I have to admit, I ordered this book at least as much for myself as for my daughter, based on my nostalgia for It's a Small World. However, I'm delighted that we're both enjoying it very much, and it has exceeded my expectations.
The illustrations are bright, colorful, and very nicely detailed. For me, they do a great job of evoking the look and feel of the classic Disney attraction; for my daughter, they are endlessly fascinating. Admittedly, there isn't a whole lot to the actual text: it's basically the song lyrics, minus most of the chorus. (Which makes sense: who wants to read "It's a small world after all" over and over?) But we spend more time "reading" this book together than we do many longer books, because every page contains tons of fun details to discuss, from the outfits that the adorable kids are wearing, to all of the different animals, to the scenery. The included CD is a perfect accompaniment to the book, with nearly 14 minutes of variations on the "It's a Small World" theme.
The book, like the attraction, does a good job of communicating the "small world" message without ever getting too heavy-handed, keeping it light and fun. The book and CD are both very entertaining, and can stand on their own even for those who don't have fond memories of the attraction itself.