Chrysanthemum...and more mouse mayhem
A Read-Along DVD Compilation by Scholastic Storybook Treasures
Kevin Henkes has long been a family favorite. A cousin-bestowed copy of Sheila Rae’s Peppermint Stick continues to be revisited time and time again. (Tales of “just desserts” tend to be well-received in our home.)
So when we received a review copy of Chrysanthemum, a video interpretation (accomplished by the incomparable team at Weston Woods) of our formerly page-bound and beloved acquaintance, we were thrilled. Without reading the box first, we immediately inserted the disc to view the story of our florally-named heroine. Within moments, I was in abject awe of the skilled and sensitive narration….so much so that I went and politely extracted the DVD case from my son who was happily clutching our newly acquired entertainment’s container. Surprise, surprise! No wonder the voice-over was superlative…’twas none other than Academy Award winner, Meryl Streep!
Hands down, of the six mouse tales on the DVD, our unanimous favorite was Chrysanthemum. For me, the second place finisher was Kevin Henkes’ Owen (narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker). Darren and Sarah both liked the third Henkes story on the DVD A Weekend with Wendell (narrated by Mary Beth Hurt) as their red-ribbon pick.
Sarah enjoyed the live action Mouse Around; Darren liked the animated Hondo and Fabian. None of us particularly cared for the fourth selection on the DVD, The Caterpillar and the Polliwog. Sarah hit the nail on the head when she said, “That caterpillar is just way too gloat-y.” (Although it does provide a good reference for future parental correction…)
For those of us with readers – or ready-to-readers – in house, the “read-along” function is very parent pleasing idea. The DVD defaults to a captioned state upon inserting in the player. My parental pleasure at the reaffirmation of reading skills aside, I’d be lying if I said my kids didn’t find it distracting…and they openly declared it so. The artwork is so compelling and the way the illustrations have been enlivened with motion, to the kids’ view, the lower-thirded words “are in the way.” In all honesty, I tend to agree. Thankfully, the function is one that can be turned on and off, so as our reading skills develop, I do plan to turn off the audio, and let our kids try to read to picture. (And when they do, no doubt they will mimic Ms. Streep’s inflection. How we love a “great example!”) Two of the stories, Owen and The Caterpillar and the Polliwog, are also included in a Spanish version…a definite plus.
Real-World Rating: 4.0 stars (out of five)
(*Be sure to scroll down for our exclusive interview with Caldecott Award winning author/illustrator, Kevin Henkes!)
LIKE CHRYSANTHEMUM, KEVIN HENKES BLOOMS!
He's one of our family's favorite authors, and likely one of yours. Listen in on our exclusive chat with the amazing Kevin Henkes!
We think your books are inspirational! What authors/illustrators inspired you when you were a child?
William Steig (Sylvester and the Magic Pebble) was a favorite of mine, as were Crockett Johnson (Harold and the Purple Crayon), Garth Williams (illustrator of the Little House books and Charlotte's Web) and Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are).
Whose work do you currently admire?
There are so many. I look forward to each new book by Jon Agee and Lynne Rae Perkins. James Marshall is a favorite of mine, too. I love his sense of humor.
All of your characters are so very “real” amidst very “real” situations that kids confront daily. Where have you and how have you come up with the characters that populate your books?
Creativity is difficult to understand, much less describe. I'm not sure how my characters come to me. I do know that I'm an observer. "Watching life" can provide for some good ideas for books.
Is there any one character you've created with whom you particularly connect? Why?
I suppose I connect most strongly with my character Wemberley -- I'm a worrier.
We’ve been fortunate to see your books “come to life” in DVD form! Can you talk a bit about how that feels as the creator of "still" images?
I'm very fond of the Weston Woods productions of my picture books. I love books most of all, but it's been a big thrill for me to experience the music, the voices, and the moving images of the DVDs. The quality of the narrators has been particularly superb.
What is your fondest hope for your books/what do you want them to achieve?
I hope that my books are read and shared and loved. To know that a child really connected with one of my books is the most one could ask for.
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c. 2008, Cheryl Lage with Kevin Henkes for BabyTV
Filed under: Meryl Streep, Liner Notes, Kevin Henkes, NewKideo, A Weekend with Wendell, 4 stars, Sarah Jessica Parker, Scholastic Storybook Treasures, Owen, Caldecott Award, Cheryl Lage, Chrysanthemum, Mary Beth Hurt, DVD review, The Caterpillar and the Polliwog, Hondo and Fabian, Mouse Around
Electric Storyland!
By: The Sippy Cups
Real-World Rating: 4.5 stars (out of five)
True confessions: We’re not a family that takes our listening lightly. [Daddy plays bass in a band, daughter Sarah has Roger Daltrey’s photo---the fringed jacket era---over her bed and son Darren believes Keith Moon’s drum skills are superior to those of Ringo Starr. Seriously, we’re a tough sell.]
Thankfully, we're sold. “Electric Storyland!” is fantastic!
After some very brief single-song plays in the car around town, we put the CD to the toughest test a family of four can: a road trip. Thanks to weekend traffic heading into Washington D.C., we discovered the ideal way to appreciate “Electric Storyland!” is in its entirety, from the first cut to the last----and repeated!
Pinpointing the musical influences and appreciating The Sippy Cups’ skillful assimilation and evolution thereof has been a musical blast…and history lesson! We all love the psychedelically groovy lilt of “Drinking from the Sky,” the Matt Helm/Austin Powers go-go club dance beat of “Use Your Words,” the Johnny and June Carter Cash locomotive drive of “Little Puffer,” and the ethereal Pink Floyd-evoking “I am a Robot.” The between song banter is kept entertaining (especially bearing kid-humor in mind) and suitably brief. The song lyrics aren’t “dumbed down” for the age of the audience; refreshingly, they’re intelligent and provide welcome windows to define new vocabulary for the sponge-like listeners. [e.g. biodiesel, feng shui, chakras…]
The tantalizing full-spectrum artwork on the recording’s case and song book insert provide an eye-pleasing complement to the breadth of musical stylings (and marvelous messages) inside.
“Electric Storyland!” is a thrilling find---one we plan on listening to for a long time.
Daddy’s choice: “I am a Robot”
(*Daddy was the least-impressed with the CD, hence our subtraction of a half-star)
Mommy’s fave: “Springtime Fantastic”
Darren’s top track: “Use Your Words”
Sarah’s selection: “Little House of Jello”
