My friend Libbie invited me over to her house recently, in part because
she had noticed that the Keisha Knight Pulliam / Phylicia Rashad movie Polly, a made-for-TV musical adaptation of Pollyanna,
was among the Video On Demand choices for the week. I’d gushed about
the movie before, and she remembered. Unfortunately, when we went to
watch it, the movie wasn’t there anymore. Instead, though, we went with a
different made-for-TV Disney movie, the much more recent Geek Charming, starring Sarah Hyland from Modern Family as a stereotypical mean girl who gets thrown into a close association with a nerdy classmate.
This is pretty much your average uber-predictable tween movie about an
outcast getting in with a popular crowd and briefly abandoning his
friends before repenting in a very public manner (usually, as is the
case here, at a school dance). There’s a slight twist here as it’s not
just about the geek getting in with the popular crowd but also about the
popular girl unleashing her inner geek. In other words, it’s about
breaking down barriers. While it’s still pretty cheesy and over-the-top,
it has many moments of genuine sweetness.
Matt Prokop is Josh
Rosen, an aspiring filmmaker in desperate need of a subject for a
documentary contest that could help him get into film school. Hyland is
Dylan Schoenfield, who just has to be pronounced Blossom Queen at
the upcoming dance. She’s a queen bee with a loyal posse, but she has
tough competition, and a film like the one Josh wants to make could just
be what she needs to win over enough fans to take the crown.
Josh is generally very likable, aside from his sour attitude about
popular kids in general. He definitely comes across as a bit elitist
himself in the beginning. As a gal who considers “geeky” to be
practically a prerequisite for my own idea of Prince Charming, I didn’t
have much trouble sympathizing with him, though he’s far from the most
endearing geek I’ve encountered on TV. Meanwhile, Dylan, who lives in a
mansion and is waited on by a housekeeper, is never quite as blanketly
obnoxious as the mean girls in these types of movies usually are. Even
when she’s at her worst, she has a nice streak, so the gulf between
these two isn’t as wide as it might be in some movies.
The
gradual friendship and sparks between these two is the heart of the
movie, and the development is done pretty well. There are a couple of
cute scenes with Dylan’s surprisingly down-to-earth dad (Andrew Airlie)
and Josh’s wise, supportive mom (Lilli Birdsell), and Josh’s gang of
misfits is fun. There’s also an interesting subplot with Amy (Sasha
Pieterse), the artsy girl Josh admires from afar who has a past
connection with Dylan. My favorite side character, though, is Josh’s
film advisor, Mr. Farley (David Milchard), mostly for the incredibly
compelling reason that he has a Scottish accent and I love listening to
him talk.
Generally, I found neither the writing nor the
acting to be particularly noteworthy, but aside from some of the silly
jargon Dylan uses – particularly the oft-used “’what’ and ‘ever’” – the
dialogue usually feels reasonably realistic. Some of the plot elements
are a bit cheesy, but that’s to be expected. One thing I loved and
didn’t see coming at all was a scene in which several of the characters
see Flight of the Navigator at the theater and discuss it afterward. I mean, what Cineplex is re-running Flight of the Navigator - and where can I sign up? I was so tickled by their discussion I had to watch that Disney classic again for myself.
While the big confessional scenes – there are two in this movie instead
of the traditional one – are just as overblown as I would have
expected, the quieter moments that get us to that point are enjoyable,
and I appreciated that this was not just about a nice kid mingling with
the in crowd and returning to his old friends but about a diva
remembering she wasn’t always that way and learning how to be herself
again. I still much prefer Polly, but Geek Charming is certainly not without its charms.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Super-Cool Saxophonist Charlie Brown Plays a Sweet Serenade
Poor Charlie Brown is the perpetual underdog. His beagle may be Joe
Cool, but “cool” is not a word I would usually associate with the
round-headed kid in the jaggedy-striped shirt. However, in this year’s
Wireless Peanuts Band from Hallmark, he’s lookin’ super-smooth as he
cradles his saxophone.
Like the other three figures in this series, Charlie Brown is sturdy plastic, and he stands atop a brown base with a wooden floor pattern on the top. That base is just over an inch high, just under three inches wide and about three and a half inches long. The contrast of the darker brown with the light brown on top adds to the attractiveness of the figure.
Charlie Brown wears brown shoes, but everything else about him is vibrant and Christmassy. His pants and scarf are green, while his coat and Santa hat are red. Against all that bright color, Charlie Brown’s skin looks paler than usual. On his face, two tiny black eyes gaze out, one on either side of his bulbous nose, while the black mouthpiece of his golden saxophone is inside his mouth.
Press the small brown button near the front of the platform, and you will be able to hear Charlie Brown play The 12 Days of Christmas, along with It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, one of only two religious songs the band plays. He bobs forward and backward as he plays, giving the impression that he is putting all of his soul into this performance. If you press the button again mid-song, the music will stop; press it once more, and he will begin to play the alternate tune.
Of course, what makes these decorations so very fun is the fact that they communicate with each other. Charlie Brown can play by himself even if you have all four figures; all you need to do is turn off the power on the other three. You can also turn off the power on one or two of them and experiment to see which accompaniment sounds best with him. I would say the player who stands out least when Charlie Brown is in the spotlight is Lucy, whose flute is higher in pitch but somewhat similar in tone to the saxophone.
If another character is playing, Charlie Brown will jump right in after a few seconds, provided he is on. When we first brought Lucy home, we took her out of the bag and pressed the button. Charlie Brown was in the kitchen, near my brother, and he started playing out of the blue. As he had never seen the interactive quality of these figures before, that startled him. It’s a nifty way to be taken by surprise.
Charlie Brown was the second of the figures that Hallmark released. Like the others, he costs $29.95 if you buy him and nothing else, but I don’t know why anyone would do that. He’s $14.95 with another purchase, and that purchase can be something as inexpensive as a greeting card. He comes with three AAA batteries loaded into the bottom of his base, and unless he’s in display mode, which is activated by holding the play button down for several seconds, he shouldn’t need to have his batteries replaced before the season is over.
Whether Charlie Brown is the lead instrumentalist or the beguiling back-up, he is an undeniably awesome part of this quartet, which is one of the cleverest promotions I’ve ever seen from Hallmark. I always thought Charlie Brown was a jolly good fellow, and it’s great to see him here as a nice guy who doesn’t finish last – except when it comes to providing that long, last note that lingers in the ears when the song concludes.
Like the other three figures in this series, Charlie Brown is sturdy plastic, and he stands atop a brown base with a wooden floor pattern on the top. That base is just over an inch high, just under three inches wide and about three and a half inches long. The contrast of the darker brown with the light brown on top adds to the attractiveness of the figure.
Charlie Brown wears brown shoes, but everything else about him is vibrant and Christmassy. His pants and scarf are green, while his coat and Santa hat are red. Against all that bright color, Charlie Brown’s skin looks paler than usual. On his face, two tiny black eyes gaze out, one on either side of his bulbous nose, while the black mouthpiece of his golden saxophone is inside his mouth.
Press the small brown button near the front of the platform, and you will be able to hear Charlie Brown play The 12 Days of Christmas, along with It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, one of only two religious songs the band plays. He bobs forward and backward as he plays, giving the impression that he is putting all of his soul into this performance. If you press the button again mid-song, the music will stop; press it once more, and he will begin to play the alternate tune.
Of course, what makes these decorations so very fun is the fact that they communicate with each other. Charlie Brown can play by himself even if you have all four figures; all you need to do is turn off the power on the other three. You can also turn off the power on one or two of them and experiment to see which accompaniment sounds best with him. I would say the player who stands out least when Charlie Brown is in the spotlight is Lucy, whose flute is higher in pitch but somewhat similar in tone to the saxophone.
If another character is playing, Charlie Brown will jump right in after a few seconds, provided he is on. When we first brought Lucy home, we took her out of the bag and pressed the button. Charlie Brown was in the kitchen, near my brother, and he started playing out of the blue. As he had never seen the interactive quality of these figures before, that startled him. It’s a nifty way to be taken by surprise.
Charlie Brown was the second of the figures that Hallmark released. Like the others, he costs $29.95 if you buy him and nothing else, but I don’t know why anyone would do that. He’s $14.95 with another purchase, and that purchase can be something as inexpensive as a greeting card. He comes with three AAA batteries loaded into the bottom of his base, and unless he’s in display mode, which is activated by holding the play button down for several seconds, he shouldn’t need to have his batteries replaced before the season is over.
Whether Charlie Brown is the lead instrumentalist or the beguiling back-up, he is an undeniably awesome part of this quartet, which is one of the cleverest promotions I’ve ever seen from Hallmark. I always thought Charlie Brown was a jolly good fellow, and it’s great to see him here as a nice guy who doesn’t finish last – except when it comes to providing that long, last note that lingers in the ears when the song concludes.
Schroeder's Piano Playing Helps You Deck Those Halls and Jingle Those Bells
If there is one set of characters I identify most readily with Hallmark,
it’s the Peanuts gang. Every year, Hallmark releases all sorts of cute
Peanuts figures – plush, ceramic, plastic, you name it. It happens
throughout the year, but it’s always most pronounced at Christmastime.
This year was no exception, and it brought a charming quartet I found it
impossible to resist.
The Wireless Peanuts Band consists of four Peanuts characters, each resting on a brown plastic platform, the top of which resembles a wooden floor. The figures were released gradually, the first in October, the last in December, encouraging multiple visits to collect them all. Each is priced at $29.95, but that cost is cut in half with the purchase of another item. I can’t imagine that anybody would buy one for regular price; even a single greeting card is sufficient to bump the price down to $14.95.
The first figure in the series was Schroeder. His base is three inches wide and four inches long, making him take up more space than any of the others. That’s because he’s seated at his baby grand piano, and the elegant instrument is rather large. Like the rest of the figures, he is dressed in red and green. Specifically, he has a green sweater, while his pants and scarf are red. He also wears a traditional red and white Santa hat. The only part of his attire that is not particularly festive is his footwear, which is brown.
Schroeder is seated with his pudgy hands poised over the keyboard. A shock of yellow hair pokes out from under the white brim of his hat, and he wears a big smile. He doesn’t even seem to mind that he is performing in the same band as his abrasive admirer Lucy. In fact, they sound smashing together as a duo. With him on the piano and her on the flute, it’s a nice blend of earthy and celestial sounds.
It’s the interactive nature of these figures that makes them so fun. Play one, and everyone else joins in – unless you’d rather they didn’t. Hence, Schroeder can play alone or with one, two or three bandmates. If you don’t want to hear a particular character, just flip that switch on the bottom to OFF. It’s fun to experiment with different sound combinations and move the figures around to determine what placement will produce the most pleasing effect.
Schroeder plays jazzy versions of Deck the Halls and Jingle Bells. Naturally, these are fairly short, basically combining the beginning and end of the verse or chorus. He slows the tempo down a bit to allow his fingers the opportunity to roam freely. Of course, they’re not actually touching the keys, but they hover so close to them as he rocks back and forth that it’s easy to maintain the illusion.
To activate this, simply press the brown button near the front of the platform. Once the song is finished, press the button again to hear the other one. If you only want to hear the other song and are impatient, press the button as soon as the song starts. This will stop the song. If you press it again, it will start over with the other song.
Meanwhile, if Schroeder is on but is not the primary musician, he will chime in with his piano accompaniment after a few seconds. For instance, after Lucy plays the opening phrase of Up on the Housetop, Schroeder jumps right in and tickles those plastic ivories, making it sound considerably livelier than it would if Lucy were playing alone. Among the four musicians, there are eight songs, and Schroeder plays back-up on six of them.
These are much heavier than ornaments and are best suited to sitting on a shelf side by side, though if you place them in different corners of the room, they will most likely still work together. Mine have worked at distances exceeding 20 feet. Each comes equipped with three AAA batteries; if you need to replace them, you can do so via the bottom of the platform.
While Schroeder isn’t quite as integral a character as his bandmates Lucy, Snoopy and Charlie Brown, he is the first character I associate with music, so it makes perfect sense to feature him. Right now, I have this little pianist sitting on my piano, leading his friends in a celebration of Christmas cheer. “Oh, what fun” indeed!
The Wireless Peanuts Band consists of four Peanuts characters, each resting on a brown plastic platform, the top of which resembles a wooden floor. The figures were released gradually, the first in October, the last in December, encouraging multiple visits to collect them all. Each is priced at $29.95, but that cost is cut in half with the purchase of another item. I can’t imagine that anybody would buy one for regular price; even a single greeting card is sufficient to bump the price down to $14.95.
The first figure in the series was Schroeder. His base is three inches wide and four inches long, making him take up more space than any of the others. That’s because he’s seated at his baby grand piano, and the elegant instrument is rather large. Like the rest of the figures, he is dressed in red and green. Specifically, he has a green sweater, while his pants and scarf are red. He also wears a traditional red and white Santa hat. The only part of his attire that is not particularly festive is his footwear, which is brown.
Schroeder is seated with his pudgy hands poised over the keyboard. A shock of yellow hair pokes out from under the white brim of his hat, and he wears a big smile. He doesn’t even seem to mind that he is performing in the same band as his abrasive admirer Lucy. In fact, they sound smashing together as a duo. With him on the piano and her on the flute, it’s a nice blend of earthy and celestial sounds.
It’s the interactive nature of these figures that makes them so fun. Play one, and everyone else joins in – unless you’d rather they didn’t. Hence, Schroeder can play alone or with one, two or three bandmates. If you don’t want to hear a particular character, just flip that switch on the bottom to OFF. It’s fun to experiment with different sound combinations and move the figures around to determine what placement will produce the most pleasing effect.
Schroeder plays jazzy versions of Deck the Halls and Jingle Bells. Naturally, these are fairly short, basically combining the beginning and end of the verse or chorus. He slows the tempo down a bit to allow his fingers the opportunity to roam freely. Of course, they’re not actually touching the keys, but they hover so close to them as he rocks back and forth that it’s easy to maintain the illusion.
To activate this, simply press the brown button near the front of the platform. Once the song is finished, press the button again to hear the other one. If you only want to hear the other song and are impatient, press the button as soon as the song starts. This will stop the song. If you press it again, it will start over with the other song.
Meanwhile, if Schroeder is on but is not the primary musician, he will chime in with his piano accompaniment after a few seconds. For instance, after Lucy plays the opening phrase of Up on the Housetop, Schroeder jumps right in and tickles those plastic ivories, making it sound considerably livelier than it would if Lucy were playing alone. Among the four musicians, there are eight songs, and Schroeder plays back-up on six of them.
These are much heavier than ornaments and are best suited to sitting on a shelf side by side, though if you place them in different corners of the room, they will most likely still work together. Mine have worked at distances exceeding 20 feet. Each comes equipped with three AAA batteries; if you need to replace them, you can do so via the bottom of the platform.
While Schroeder isn’t quite as integral a character as his bandmates Lucy, Snoopy and Charlie Brown, he is the first character I associate with music, so it makes perfect sense to feature him. Right now, I have this little pianist sitting on my piano, leading his friends in a celebration of Christmas cheer. “Oh, what fun” indeed!
Pooh and His Pals Become Cowboys, Pirates and Old-Fashioned Superheroes
Winnie the Pooh and his Hundred-Acre friends generally live very simple
lives and go about in the same clothes (or, in most cases, lack thereof)
day after day. However, one fun thing about the television series The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is its expansive imaginative scope. Some episodes allow these plush pals to venture into more unconventional territory. In Cowboy Pooh, part of the Playtime series of Winnie the Pooh videos, we see three episodes along these lines, each spoofing a specific genre.
The Good, the Bad and the Tigger - This Western spoof, also included in the video Growing Up With Winnie the Pooh: It's Playtime With Pooh, finds Pooh (Jim Cummings), Piglet (John Fiedler), Rabbit (Ken Sansom) and Tigger (Paul Winchell) in Christopher Robin's (Tim Hoskins) bedroom admiring his elaborate train set. When his mother calls him away, he warns everyone not to play with the train while he's gone, but Tigger can't resist, sparking a lengthy imaginative sequence set in the Old West. Tigger is a train robber, Pooh is his unwitting accomplice, Piglet is the sheriff determined to mete out justice however difficult that may be, Rabbit and Eeyore are his faithful sidekicks and Gopher (Michael Gough) is the grim judge eager to hand down a sentence for a "swinging."
This episode is a lot of fun because of the way it uses Western conventions, from dastardly villains to dusty, half-deserted towns. The score seems Copeland-inspired, and the chase sequences along the rickety railroad tracks prickle with excitement. Lots of fun, too, are the outfits, complete with ten-gallon hats (and one sombrero). Of course, this being Pooh, the story ends gently for all concerned, but some pretty harrowing situations precede the satisfying resolution that includes a lesson in forgiveness and fessing up to wrongdoing.
Pooh Marks the Spot - I wish I'd watched this video a little sooner; I could have included its infectious pirate ditty in my list of nautical songs for Talk Like a Pirate Day in September. "Yo ho, everyone knows a pirate's life is free. Yo ho, wherever we go, pirates is what we'll be!" Catchy. The pirates in question are Captain Piglet, Tigger, Pooh and Gopher, who roam the Hundred-Acre Wood in a magnificent pirate ship on wheels. I don't know who is responsible for the construction of that contraption - though I suspect a collaboration between handyman Gopher and creative Tigger - but I wish I had one. And someplace where I could ramble around in it, of course.
Rabbit does not think so highly of their pirate activities, especially once they start digging up his garden in search of buried treasure, so he concocts a plan to trick them and hopefully curtail their revelry. However, when a trippy dream sequence leaves him with a boatload of guilt, Rabbit wonders if he went too far. Aside from the brief dream, which is frankly pretty creepy, this does not take place in a fantastical setting, but there are pirate costumes aplenty as well as that remarkable ship. The conclusion includes a cute twist that emphasizes the kindness and creativity of these forest friends.
The Masked Offender - I'm pretty sure that I've seen this before, but as Tigger's secret identity, the Masked Offender, is all I remember, I wonder if I encountered it in another episode or perhaps a book. The rest of the story doesn't seem very familiar. In any case, this is another entertaining tale that seems to draw from classic heroes like the Three Musketeers and Robin Hood. Part of the episode occurs within a storybook Christopher Robin is reading, and this is where we find the most elaborate costumes and props, but Tigger doesn't do too badly in coming up with an outfit for himself after the story inspires him to follow suit.
There's humor in Tigger's choice of name, unintentionally changing "Defender" to "Offender," since all of his attempts to "rescue" others only serve to irritate them. Poor Piglet, roped into being his sidekick, doesn't know how to tell Tigger his heroics are not welcome. This is another episode that includes a mean-spirited practical joke orchestrated by Rabbit, but in this case, he doesn't work alone. Owl (Hal Smith) is particularly anxious to put a stop to Tigger's stunts. However, when a true emergency beckons, will a chastened Tigger step up to the plate to finally be a true hero? The storybook portions of this episode are great fun, but it's the intense action sequence involving one of those impossibly steep Hundred-Acre Wood canyons that really makes this episode.
Disney has released Winnie the Pooh Halloween specials before. Cowboy Pooh includes none of those, but the three episodes, taken together, feel Halloweenish because most of the characters spend the majority of their time in costume. Thus, this is a particularly good video for October, but any time of year, it may just inspire a creative playtime costume or two.
The Good, the Bad and the Tigger - This Western spoof, also included in the video Growing Up With Winnie the Pooh: It's Playtime With Pooh, finds Pooh (Jim Cummings), Piglet (John Fiedler), Rabbit (Ken Sansom) and Tigger (Paul Winchell) in Christopher Robin's (Tim Hoskins) bedroom admiring his elaborate train set. When his mother calls him away, he warns everyone not to play with the train while he's gone, but Tigger can't resist, sparking a lengthy imaginative sequence set in the Old West. Tigger is a train robber, Pooh is his unwitting accomplice, Piglet is the sheriff determined to mete out justice however difficult that may be, Rabbit and Eeyore are his faithful sidekicks and Gopher (Michael Gough) is the grim judge eager to hand down a sentence for a "swinging."
This episode is a lot of fun because of the way it uses Western conventions, from dastardly villains to dusty, half-deserted towns. The score seems Copeland-inspired, and the chase sequences along the rickety railroad tracks prickle with excitement. Lots of fun, too, are the outfits, complete with ten-gallon hats (and one sombrero). Of course, this being Pooh, the story ends gently for all concerned, but some pretty harrowing situations precede the satisfying resolution that includes a lesson in forgiveness and fessing up to wrongdoing.
Pooh Marks the Spot - I wish I'd watched this video a little sooner; I could have included its infectious pirate ditty in my list of nautical songs for Talk Like a Pirate Day in September. "Yo ho, everyone knows a pirate's life is free. Yo ho, wherever we go, pirates is what we'll be!" Catchy. The pirates in question are Captain Piglet, Tigger, Pooh and Gopher, who roam the Hundred-Acre Wood in a magnificent pirate ship on wheels. I don't know who is responsible for the construction of that contraption - though I suspect a collaboration between handyman Gopher and creative Tigger - but I wish I had one. And someplace where I could ramble around in it, of course.
Rabbit does not think so highly of their pirate activities, especially once they start digging up his garden in search of buried treasure, so he concocts a plan to trick them and hopefully curtail their revelry. However, when a trippy dream sequence leaves him with a boatload of guilt, Rabbit wonders if he went too far. Aside from the brief dream, which is frankly pretty creepy, this does not take place in a fantastical setting, but there are pirate costumes aplenty as well as that remarkable ship. The conclusion includes a cute twist that emphasizes the kindness and creativity of these forest friends.
The Masked Offender - I'm pretty sure that I've seen this before, but as Tigger's secret identity, the Masked Offender, is all I remember, I wonder if I encountered it in another episode or perhaps a book. The rest of the story doesn't seem very familiar. In any case, this is another entertaining tale that seems to draw from classic heroes like the Three Musketeers and Robin Hood. Part of the episode occurs within a storybook Christopher Robin is reading, and this is where we find the most elaborate costumes and props, but Tigger doesn't do too badly in coming up with an outfit for himself after the story inspires him to follow suit.
There's humor in Tigger's choice of name, unintentionally changing "Defender" to "Offender," since all of his attempts to "rescue" others only serve to irritate them. Poor Piglet, roped into being his sidekick, doesn't know how to tell Tigger his heroics are not welcome. This is another episode that includes a mean-spirited practical joke orchestrated by Rabbit, but in this case, he doesn't work alone. Owl (Hal Smith) is particularly anxious to put a stop to Tigger's stunts. However, when a true emergency beckons, will a chastened Tigger step up to the plate to finally be a true hero? The storybook portions of this episode are great fun, but it's the intense action sequence involving one of those impossibly steep Hundred-Acre Wood canyons that really makes this episode.
Disney has released Winnie the Pooh Halloween specials before. Cowboy Pooh includes none of those, but the three episodes, taken together, feel Halloweenish because most of the characters spend the majority of their time in costume. Thus, this is a particularly good video for October, but any time of year, it may just inspire a creative playtime costume or two.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Tarzan Goes Bananas in a Cute Jungle Contest
Back when I used to play Super Nintendo a lot, one of my favorite games was The Jungle Book, in which jungle boy Mowgli comes stocked with a perpetual supply of bananas to lob at enemies. The picture book Tarzan Goes Bananas,
a Disney First Reader written by Judy Katschke and illustrated by
Andrea and John Alvin, features another jungle boy with bananas on the
brain. This time, however, the bananas are the goal rather than a means
to an end.
Like several Disney movies, including The Fox and the Hound and The Lion King, Tarzan shows us three distinct stages in the life of the main character, with childhood being the second. This is the point at which this story is set. Tarzan, the boy raised by gorillas, joins Turk, a gutsy gorilla, and Tantor, a wimpy elephant, in planning a contest to see who can get the most bananas down from a particular tree.
All of the main supporting characters from this phase of Tarzan’s life are present in this book: Tantor, Turk and his gorilla parents, gentle Kala and fierce Kerchak. We also have a few other jungle animals to give the book variety. Other contest participants include a rhino, a baboon, a snake and what looks to be some type of lemur-like creature, all unnamed. Each animal has a different strategy for collecting the bananas that hang high above the ground, but Tarzan suspects that his method may be most effective of all. Will his extra preparation reward him in the end?
The storyline is fun not only because it uses familiar characters but also because of the problem-solving skills that the animals display. Every animal has to come up with a different idea, something dictated by his or her particular skills. While his fellow participants seem to mostly think on their feet, relying on their instincts to help them find the best solution, Tarzan hatches his idea near the beginning of the book and doesn’t implement it until almost the end, so children can try to guess what he’s planning and come up with their own ideas for getting the bananas off the tree.
The writing style is suitably simple for early readers, with about three to five sentences per page, mostly consisting of dialogue. The pictures are richly detailed, with full-color backgrounds and expressive characters, particularly Tarzan. My only complaint on the illustrations end of things is that at one point, hundreds – perhaps even thousands – of bananas fall from the tree, but previous peeks at the tree make it seem that it couldn’t possibly support that many bananas. It does make for a fun picture, with Tarzan and his friends swimming in bananas almost like Scrooge McDuck swims in gold coins, but it’s definitely an exaggeration.
In addition to the story, the book includes an introductory page for parents with an explanation of the reasons behind the series and some suggestions on how to make reading with a child a more memorable and enjoyable experience. For instance, former International Reading Association president Patricia Koppman recommends discussing the movie ahead of time to make sure the child is familiar enough with the characters to feel a connection with them; if there is a lack of familiarity, she suggests taking a few minutes to provide context for the story. She suggests both reading to children and letting the children read aloud, with parents furnishing words when asked instead of stopping the story to sound them out. Every reader is a bit different, but the recommendations included with the book seem helpful.
This is an uncomplicated story, but it’s also a fun tale that encourages creative problem solving and immerses children in a vibrant natural setting. If they liked Tarzan, chances are they that will go bananas for Tarzan Goes Bananas.
Like several Disney movies, including The Fox and the Hound and The Lion King, Tarzan shows us three distinct stages in the life of the main character, with childhood being the second. This is the point at which this story is set. Tarzan, the boy raised by gorillas, joins Turk, a gutsy gorilla, and Tantor, a wimpy elephant, in planning a contest to see who can get the most bananas down from a particular tree.
All of the main supporting characters from this phase of Tarzan’s life are present in this book: Tantor, Turk and his gorilla parents, gentle Kala and fierce Kerchak. We also have a few other jungle animals to give the book variety. Other contest participants include a rhino, a baboon, a snake and what looks to be some type of lemur-like creature, all unnamed. Each animal has a different strategy for collecting the bananas that hang high above the ground, but Tarzan suspects that his method may be most effective of all. Will his extra preparation reward him in the end?
The storyline is fun not only because it uses familiar characters but also because of the problem-solving skills that the animals display. Every animal has to come up with a different idea, something dictated by his or her particular skills. While his fellow participants seem to mostly think on their feet, relying on their instincts to help them find the best solution, Tarzan hatches his idea near the beginning of the book and doesn’t implement it until almost the end, so children can try to guess what he’s planning and come up with their own ideas for getting the bananas off the tree.
The writing style is suitably simple for early readers, with about three to five sentences per page, mostly consisting of dialogue. The pictures are richly detailed, with full-color backgrounds and expressive characters, particularly Tarzan. My only complaint on the illustrations end of things is that at one point, hundreds – perhaps even thousands – of bananas fall from the tree, but previous peeks at the tree make it seem that it couldn’t possibly support that many bananas. It does make for a fun picture, with Tarzan and his friends swimming in bananas almost like Scrooge McDuck swims in gold coins, but it’s definitely an exaggeration.
In addition to the story, the book includes an introductory page for parents with an explanation of the reasons behind the series and some suggestions on how to make reading with a child a more memorable and enjoyable experience. For instance, former International Reading Association president Patricia Koppman recommends discussing the movie ahead of time to make sure the child is familiar enough with the characters to feel a connection with them; if there is a lack of familiarity, she suggests taking a few minutes to provide context for the story. She suggests both reading to children and letting the children read aloud, with parents furnishing words when asked instead of stopping the story to sound them out. Every reader is a bit different, but the recommendations included with the book seem helpful.
This is an uncomplicated story, but it’s also a fun tale that encourages creative problem solving and immerses children in a vibrant natural setting. If they liked Tarzan, chances are they that will go bananas for Tarzan Goes Bananas.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Family Bonding and Friendship Come to the Forefront in The Wild
Several years ago, Dreamworks released Madagascar, and shortly thereafter, Disney released The Wild.
Both were computer-animated films about a ragtag group of animals who
escape a New York City zoo and are forced to fend for themselves in the
wild. Both groups included a lion and a giraffe. On the whole, the
premises looked so similar that they sort of canceled each other out in
my mind and I didn’t watch either of them, but I finally got around to
seeing The Wild recently. While I occasionally found it a bit manic for my tastes, for the most part, I thought it was a fun movie.
The Wild, directed by Steve Williams, is a quest story in which daddy issues play a major role. In that regard, it is rather like Finding Nemo, but in this case, the father, a lion named Samson (Kiefer Sutherland), has several plucky sidekicks aiding him in his search every step of the way. Samson delights in regaling the other zoo animals with tales of his early years in the wild, back when the ferocity of his roar sent the most monstrous wildebeests running for cover.
His son Ryan (Greg Cipes), who can’t produce anything more than a kittenish snarl, does not appreciate the tales so much, and after a particularly humiliating incident, he decides to run away and find his roar. By the time he has a chance to rethink his plan, he’s already on a truck headed out to the harbor. Neither he nor Samson, who dashes off to the rescue, can imagine the perilous journey that lies ahead.
The movie’s early scenes showing the rapid transformation the zoo undergoes at night and the amusing ways in which Samson and his companions interact with the big city in which they find themselves are entertaining. While one scene involving a peculiar sport the zoo residents play dragged a bit for me, I loved the homage to Star Wars that accompanies the friends’ arrival in the city at large, and I also found the incorporation of animals reflective of the escapees amusing. For instance, the runaways catch a glimpse of Geoffrey, the Toys ‘R’ Us giraffe, on a sign as they run through the city streets.
Joining Samson on his mission are four close friends. The closest is the squirrel Benny (Jim Belushi), who is annoying but fiercely loyal. He also harbors a not-so-secret crush on Bridget (Janeane Garofalo), a dignified giraffe. I found this plot point pretty odd until I recalled the romance between Donkey and Dragon in Shrek and figured that if I could accept that, this wasn’t too much of a stretch. Ultimately I enjoyed the way their interaction with each other changed over the course of the movie. Many of the stand-alone comedic moments belong to Nigel (Eddie Izzard), a koala from a London zoo who is plagued by the popularity of a plush toy in his image. Of the four, the snake Larry (Richard Kind) made the least impact on me, but he still gets a few good gags in.
The movie includes several prominent nods to The Lion King, from a glimpse of the marquee for the Broadway show in the city to the general prevalence of wildebeests in the plot. The opening in particular offers many visual parallels with that Disney classic, as does the climax, revolving around a deranged wildebeest played by William Shatner – the only voice actor, incidentally, who I recognized at once. Meanwhile, another element of the climax reminded me of one of my favorite scenes in Return of the Jedi, though I don’t think that was a direct homage.
The visuals in the movie are excellent, from the natural landscapes to the bright lights of a New York City night, and most of the animals have a very realistic look to them. The lions and wildebeests often seem as if they were lifted out of The Lion King and given computer-animated embellishment. Some of the smaller characters, particularly the snake and the pigeons, look a bit cartoonish and silly, but in most cases, the animation is impressive. I wasn’t particularly fond of the soundtrack, mostly, I guess, because I tend to find it distracting when songs designed for radio are deposited in animated movies. I suppose I shouldn’t feel that way, since I often enjoy their use in live-action films, but I generally didn’t feel like the songs added much. The exception is the wildebeest song that is essential to the plot, though frankly, I just found that one pretty weird.
Overall, I liked the themes of father-son understanding and self-discovery, along with the importance of having friends who will stick with you no matter what happens. Some of the humor gelled with me and some of it didn’t; at times, I think there was a little too much going on and the jokes got lost in the shuffle. Mostly, though, this is a well-crafted movie whose characters complement one another well and conquer their fears through the power of love. Factor in the top-notch animation, and it’s easy to be wild about this family-friendly film.
The Wild, directed by Steve Williams, is a quest story in which daddy issues play a major role. In that regard, it is rather like Finding Nemo, but in this case, the father, a lion named Samson (Kiefer Sutherland), has several plucky sidekicks aiding him in his search every step of the way. Samson delights in regaling the other zoo animals with tales of his early years in the wild, back when the ferocity of his roar sent the most monstrous wildebeests running for cover.
His son Ryan (Greg Cipes), who can’t produce anything more than a kittenish snarl, does not appreciate the tales so much, and after a particularly humiliating incident, he decides to run away and find his roar. By the time he has a chance to rethink his plan, he’s already on a truck headed out to the harbor. Neither he nor Samson, who dashes off to the rescue, can imagine the perilous journey that lies ahead.
The movie’s early scenes showing the rapid transformation the zoo undergoes at night and the amusing ways in which Samson and his companions interact with the big city in which they find themselves are entertaining. While one scene involving a peculiar sport the zoo residents play dragged a bit for me, I loved the homage to Star Wars that accompanies the friends’ arrival in the city at large, and I also found the incorporation of animals reflective of the escapees amusing. For instance, the runaways catch a glimpse of Geoffrey, the Toys ‘R’ Us giraffe, on a sign as they run through the city streets.
Joining Samson on his mission are four close friends. The closest is the squirrel Benny (Jim Belushi), who is annoying but fiercely loyal. He also harbors a not-so-secret crush on Bridget (Janeane Garofalo), a dignified giraffe. I found this plot point pretty odd until I recalled the romance between Donkey and Dragon in Shrek and figured that if I could accept that, this wasn’t too much of a stretch. Ultimately I enjoyed the way their interaction with each other changed over the course of the movie. Many of the stand-alone comedic moments belong to Nigel (Eddie Izzard), a koala from a London zoo who is plagued by the popularity of a plush toy in his image. Of the four, the snake Larry (Richard Kind) made the least impact on me, but he still gets a few good gags in.
The movie includes several prominent nods to The Lion King, from a glimpse of the marquee for the Broadway show in the city to the general prevalence of wildebeests in the plot. The opening in particular offers many visual parallels with that Disney classic, as does the climax, revolving around a deranged wildebeest played by William Shatner – the only voice actor, incidentally, who I recognized at once. Meanwhile, another element of the climax reminded me of one of my favorite scenes in Return of the Jedi, though I don’t think that was a direct homage.
The visuals in the movie are excellent, from the natural landscapes to the bright lights of a New York City night, and most of the animals have a very realistic look to them. The lions and wildebeests often seem as if they were lifted out of The Lion King and given computer-animated embellishment. Some of the smaller characters, particularly the snake and the pigeons, look a bit cartoonish and silly, but in most cases, the animation is impressive. I wasn’t particularly fond of the soundtrack, mostly, I guess, because I tend to find it distracting when songs designed for radio are deposited in animated movies. I suppose I shouldn’t feel that way, since I often enjoy their use in live-action films, but I generally didn’t feel like the songs added much. The exception is the wildebeest song that is essential to the plot, though frankly, I just found that one pretty weird.
Overall, I liked the themes of father-son understanding and self-discovery, along with the importance of having friends who will stick with you no matter what happens. Some of the humor gelled with me and some of it didn’t; at times, I think there was a little too much going on and the jokes got lost in the shuffle. Mostly, though, this is a well-crafted movie whose characters complement one another well and conquer their fears through the power of love. Factor in the top-notch animation, and it’s easy to be wild about this family-friendly film.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Winter White Eeyore Is a Snowy Delight
In my room, I have a sizable collection of plush Winnie the Pooh
characters. I bought most of them myself back in the good old days when
Erie still had a Disney Store, but I received a few as gifts. One of
those was the wintry Eeyore that was given to me by my friend Dan
several Christmases ago. I think it is Eeyore's snarky remarks and
pragmatic approach to life that make Dan a particular fan of this
downcast donkey, but he is unusually cheerful here, and his snowy
makeover suits him very well.
I don't think Eeyore was the only character to get a new look for Christmas that year, but because he is naturally bluish-gray anyway, the color scheme is ideal for him. He wears a powder blue sweater with a glittery white snowflake on the front, and upon his head is a matching Santa-style hat with white trim. Instead of his usual thunderhead-colored surface, he is bright white. A Velcro patch on his backside has his tail attached, but it comes on and off, while still being secured to Eeyore by some dark blue thread. The tail also has a blue bow on it, and the pupils in his eyes, as well as his eyebrows, are blue as well.
Obviously, this is a highly stylized Eeyore, and he really makes the most sense for winter. I have another one that has the traditional Eeyore appearance, but in December, this one is just so pretty. He's about nine inches high and nearly as big around; he sits up on his hind legs instead of standing on all fours. Hence, he has a pretty roly-poly appearance, and he's very huggable with that soft material and squishy stuffing. That's good, because Eeyore is a donkey who could really use more than his fair share of hugs.
The major drawback I see to this edition of Eeyore is that it's harder to keep him clean, since any stain is going to stand out against that pristine fur. This Eeyore is probably better for kids who are slightly older and will be more careful about not getting him dirty, though surface washing does help, and if you don't mind a dingy Eeyore it doesn't really matter in any case. Of course, there are no little kids in my house, just one big kid, and I think Winter White Eeyore is grand just the way he is. If you are looking for a cuddly plush pal or a way to add a touch of winter to your decorating scheme, you might just agree with me.
I don't think Eeyore was the only character to get a new look for Christmas that year, but because he is naturally bluish-gray anyway, the color scheme is ideal for him. He wears a powder blue sweater with a glittery white snowflake on the front, and upon his head is a matching Santa-style hat with white trim. Instead of his usual thunderhead-colored surface, he is bright white. A Velcro patch on his backside has his tail attached, but it comes on and off, while still being secured to Eeyore by some dark blue thread. The tail also has a blue bow on it, and the pupils in his eyes, as well as his eyebrows, are blue as well.
Obviously, this is a highly stylized Eeyore, and he really makes the most sense for winter. I have another one that has the traditional Eeyore appearance, but in December, this one is just so pretty. He's about nine inches high and nearly as big around; he sits up on his hind legs instead of standing on all fours. Hence, he has a pretty roly-poly appearance, and he's very huggable with that soft material and squishy stuffing. That's good, because Eeyore is a donkey who could really use more than his fair share of hugs.
The major drawback I see to this edition of Eeyore is that it's harder to keep him clean, since any stain is going to stand out against that pristine fur. This Eeyore is probably better for kids who are slightly older and will be more careful about not getting him dirty, though surface washing does help, and if you don't mind a dingy Eeyore it doesn't really matter in any case. Of course, there are no little kids in my house, just one big kid, and I think Winter White Eeyore is grand just the way he is. If you are looking for a cuddly plush pal or a way to add a touch of winter to your decorating scheme, you might just agree with me.
Friday, December 9, 2011
You're Never Too Young to Be Old in Howl's Moving Castle
This fall, I’ve been enjoying the Disney releases of some of master
Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s movies. They’re very unusual, rich in
artistry and imagination and full of surrealistic images. One of the
weirder ones is Howl’s Moving Castle, originally released in 2004.
Sophie (Emily Mortimer) is a young woman who works at a haberdashery. One day, she runs afoul of the Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall), a woman of monstrous girth who puts a curse on her. Sophie soon realizes that she has instantly aged about 60 years. Instead of young and slim, she is elderly and stooped, and she can’t stay at home in this condition. So it is that Sophie, now looking like an old crone (Jean Simmons), makes for the countryside and eventually seeks refuge inside Howl’s Moving Castle.
Howl (Christian Bale) is a mysterious sorcerer who comes and goes at will. He’s mildly intimidating but mostly kind, and he is happy to welcome Sophie into his home as a housekeeper. His household also includes a cheeky but sweet boy named Markl (Josh Hutcherson) and a wise-cracking fire demon named Calcifer (Billy Crystal) who could be the key to restoring Sophie to her former self.
In her travels she also meets a scarecrow with an enormous smile pasted on his face. Although this cursed fellow who she dubs Turniphead is mute and can only get around by hopping, using the post on which he is stuck as a pogo stick, he proves a valuable ally after she earns his loyalty by saving him from a compromising situation. She also comes into contact with the Witch of the Waste again, and how these two continue to relate to one another is one of the oddest but most touching elements of the movie.
Much of the movie takes place inside Howl’s castle, which wanders over the countryside on mechanical legs and features a magical device that allows its door to open upon one of several terrains, depending on which way the dial is pointed. One of the landscapes added into the mix is a glorious meadow, and there are a couple of idyllic moments in which Sophie sits placidly by a lake, so relaxed that the years seem to drop off her.
In these scenes, we see Miyazaki’s love of nature, but overall, that’s not a huge focus here. The movie does not feature as much cold industrialism as Castle in the Sky, but it does seem to encroach, and some scenes are pretty dark. Additionally, there’s at least one subplot that doesn’t quite seem to fit in. The movie is two hours long, and I wonder if he wasn’t cramming a bit too much into it.
On the whole, however, this is an enjoyable movie populated with fantastical characters and celebrating the power of love. It’s also an interesting commentary on the perspective that old age grants; though Sophie is barely an adult at heart, the wisdom she develops as a result of her curse is most beneficial. Themes of redemption and sacrifice also run strong. Meanwhile, Crystal’s excellent voice work helps to keep the movie light-hearted, as most of Calcifer’s interjections are good for a laugh.
While I didn’t like it quite as much My Neighbor Totoro, I think I prefer to Castle in the Sky and would probably put it at about the same enjoyment level as Ponyo. It’s a strange and surreal movie; you’ll have to accept the magical qualities of this world going into it. If you can roll with the strangeness, however, you may just find Howl’s Moving Castle a moving film experience.
Sophie (Emily Mortimer) is a young woman who works at a haberdashery. One day, she runs afoul of the Witch of the Waste (Lauren Bacall), a woman of monstrous girth who puts a curse on her. Sophie soon realizes that she has instantly aged about 60 years. Instead of young and slim, she is elderly and stooped, and she can’t stay at home in this condition. So it is that Sophie, now looking like an old crone (Jean Simmons), makes for the countryside and eventually seeks refuge inside Howl’s Moving Castle.
Howl (Christian Bale) is a mysterious sorcerer who comes and goes at will. He’s mildly intimidating but mostly kind, and he is happy to welcome Sophie into his home as a housekeeper. His household also includes a cheeky but sweet boy named Markl (Josh Hutcherson) and a wise-cracking fire demon named Calcifer (Billy Crystal) who could be the key to restoring Sophie to her former self.
In her travels she also meets a scarecrow with an enormous smile pasted on his face. Although this cursed fellow who she dubs Turniphead is mute and can only get around by hopping, using the post on which he is stuck as a pogo stick, he proves a valuable ally after she earns his loyalty by saving him from a compromising situation. She also comes into contact with the Witch of the Waste again, and how these two continue to relate to one another is one of the oddest but most touching elements of the movie.
Much of the movie takes place inside Howl’s castle, which wanders over the countryside on mechanical legs and features a magical device that allows its door to open upon one of several terrains, depending on which way the dial is pointed. One of the landscapes added into the mix is a glorious meadow, and there are a couple of idyllic moments in which Sophie sits placidly by a lake, so relaxed that the years seem to drop off her.
In these scenes, we see Miyazaki’s love of nature, but overall, that’s not a huge focus here. The movie does not feature as much cold industrialism as Castle in the Sky, but it does seem to encroach, and some scenes are pretty dark. Additionally, there’s at least one subplot that doesn’t quite seem to fit in. The movie is two hours long, and I wonder if he wasn’t cramming a bit too much into it.
On the whole, however, this is an enjoyable movie populated with fantastical characters and celebrating the power of love. It’s also an interesting commentary on the perspective that old age grants; though Sophie is barely an adult at heart, the wisdom she develops as a result of her curse is most beneficial. Themes of redemption and sacrifice also run strong. Meanwhile, Crystal’s excellent voice work helps to keep the movie light-hearted, as most of Calcifer’s interjections are good for a laugh.
While I didn’t like it quite as much My Neighbor Totoro, I think I prefer to Castle in the Sky and would probably put it at about the same enjoyment level as Ponyo. It’s a strange and surreal movie; you’ll have to accept the magical qualities of this world going into it. If you can roll with the strangeness, however, you may just find Howl’s Moving Castle a moving film experience.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Stopping in the Wood on a Snowy Evening With Pooh and Piglet
Every year, I add at least one or two Winnie the Pooh Hallmark Christmas
ornaments to my collection. I usually wait until after Christmas to buy
any for myself, but this year I decided to go ahead and splurge on
Hello, Snow!, my favorite of the 2011 Pooh ornaments.
This ornament, crafted by Hallmark artist Tracy Larsen, is a magic ornament, and it truly has a magical quality about it even before you activate the light and sound. Pooh, clad in a turquoise scarf and festive Santa hat, is trekking his way through the Hundred-Acre Wood, lantern in one orange paw. The other holds a string, which is attached to a sled on which Piglet, all bundled up in a sea green scarf and hat, is taking an exuberant ride. Pooh obviously does not mind tugging his very best friend along; both of them wear enormous smiles.
Pooh’s ear almost brushes one of the limbs on the stately birch that takes up a good portion of this ornament. They stand on a platform that is flat on the bottom and mostly flat but somewhat lumpy on the top, to give the appearance that they are walking in freshly fallen snow. The front of the round platform reads “So much Christmas wonder to discover!” in blue, with blue snowflakes as accents, and the ground up top is dazzling white and covered with glitter, as are the birch branches.
The tree has five main limbs, each of which has two or three branches forking out. This makes Hello, Snow! an especially delicate ornament, and given how nicely it stands on a shelf, I won’t be taking the chance of one of those branches breaking by hanging it on the tree. However, for those inclined to try it, there is a brass ring on one of the limbs, roughly in the middle of the tree.
Meanwhile, hanging from a branch on each of the limbs is a small plastic snowflake attached with thread. These are cute and covered with glitter. Four of the snowflakes, at least on the one I have, look very similar to each other, while another is quite distinct from them, which makes me wonder why the others aren’t more strongly differentiated. They’re so tiny, though, that you don’t really notice what they look like unless you examine them closely.
Having these tiny dangling objects also makes me reluctant to hang the ornament on the tree, where it would be easier for one of the flakes to come off and get lost. While I love the snowflakes, I’m also enchanted by the cardinal who perches on a branch directly above Pooh’s head and gazes down at him. This handsome red bird stands out particularly well against all the white branches with their occasional black stripes.
I love the little poem printed on the box here. Its eight lines capture the wonder of a wintry landscape combined with the warmth of friendship. I especially love the last three lines of the eight-line poem: “The friends kept gazing at the sky, / So warm with wonder and delight, / they didn’t feel the time slip by.” When you’re a bear of little brain and a plush pig, chances are that you have neither promises to keep nor miles to go before you sleep, so there’s nothing to deter you from stopping in the Wood on a snowy evening.
Once the three button batteries have been inserted in the bottom of the ornament, pressing the small white button directly in front of Piglet will activate the “magic,” which means the lantern lighting up and a lush, flutey orchestration of Let It Snow playing. The music and light goes together; both end at the same time, and the lantern light seems to ebb and flow with the melody. It’s really quite lovely, especially in a darkened room.
I know not everybody finds snow as magical as I do, but on an ornament like this, where its beauty can be enjoyed with no plunging temperatures, it’s easy to get caught up in the enchantment of a winter wonderland, especially in the company of such grand pals as Pooh and Piglet.
This ornament, crafted by Hallmark artist Tracy Larsen, is a magic ornament, and it truly has a magical quality about it even before you activate the light and sound. Pooh, clad in a turquoise scarf and festive Santa hat, is trekking his way through the Hundred-Acre Wood, lantern in one orange paw. The other holds a string, which is attached to a sled on which Piglet, all bundled up in a sea green scarf and hat, is taking an exuberant ride. Pooh obviously does not mind tugging his very best friend along; both of them wear enormous smiles.
Pooh’s ear almost brushes one of the limbs on the stately birch that takes up a good portion of this ornament. They stand on a platform that is flat on the bottom and mostly flat but somewhat lumpy on the top, to give the appearance that they are walking in freshly fallen snow. The front of the round platform reads “So much Christmas wonder to discover!” in blue, with blue snowflakes as accents, and the ground up top is dazzling white and covered with glitter, as are the birch branches.
The tree has five main limbs, each of which has two or three branches forking out. This makes Hello, Snow! an especially delicate ornament, and given how nicely it stands on a shelf, I won’t be taking the chance of one of those branches breaking by hanging it on the tree. However, for those inclined to try it, there is a brass ring on one of the limbs, roughly in the middle of the tree.
Meanwhile, hanging from a branch on each of the limbs is a small plastic snowflake attached with thread. These are cute and covered with glitter. Four of the snowflakes, at least on the one I have, look very similar to each other, while another is quite distinct from them, which makes me wonder why the others aren’t more strongly differentiated. They’re so tiny, though, that you don’t really notice what they look like unless you examine them closely.
Having these tiny dangling objects also makes me reluctant to hang the ornament on the tree, where it would be easier for one of the flakes to come off and get lost. While I love the snowflakes, I’m also enchanted by the cardinal who perches on a branch directly above Pooh’s head and gazes down at him. This handsome red bird stands out particularly well against all the white branches with their occasional black stripes.
I love the little poem printed on the box here. Its eight lines capture the wonder of a wintry landscape combined with the warmth of friendship. I especially love the last three lines of the eight-line poem: “The friends kept gazing at the sky, / So warm with wonder and delight, / they didn’t feel the time slip by.” When you’re a bear of little brain and a plush pig, chances are that you have neither promises to keep nor miles to go before you sleep, so there’s nothing to deter you from stopping in the Wood on a snowy evening.
Once the three button batteries have been inserted in the bottom of the ornament, pressing the small white button directly in front of Piglet will activate the “magic,” which means the lantern lighting up and a lush, flutey orchestration of Let It Snow playing. The music and light goes together; both end at the same time, and the lantern light seems to ebb and flow with the melody. It’s really quite lovely, especially in a darkened room.
I know not everybody finds snow as magical as I do, but on an ornament like this, where its beauty can be enjoyed with no plunging temperatures, it’s easy to get caught up in the enchantment of a winter wonderland, especially in the company of such grand pals as Pooh and Piglet.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
A Bunny Goes for a Nighttime Stroll in Goodnight, Thumper!
One of my favorite classic picture books is The Poky Little Puppy,
a Little Golden Book about a pup whose curiosity causes him to lag
behind his siblings and explore the countryside, getting himself rather
lost in the process. Another well-worn picture book, though one that I
never actually read for myself until adulthood despite my familiarity
with the title, is Goodnight Moon, a pretty much plotless book in
which a youth bids goodnight to everything within view. That charming
youngster happens to be a rabbit, which is the species of the main
character in Goodnight, Thumper, a board book that reminds me of both classics.
Goodnight Thumper, written by Kitty Richards and illustrated by Lori Tyminski and Dean Gordon, is a part of the Disney Bunnies series of books for toddlers. Bambi has not appeared in any of the three Disney Bunnies books I’ve read, and my guess is that he is not a part of the series, though I can’t say for sure since there are a few I haven’t perused yet. The focus of the books, however, is Thumper, Bambi’s rambunctious best friend, and to a lesser extent his little sisters. Thumper is distinguishable from his sisters because he is larger and has gray fur, while their fur is brown and they have lashes on their eyes.
Thumper’s four sisters appear in two illustrations in this sturdy square board book. Before that, Thumper encounters a variety of wildlife, while he gets the first and final pages to himself. All but two of the pictures are two-page spreads, for a total of 14 pages. That’s pretty short, but it’s not bad for a book of this type, which is designed for very young pre-readers. The look of the book is a bit muted, since it takes place at night, but the colors still shine through effectively, and the animals depicted in it are adorable. There’s a fullness to the illustrations, particularly the characters, that distinguishes this from the movie; it has more of the artistic computer animated look of Tangled. I especially like the way that we can see all the hairs on Thumper and the other animals.
In my favorite illustration, Thumper gazes up into a tree, where a gray squirrel reclines on a branch, fast asleep and possibly unaware that a chipmunk has turned his tail into a bed. These furry fellows, too, are very lifelike while still retaining the basic look they were given in Bambi. Other animals depicted include a mouse and a family of ducks. The story is short but shows Thumper’s friendliness and yearning to explore as he comes upon various woodlanders and bids them goodnight.
One concern that some may have is that Thumper’s parents don’t seem to have any objection to his wandering the forest on his own. However, he does immediately come running when he is called. What’s more, he is considerably older than his sisters, so a little more independence seems warranted, especially in such a tranquil setting. Still, if children are old enough to understand what is happening in the story, parents might want to caution them against wandering off alone like Thumper does here.
That aside, Goodnight, Thumper is an adorable and well-constructed book with appealing illustrations and simple sentences that make for good naptime or bedtime reading for the very young. Given the choice between Goodnight Moon and Goodnight, Thumper, I think many might just find Bambi’s bestest buddy a little more engaging.
Goodnight Thumper, written by Kitty Richards and illustrated by Lori Tyminski and Dean Gordon, is a part of the Disney Bunnies series of books for toddlers. Bambi has not appeared in any of the three Disney Bunnies books I’ve read, and my guess is that he is not a part of the series, though I can’t say for sure since there are a few I haven’t perused yet. The focus of the books, however, is Thumper, Bambi’s rambunctious best friend, and to a lesser extent his little sisters. Thumper is distinguishable from his sisters because he is larger and has gray fur, while their fur is brown and they have lashes on their eyes.
Thumper’s four sisters appear in two illustrations in this sturdy square board book. Before that, Thumper encounters a variety of wildlife, while he gets the first and final pages to himself. All but two of the pictures are two-page spreads, for a total of 14 pages. That’s pretty short, but it’s not bad for a book of this type, which is designed for very young pre-readers. The look of the book is a bit muted, since it takes place at night, but the colors still shine through effectively, and the animals depicted in it are adorable. There’s a fullness to the illustrations, particularly the characters, that distinguishes this from the movie; it has more of the artistic computer animated look of Tangled. I especially like the way that we can see all the hairs on Thumper and the other animals.
In my favorite illustration, Thumper gazes up into a tree, where a gray squirrel reclines on a branch, fast asleep and possibly unaware that a chipmunk has turned his tail into a bed. These furry fellows, too, are very lifelike while still retaining the basic look they were given in Bambi. Other animals depicted include a mouse and a family of ducks. The story is short but shows Thumper’s friendliness and yearning to explore as he comes upon various woodlanders and bids them goodnight.
One concern that some may have is that Thumper’s parents don’t seem to have any objection to his wandering the forest on his own. However, he does immediately come running when he is called. What’s more, he is considerably older than his sisters, so a little more independence seems warranted, especially in such a tranquil setting. Still, if children are old enough to understand what is happening in the story, parents might want to caution them against wandering off alone like Thumper does here.
That aside, Goodnight, Thumper is an adorable and well-constructed book with appealing illustrations and simple sentences that make for good naptime or bedtime reading for the very young. Given the choice between Goodnight Moon and Goodnight, Thumper, I think many might just find Bambi’s bestest buddy a little more engaging.
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