Disney launches digital books

The House of Mouse launches Disney Digital Books today. The website puts more than 500 picture and storybooks from the Disney catalog just a few clicks away for young readers. The service is entirely browser-based, no download required. All of the classics are there -- Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, the Little Mermaid. I tried out Toy Story. The experience mimics the read-aloud books that parents and kids have known for decades, whether on record, tape or whatever -- complete with the sound effect that signals it's time to turn the page. Readers can pause the story and select a word to get a definition. For example, highlight "Woody" in the Toy Story, uh, story, and a window pops up showing that the definition is "the hard material forming the trunk and branches of a tree." Wait -- what? Anyway, the service costs $8.95 a month -- not too bad for parents with kids of a certain age -- and there's a free trial today.