Quality is never much of an issue with anything associated with Scholastic, a brand that educators and parents trust. And so the Scholastic Video Collection has gradually built a strong line of DVDs that bring children's books to life on TV--the goal being, of course, not just to entertain children, but to entice them into developing an appreciation for books too.
Usually, if I have a quarrel with a volume in the series, it's over the selection of material that was brought together on a disc. The best of the bunch have stories on them that appeal to a wide age range and both boys and girls, or else take gender into account and clump stories together that can be appreciated one right after the other. The volumes I question usually include stories that don't seem to resonate with each other or seem to be pulling in different audience directions.
That's the way "Noisy Nora . . . and more stories about mischief" strikes me. Although it's recommended for ages 3-9, I'm not so sure that the audience for each story isn't more specialized than that.
Noisy Nora
The title story by Rosemary Wells (1973) is an interesting tale that begins in media res. We're thrown into the scenario of a middle sister who feels desperately ignored by Mom, who's tending to new baby Jack, and by Dad, who seems to always be spending time with big sister Kate. It's charming, and obviously pitched at children who are experiencing difficulty adjusting to having a new baby in the house--which, for most children, will be around the ages of 2-6. It focuses squarely on the type of negative attention-getting behavior that jealous siblings exhibit, but be warned, parents, because there is no reprimand for banging windows, slamming doors and drawers, dropping a can of marbles, knocking a lamp down, knocking chairs down, or flying a kite in the house. All we get for each act of "Ain't Misbehavin'" is this refrain: "Quiet," said her father, "Hush," said her mother, "Nora," said her sister, "Why are you so dumb?" When little mouse Nora finally gets fed up enough to leave (except she goes into the closet, not out the front door) and everyone finally notices the absence of noise, she finally gets the attention she deserves.
What's interesting about this story is that there's a gradual progression from minimalist artwork (no backgrounds, just a few props and characters) to fully rendered scenes, with cross-hatching and brightly colored objects. "Noisy Nora" is narrated by Mary Beth Hurt, and will appeal to youngsters in the 2-4 range or girls several years older than that.
T is for Terrible
This one, because it's narrated from the point of view T-Rex character in a growly voice, won't exactly make the repeat-play list for little girls--though they'll perk up when the dino speculates whether he'd be as frightening if he were PINK . . . or blue. "If I could, I would be a vegetarian," he growls, though the rest of the text certainly doesn't support that. He is what he is, a fearsome creature who makes those tree-eaters flee. David de Vries narrates, and dramatic music that's heavy on the tympanic drumbeats accentuate the tension. I know it's fashionable to dismiss gender as a distinguishing factor, but you know what? While there are exceptions (and my granddaughter is one of them), I'm guessing that mostly little boys are going to go for this one, and little girls not so much. Pre-schoolers and kindergarteners especially seem prone to like or dislike a story based on plot, but on what characters, animals, or objects are included. My five year old likes things with a girl in it or a bunny (or some other warm and cuddly animal). And when I've done my stint as parent-teacher at our local co-op pre-school, I've noticed she's not alone in that regard. That's why I'm saying this one is all for the boys, who gravitate toward more exotic and dangerous animals. Odds are, though, that this will appeal to boys at the younger end of the age range. By the time they're eight, they think they're too old for this (though they secretly may watch if it's on for siblings).
Another thing is, "T is for Terrible" is poised halfway between fiction and non-fiction, and that makes it seem slighter than if it had gone in the direction of either information or imagination, rather than straddling. "T is for Terrible" is adapted from a Peter McCarty book (2004), and the interesting thing here is the partial animation. In one static picture frame, for example, we watch a single dragonfly move from one side to the other. In another frame, the T-Rex is static while a herd of herbivores moves their little legs off the page and out of the picture. But the colors are extremely muted, like a watercolor painted from a palette of mostly greys and greens and browns.
Cannonball
Once before I encountered a live-action entry in this series, and it's just as startling the second time around. There's just a different feel to it, and when the live-action comes in the middle of animated features it feels even more surreal, if I had to choose a word. That's especially true of "Cannonball," which is based on the 1994 book "Cannonball Simp" by John Burningham. It's about a circus clown who isn't exactly getting a ton of laughs with his cannon routine, where he stuffs a ball in, lights it, and catches the ball when it comes back to him through a hoop. A lot of kids are afraid of clowns, but the ones that aren't will respond to this short film because of the punch it packs at the finish--an O.Henry ending, to be sure. Filmed at a real Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus performance, it features Hugo the Clown (Fred Yockers) whose nemesis is the ringmaster (Jimmy James) who's given him just one more chance (okay, make that two) to get laughs, or he's history. Enter a dog escaped from the animal shelter who ends up being adopted by this sad-faced clown. Together, they improvise an act that saves each of them. The real Flying Lunas family makes an appearance, with the little girl taking an interest in the dog and his new master. This is the only one in the bunch that, in my opinion, hits the mark on the entire age range--if, that is, your child isn't petrified of clowns.
Usually, if I have a quarrel with a volume in the series, it's over the selection of material that was brought together on a disc. The best of the bunch have stories on them that appeal to a wide age range and both boys and girls, or else take gender into account and clump stories together that can be appreciated one right after the other. The volumes I question usually include stories that don't seem to resonate with each other or seem to be pulling in different audience directions.
That's the way "Noisy Nora . . . and more stories about mischief" strikes me. Although it's recommended for ages 3-9, I'm not so sure that the audience for each story isn't more specialized than that.
Noisy Nora
The title story by Rosemary Wells (1973) is an interesting tale that begins in media res. We're thrown into the scenario of a middle sister who feels desperately ignored by Mom, who's tending to new baby Jack, and by Dad, who seems to always be spending time with big sister Kate. It's charming, and obviously pitched at children who are experiencing difficulty adjusting to having a new baby in the house--which, for most children, will be around the ages of 2-6. It focuses squarely on the type of negative attention-getting behavior that jealous siblings exhibit, but be warned, parents, because there is no reprimand for banging windows, slamming doors and drawers, dropping a can of marbles, knocking a lamp down, knocking chairs down, or flying a kite in the house. All we get for each act of "Ain't Misbehavin'" is this refrain: "Quiet," said her father, "Hush," said her mother, "Nora," said her sister, "Why are you so dumb?" When little mouse Nora finally gets fed up enough to leave (except she goes into the closet, not out the front door) and everyone finally notices the absence of noise, she finally gets the attention she deserves.
What's interesting about this story is that there's a gradual progression from minimalist artwork (no backgrounds, just a few props and characters) to fully rendered scenes, with cross-hatching and brightly colored objects. "Noisy Nora" is narrated by Mary Beth Hurt, and will appeal to youngsters in the 2-4 range or girls several years older than that.
T is for Terrible
This one, because it's narrated from the point of view T-Rex character in a growly voice, won't exactly make the repeat-play list for little girls--though they'll perk up when the dino speculates whether he'd be as frightening if he were PINK . . . or blue. "If I could, I would be a vegetarian," he growls, though the rest of the text certainly doesn't support that. He is what he is, a fearsome creature who makes those tree-eaters flee. David de Vries narrates, and dramatic music that's heavy on the tympanic drumbeats accentuate the tension. I know it's fashionable to dismiss gender as a distinguishing factor, but you know what? While there are exceptions (and my granddaughter is one of them), I'm guessing that mostly little boys are going to go for this one, and little girls not so much. Pre-schoolers and kindergarteners especially seem prone to like or dislike a story based on plot, but on what characters, animals, or objects are included. My five year old likes things with a girl in it or a bunny (or some other warm and cuddly animal). And when I've done my stint as parent-teacher at our local co-op pre-school, I've noticed she's not alone in that regard. That's why I'm saying this one is all for the boys, who gravitate toward more exotic and dangerous animals. Odds are, though, that this will appeal to boys at the younger end of the age range. By the time they're eight, they think they're too old for this (though they secretly may watch if it's on for siblings).
Another thing is, "T is for Terrible" is poised halfway between fiction and non-fiction, and that makes it seem slighter than if it had gone in the direction of either information or imagination, rather than straddling. "T is for Terrible" is adapted from a Peter McCarty book (2004), and the interesting thing here is the partial animation. In one static picture frame, for example, we watch a single dragonfly move from one side to the other. In another frame, the T-Rex is static while a herd of herbivores moves their little legs off the page and out of the picture. But the colors are extremely muted, like a watercolor painted from a palette of mostly greys and greens and browns.
Cannonball
Once before I encountered a live-action entry in this series, and it's just as startling the second time around. There's just a different feel to it, and when the live-action comes in the middle of animated features it feels even more surreal, if I had to choose a word. That's especially true of "Cannonball," which is based on the 1994 book "Cannonball Simp" by John Burningham. It's about a circus clown who isn't exactly getting a ton of laughs with his cannon routine, where he stuffs a ball in, lights it, and catches the ball when it comes back to him through a hoop. A lot of kids are afraid of clowns, but the ones that aren't will respond to this short film because of the punch it packs at the finish--an O.Henry ending, to be sure. Filmed at a real Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus performance, it features Hugo the Clown (Fred Yockers) whose nemesis is the ringmaster (Jimmy James) who's given him just one more chance (okay, make that two) to get laughs, or he's history. Enter a dog escaped from the animal shelter who ends up being adopted by this sad-faced clown. Together, they improvise an act that saves each of them. The real Flying Lunas family makes an appearance, with the little girl taking an interest in the dog and his new master. This is the only one in the bunch that, in my opinion, hits the mark on the entire age range--if, that is, your child isn't petrified of clowns.
Quality is never much of an issue with anything associated with Scholastic, a brand that educators and parents trust. And so the Scholastic Video Collection has gradually built a strong line of DVDs that bring children's books to life on TV--the goal being, of course, not just to entertain children, but to entice them into developing an appreciation for books too.
Usually, if I have a quarrel with a volume in the series, it's over the selection of material that was brought together on a disc. The best of the bunch have stories on them that appeal to a wide age range and both boys and girls, or else take gender into account and clump stories together that can be appreciated one right after the other. The volumes I question usually include stories that don't seem to resonate with each other or seem to be pulling in different audience directions.
That's the way "Noisy Nora . . . and more stories about mischief" strikes me. Although it's recommended for ages 3-9, I'm not so sure that the audience for each story isn't more specialized than that.
Noisy Nora
The title story by Rosemary Wells (1973) is an interesting tale that begins in media res. We're thrown into the scenario of a middle sister who feels desperately ignored by Mom, who's tending to new baby Jack, and by Dad, who seems to always be spending time with big sister Kate. It's charming, and obviously pitched at children who are experiencing difficulty adjusting to having a new baby in the house--which, for most children, will be around the ages of 2-6. It focuses squarely on the type of negative attention-getting behavior that jealous siblings exhibit, but be warned, parents, because there is no reprimand for banging windows, slamming doors and drawers, dropping a can of marbles, knocking a lamp down, knocking chairs down, or flying a kite in the house. All we get for each act of "Ain't Misbehavin'" is this refrain: "Quiet," said her father, "Hush," said her mother, "Nora," said her sister, "Why are you so dumb?" When little mouse Nora finally gets fed up enough to leave (except she goes into the closet, not out the front door) and everyone finally notices the absence of noise, she finally gets the attention she deserves.
What's interesting about this story is that there's a gradual progression from minimalist artwork (no backgrounds, just a few props and characters) to fully rendered scenes, with cross-hatching and brightly colored objects. "Noisy Nora" is narrated by Mary Beth Hurt, and will appeal to youngsters in the 2-4 range or girls several years older than that.
T is for Terrible
This one, because it's narrated from the point of view T-Rex character in a growly voice, won't exactly make the repeat-play list for little girls--though they'll perk up when the dino speculates whether he'd be as frightening if he were PINK . . . or blue. "If I could, I would be a vegetarian," he growls, though the rest of the text certainly doesn't support that. He is what he is, a fearsome creature who makes those tree-eaters flee. David de Vries narrates, and dramatic music that's heavy on the tympanic drumbeats accentuate the tension. I know it's fashionable to dismiss gender as a distinguishing factor, but you know what? While there are exceptions (and my granddaughter is one of them), I'm guessing that mostly little boys are going to go for this one, and little girls not so much. Pre-schoolers and kindergarteners especially seem prone to like or dislike a story based on plot, but on what characters, animals, or objects are included. My five year old likes things with a girl in it or a bunny (or some other warm and cuddly animal). And when I've done my stint as parent-teacher at our local co-op pre-school, I've noticed she's not alone in that regard. That's why I'm saying this one is all for the boys, who gravitate toward more exotic and dangerous animals. Odds are, though, that this will appeal to boys at the younger end of the age range. By the time they're eight, they think they're too old for this (though they secretly may watch if it's on for siblings).
Another thing is, "T is for Terrible" is poised halfway between fiction and non-fiction, and that makes it seem slighter than if it had gone in the direction of either information or imagination, rather than straddling. "T is for Terrible" is adapted from a Peter McCarty book (2004), and the interesting thing here is the partial animation. In one static picture frame, for example, we watch a single dragonfly move from one side to the other. In another frame, the T-Rex is static while a herd of herbivores moves their little legs off the page and out of the picture. But the colors are extremely muted, like a watercolor painted from a palette of mostly greys and greens and browns.
Cannonball
Once before I encountered a live-action entry in this series, and it's just as startling the second time around. There's just a different feel to it, and when the live-action comes in the middle of animated features it feels even more surreal, if I had to choose a word. That's especially true of "Cannonball," which is based on the 1994 book "Cannonball Simp" by John Burningham. It's about a circus clown who isn't exactly getting a ton of laughs with his cannon routine, where he stuffs a ball in, lights it, and catches the ball when it comes back to him through a hoop. A lot of kids are afraid of clowns, but the ones that aren't will respond to this short film because of the punch it packs at the finish--an O.Henry ending, to be sure. Filmed at a real Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus performance, it features Hugo the Clown (Fred Yockers) whose nemesis is the ringmaster (Jimmy James) who's given him just one more chance (okay, make that two) to get laughs, or he's history. Enter a dog escaped from the animal shelter who ends up being adopted by this sad-faced clown. Together, they improvise an act that saves each of them. The real Flying Lunas family makes an appearance, with the little girl taking an interest in the dog and his new master. This is the only one in the bunch that, in my opinion, hits the mark on the entire age range--if, that is, your child isn't petrified of clowns.
Usually, if I have a quarrel with a volume in the series, it's over the selection of material that was brought together on a disc. The best of the bunch have stories on them that appeal to a wide age range and both boys and girls, or else take gender into account and clump stories together that can be appreciated one right after the other. The volumes I question usually include stories that don't seem to resonate with each other or seem to be pulling in different audience directions.
That's the way "Noisy Nora . . . and more stories about mischief" strikes me. Although it's recommended for ages 3-9, I'm not so sure that the audience for each story isn't more specialized than that.
Noisy Nora
The title story by Rosemary Wells (1973) is an interesting tale that begins in media res. We're thrown into the scenario of a middle sister who feels desperately ignored by Mom, who's tending to new baby Jack, and by Dad, who seems to always be spending time with big sister Kate. It's charming, and obviously pitched at children who are experiencing difficulty adjusting to having a new baby in the house--which, for most children, will be around the ages of 2-6. It focuses squarely on the type of negative attention-getting behavior that jealous siblings exhibit, but be warned, parents, because there is no reprimand for banging windows, slamming doors and drawers, dropping a can of marbles, knocking a lamp down, knocking chairs down, or flying a kite in the house. All we get for each act of "Ain't Misbehavin'" is this refrain: "Quiet," said her father, "Hush," said her mother, "Nora," said her sister, "Why are you so dumb?" When little mouse Nora finally gets fed up enough to leave (except she goes into the closet, not out the front door) and everyone finally notices the absence of noise, she finally gets the attention she deserves.
What's interesting about this story is that there's a gradual progression from minimalist artwork (no backgrounds, just a few props and characters) to fully rendered scenes, with cross-hatching and brightly colored objects. "Noisy Nora" is narrated by Mary Beth Hurt, and will appeal to youngsters in the 2-4 range or girls several years older than that.
T is for Terrible
This one, because it's narrated from the point of view T-Rex character in a growly voice, won't exactly make the repeat-play list for little girls--though they'll perk up when the dino speculates whether he'd be as frightening if he were PINK . . . or blue. "If I could, I would be a vegetarian," he growls, though the rest of the text certainly doesn't support that. He is what he is, a fearsome creature who makes those tree-eaters flee. David de Vries narrates, and dramatic music that's heavy on the tympanic drumbeats accentuate the tension. I know it's fashionable to dismiss gender as a distinguishing factor, but you know what? While there are exceptions (and my granddaughter is one of them), I'm guessing that mostly little boys are going to go for this one, and little girls not so much. Pre-schoolers and kindergarteners especially seem prone to like or dislike a story based on plot, but on what characters, animals, or objects are included. My five year old likes things with a girl in it or a bunny (or some other warm and cuddly animal). And when I've done my stint as parent-teacher at our local co-op pre-school, I've noticed she's not alone in that regard. That's why I'm saying this one is all for the boys, who gravitate toward more exotic and dangerous animals. Odds are, though, that this will appeal to boys at the younger end of the age range. By the time they're eight, they think they're too old for this (though they secretly may watch if it's on for siblings).
Another thing is, "T is for Terrible" is poised halfway between fiction and non-fiction, and that makes it seem slighter than if it had gone in the direction of either information or imagination, rather than straddling. "T is for Terrible" is adapted from a Peter McCarty book (2004), and the interesting thing here is the partial animation. In one static picture frame, for example, we watch a single dragonfly move from one side to the other. In another frame, the T-Rex is static while a herd of herbivores moves their little legs off the page and out of the picture. But the colors are extremely muted, like a watercolor painted from a palette of mostly greys and greens and browns.
Cannonball
Once before I encountered a live-action entry in this series, and it's just as startling the second time around. There's just a different feel to it, and when the live-action comes in the middle of animated features it feels even more surreal, if I had to choose a word. That's especially true of "Cannonball," which is based on the 1994 book "Cannonball Simp" by John Burningham. It's about a circus clown who isn't exactly getting a ton of laughs with his cannon routine, where he stuffs a ball in, lights it, and catches the ball when it comes back to him through a hoop. A lot of kids are afraid of clowns, but the ones that aren't will respond to this short film because of the punch it packs at the finish--an O.Henry ending, to be sure. Filmed at a real Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus performance, it features Hugo the Clown (Fred Yockers) whose nemesis is the ringmaster (Jimmy James) who's given him just one more chance (okay, make that two) to get laughs, or he's history. Enter a dog escaped from the animal shelter who ends up being adopted by this sad-faced clown. Together, they improvise an act that saves each of them. The real Flying Lunas family makes an appearance, with the little girl taking an interest in the dog and his new master. This is the only one in the bunch that, in my opinion, hits the mark on the entire age range--if, that is, your child isn't petrified of clowns.
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