Treasury of 20 Storybook Classics (DVD)

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Roberto the Insect Architect, written and illustrated by Nina Laden, narrated by Sean Hayes, is about Roberto, a termite who travels to the big city to follow his dream of becoming a successful architect.

Norman the Doorman, written and illustrated by Don Freeman, narrated by Owen Jordan, tells of a little mouse guard at the Art Museum who's surprised when his sculpture wins first prize in a contest.

The Mysterious Tadpole, written and illustrated by Steven Kellogg, is narrated by Neil Innes. Lewis's birthday gift appears to be a tadpole, but it turns out to be much much more!

The Story of the Dancing Frog by Quentin Blake is narrated by Amanda Plummer. Gertrude and George, the dancing frog, go on a whirlwind theatrical tour.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle, by Beverly Cleary, brings the best-selling book to video. This live-action story follows Ralph, a mouse who's always looking for a new adventure. When a young guest arrives at the hotel with a shiny miniature motorcycle, Ralph knows that it is his lucky day. He takes it out for a spin and roars off on a series of exciting and dangerous adventures.

Wee Gillis, based on a story by Munro Leaf, is another live-action film. It's about a young Scottish boy whose grandparents have two different lifestyles, which forces him to make a difficult decision. Does he want to be a Highlander and stalk stags like his father's people, or a Lowlander like his mother's people and raise long-haired cows? Or can he combine his skills and interests in both herding and hunting?

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands is a traditional song sung here by Chrystal Taliefero and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. The folk song celebrates the connection between people and nature with a spiritual message.

Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse, illustrated by Jon J. Muth, is narrated by Laila Ali. Tess knows that the only thing that can fix the endless summer heat is a good, soaking rainstorm. When it finally comes, everyone rejoices.

Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message is a fascinating entry that's written and narrated by Chief Jake Swamp and illustrated by Erwin Printup, Jr. This Thanksgiving address is a message of peace and appreciation of Mother Earth and all her inhabitants.

Owl Moon is written and narrated by Jane Yolen and illustrated by John Schoenherr. A young girl and her father take a magical, nighttime walk through the snowy woods in search of the Great Horned Owl.

The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks, written by Katherine Peterson, illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon, and narrated by B.D. Wong, tells of a compassionate couplewho risk their lives to save a pair of Mandarin ducks.

Patrick, by Quentin Blake, is about a fiddler who makes the countryside come alive with his music.

A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog is the third live-action entry in this set, based on a book by Mercer Mayer. A young boy and his dog spend the afternoon trying to catch a playful frog.

Video:
The older live-action films show their age. Colors are faded, and there's as much grain in them as some of those health movies they made us watch in the classroom on projectors, before VHS tapes and DVDs took over. Put it this way, they look a lot older than films made in the Eighties because they weren't made with a big budget. But the animated entries are almost all pretty sharp and full of bright and true colors, and that's 17 out of 20 stories. They're presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio.

Audio:
The audio on the old live-action films is a Dolby Digital Mono, and the animated entries are in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. Again, the mono is a little flat, and the stereo a little fuller in sound. No complaints on the stereo.

Extras:
Other than the bonus stories on the discs which count toward the total, there are no bonus features, though all of the stories come with a read-along option where the word is highlighted as it's spoken--a nice tool for young readers.

Bottom Line:
This is a solid set from Weston Woods/Scholastic, and with Christmas coming up it's a nice choice for a token group gift if you're visiting a family with children in the 2-7 age range.

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