Treasury of 20 Storybook Classics (DVD)
Scholastic Video Collection
APPROX. 235 MINS. - PROD. YEAR: 2002 - MPA RATING: NR
" This is a solid set from Weston Woods/Scholastic.
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Children's television is like music for teens. One generation always tends to think that its programming was more innocuous than the current stuff is that their kids listen to or watch. On this count, I plead guilty. When my son starts to speak in a less-than-socially-acceptable way, I instantly blame Cartoon Network for its wise-guy shows, forgetting my own youthful fondness for "Rocky and Bullwinkle" and its mouthy irreverence.
In truth, it's hard to say what effect such "hip" or "smart aleck" shows have on young minds, because there are so many variables. But one wholesome constant has been the academic alternative--the books-on-DVD series from Scholastic Video and Weston Woods. Remember those Scholastic Book Club catalogs that you got at school, full of options that made reading more fun than any book the teacher made you open?
Scholastic is a name that parents who grew up with those books know and trust, and this video series, which began in 2002, can be a nice way to revisit childhood favorites and introduce the Scholastic experience to the family. Like the catalog books, the quality of the Scholastic Video Collection is consistently high, and the series is pitched at children ages three through nine. That might be a little ambitious on the high end, but I'd say that children age two through six are a safe bet to enjoy these. And when they've outgrown them, parents can donate them to their neighborhood library, school, or pre-school.
"Treasury of 20 Storybook Classics" is a perfect introduction to the series and a nice alternative for those who can't afford the more inclusive but pricier "Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics." It takes up less space, too, and not just because it's 80 stories shorter. For the first time, the Scholastic video series is available in slim keep cases tucked inside a cardboard sleeve. That's a big plus.
Scholastic stories typically fall into categories: animal stories and fables, multicultural stories, whimsical or fantastic tales, classic stories re-told, live-action, and "star" books and authors (those which have been awarded Caldecott or Newberry prizes for their illustration or writing. Not all of those bases are covered here, but a number of them are. The weakest link is actually the biggest name: Beverly Cleary, shown here in an older live-action film that features crude animation by today's standards. Rather than that disc I almost wish they had gone for 25 stories and included some of the more offbeat tales to balance the predominantly animal adventures this set offers. Here's a rundown on the 20 stories, which are contained on four single-sided discs:
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman and narrated by Wilson. Forest animals stop by a cave to warm up from the snow, but Bear just snores on. What will Bear do when he wakes up to a lair full of noisy guests?
Bear Wants More, written and narrated by Karma Wilson, is illustrated by Jane Chapman again. In this installment, springtime comes and Bear wakes up very hungry. His friends help him find good things to eat, but he still wants more.
Henry Hikes to Fitchburg is written and illustrated by D.B. Johnson, with narration by James Naughton. Two friends decide to meet in a town 30 miles away. Each elects to get there in his own way, and the two have surprisingly different days.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears, written and illustrated by James Marshall and narrated by Joyce Ebert, offers a new take on the old fable. While a charming family of brown bears is out on a bicycling trip, a naughty little girl makes a mess in their home.
Panama is written and illustrated by Janosch, and narrated by Judy Duris. A little bear and a little tiger abandon their happy home in search of Panama, "the land of their dreams."
The Bear and the Fly by Paula Winter concerns a fly that enters through an open dinner and the bear family dinner that it turns into a mess.
Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Harry Bliss and narrated by Angus T. Jones, tells about a spider who's a lot like a normal kid. He goes to gym class and has Grandparents Day at school. But he also gets to spin sticky webs, take wind-catching lessons, and have a fly as a best friend.
