through working with our long-standing charitable partners and others, we help build emotional resilience. Together we bring the power of our brand, stories and characters to inspire and create Moments That Matter for children and those closest to them when they need it the most. In 2020, we created over 23,000 life-changing moments for children, young people and loved ones across Europe. For more information on our programmes, please visit www.thewaltdisneycompany.eu

About Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing
Disney Consumer Products, Games and Publishing (CPGP) brings the magic of The Walt Disney Company’s brands and franchises—including Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more—into the daily lives of families and fans around the world through products and experiences across more than 100 retail categories from toys and t-shirts to apps, books, video games, and more. A division of the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment, CPGP’s global operations include: the world’s largest licensing business, one of the biggest children’s publishing brands, a leading licensor of interactive games across platforms, and the shopDisney e-commerce platform.