(describer) Imagination Videobooks presents "Read Island," written by Nicole Magistro, narrated by Erin Rieman, audio description narrated by Chris Snyder and written by Bonnie Barlow from illustrations by Alice Feagan. On the cover, a girl with long dark hair studies a map of an island with symbols, geographic features, and a compass on it. In red letters, the title: "Read Island."

(narrator) There is a place beneath the stars That welcomes friends from near and far. Just after dawn, the sun peeks through. The mighty sea makes way for you.

(describer) The sparkling cobalt blue sky is reflected in the sea below. At the horizon, the sun is rising in an orange glow. A boat with its sails made of maps and book pages makes its way toward the horizon. In it, a girl with dark hair stands in the covered cabin doorway and a fox sits in the back, called the "stern." A mouse stands in the front, called the "bow," with a periscope.

(narrator) Past rocky cliffs and cozy nooks, You'll find an island made of books.

(describer) Through their periscopes, the girl, the fox, and the mouse spot the island. The spines of books laid horizontally make up the surface, land, and bridges, and books half open, shaping them like tents, form the buildings. A whale swims below. Eagles fly high above.

(narrator) A sea wolf howls. Her lilting cry Is like a soothing lullaby. Every creature knows that sound-- They know it's safe to come around.

(describer) The path of words and musical notes wind their way around the page where the sea wolf stands on a cliff.

(narrator) Each one comes here for story time, For books with pictures, prose, and rhyme.

(describer) The animals make their way down a hillside built of pages of books with print, illustrations, and maps. They include an eagle, cougar, moose, bear, deer, and the fox, mouse, and girl.

(narrator) Starfish dance and salmon reign. The raven circles his domain.

(describer) With a book strapped to its back, the raven soars above the water and sandy shore.

(narrator) A grizzly lumbers from her cave. An eagle lands, a humpback waves.

(describer) The grizzly smiles and holds a cup of coffee with steam rising from it. It holds a book aloft. The eagle brings a book to three baby birds in a nest. The humpback whale reads, holding a book with its flipper as it does a big backflip out of the water and back down.

(narrator) A moose sniffs at the salty air. Who comes now? Rare spirit bear.

(describer) The moose holds several books in the spaces between its large antlers, like shelves. It roasts marshmallows at a fire. The smoke winds upward like the path, revealing words under its curving transparent billows. The jogging bear holds books and runs past hillsides with shelves carved into them holding more books.

(narrator) From high up in the snowy peaks, A gang of elk can hear wolf speak. Cascading downhill, young and old, Quick-- before the tale unfolds.

(describer) The elk wear colorful scarves and caps. They carry books stabbed onto their antlers to hold them fast as they run swiftly down the snowy mountainsides.

(narrator) Now fox arrives with cougar, mouse, and butterflies to fill the house. Joyfully they congregate, circling in to celebrate.

(describer) Among the trees at the water's edge, the animals dance, holding out their books and waving their free hands in the air.

(narrator) Can you join them? Just be still. Breathe in. Breathe out. Listen well.

(describer) The girl and animals sit on rocks on the beach. A whale rests in the water nearby. They turn toward the sea wolf who reads aloud.

(narrator) Relax, observe, explore, let's go! Remember this, a story flows. From out to in, from here to there-- Books can take you anywhere.

(describer) Amid the path of text and images, groups of creatures interact. The eagle flies with a mouse on its back. The wolf and moose ride in a hot-air balloon. The humpback whale rows a canoe as the cougar sits in it and reads aloud. The bear looks through a telescope at the elk who climbs a rope of words.

(narrator) To the city into space, To a very quiet place, To a rainbow reaching high, To the deepest darkest sky.

(describer) A mermaid reads underwater. A moose rides the rainbow in an inner tube. A submarine peeks up from the blue strand of the rainbow. A sea serpent pokes up its head and the curving shapes of its long snaking form nearby. A Viking ship sails through another band of the rainbow near a castle and a rocket ship taking off into space. An astronaut holds a book as he walks in space. A giant jellyfish and a green one-eyed alien in a flying saucer float under the shining full moon against the dark blue of space.

(narrator) Back to the sea where stories float, Set sail upon your tiny boat. The map inside is all you need, It brings you here each time you read.

(describer) In the boat with its lighted sails, the fox, girl, and mouse read as they sail along the curving tide of dark blue water.

(narrator) For make believe, though it may look, There is an island made of books. This world of stories, safe and true, Is always here to welcome you.

(describer) They wave as they leave Read Island where the other animals read their books.

(narrator) Be still. Breathe out, then in again. And listen for your island friends.

(describer) The sailboat is a dark, flat silhouette on the still water against the shining full moon. This has been "Read Island," written by Nicole Magistro, narrated by Erin Rieman, audio description narrated by Chris Snyder and written by Bonnie Barlow from illustrations by Alice Feagan. This has been a production of Imagination Videobooks at imaginationvideobooks.org.