In Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, the letters of the alphabet have a race up and down a coconut tree, with comical results. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Faced with a series of perplexing problems, two creative-minded wooden dolls use a set of wooden blocks to get the answers they're looking for while accompanied by music composed entirely on wooden instruments. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A boy who has grown tired of cleaning up his messy room decides to look for a new home rather than tidying up in this adaptation of the children's book by author Jack Kent. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The Caterpillar and the Polliwog finds two animals puzzling over the changes they go through as they grow up. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Pete Seeger's tale of a vain bullfrog comes to life on the screen in this animated adaptation of the popular American folk-song. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Mr. Gilly revels in the joys of collecting the trash in Trashy Town. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
A clumsy fox can't quite catch an unsuspecting hen on this fun-filled walk through the farm.
A story from children's author Kevin Henkes -- whose tales, illustrated with sketches of friendly mice, offer gentle but important lessons about understanding others and yourself -- comes to life in this animated video. Chrysanthemum tells the story of a little girl with a very big name; she wonders if her name might be more trouble than it's worth until she learns more about the flower she was named for. Meryl Streep serves as narrator. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
A story from children's author Kevin Henkes -- whose tales, illustrated with sketches of friendly mice, offer gentle, but important, lessons about understanding others and yourself -- comes to life in this animated video. In A Weekend With Wendell, a little girl learns how to deal with an especially self-centered little boy. Mary Beth Hurt serves as narrator. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Monty the alligator taxi always does his best to get the children to school on time, but when their back-seat driving proves a bit too much to take, the put-upon reptile decides to take a long-overdue vacation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A story from children's author Kevin Henkes -- whose tales, illustrated with sketches of friendly mice, offer gentle, but important, lessons about understanding others and yourself -- comes to life in this animated video. In Owen, a boy has to face giving up the security blanket that's been his constant companion for years. Sarah Jessica Parker narrates. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
When a tiny mouse vanishes while heading out for a fun day with his family, the fun and games come to a brief halt in this adaptation of author Emily Arnold McCully's popular children's book. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Discontent with being a tiny rodent, a mouse visits a powerful wizard hoping that he can be transformed into "something else" in this adaptation of a children's book by Jack Kent. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Charlie's old cloak has seen better days, and now that it's time to make a new one, what better opportunity to learn how cloth is made out of wool? ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A country cow with beg city dreams sails down one of Holland's most beautiful canals in this adaptation of the children's book by author Phyllis Krasilovsky. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
As Porker and Curleytail's wedding gets underway, the guests all have a great time despite the threat of rain. Later, when the creative-thinking hosts mix some colorful paint with some vivid imagination, things really start to get interesting. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Corduroy the teddy bear might be brand new, but he's scared that everyone will mistake him for used because he's missing a button. When the department store lights are turned off, the lovable stuffed animal launches a tireless search for the button that will let everyone know he's still in search of a good home. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
When a menacing feline shadow falls over a serine settlement of peace-loving mice, things start to get a little tense among the rodents in this adaptation of the children's book by authors Frank Asch and Vladamir Vagin. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A married couple finds 12 Rainbabies living in a raindrop. Since they have no children of their own, the couple tries to help the youngsters face the many challenges that come their way. The Rainbabies grow frightened after their boat capsizes and a lightning storm sweeps the sky. Their lives are further threatened when a weasel tries to eat one of them. The characters are based on those found in Laura Krauss Melmed's book. ~ Elizabeth Smith, Rovi
When one boy calls "Yo!" and the other answers "Yes?" two lonely children strike up a fast friendship on the basketball court in this adaptation of the children's book by author Chris Raschka. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Cat’s best friend is the canary in his apartment. Once their owner has gone out, Cat lets Canary out of his cage and they go up onto the roof together. Cat wishes he could fly, like all the birds around him, and when he finds a kite tangled in an aerial, it is too much of a temptation. But the kite carries him much too high and much too far, and Canary needs to marshall a crowd of feathered friends to tow the kite home. But Cat isn’t the least bit deterred: “Tomorrow, we can go to the land beyond the river, and still be back for tea!”
When Flossy Finley is approached by a wily fox on her journey to deliver a basket of eggs, she demands that the beast prove he is truly what he says before she allows herself to be truly frightened. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A young boy who closely resembles a shark uses his looks to scare away all of the swimmers at Caramel Cove, only to find his plan for privacy backfiring when a lonely female shark swims by in search of some male companionship. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
The lion at the little French zoo is a favorite of all the townspeople. Every day they stop by to feed him tidbits and say, “Bonjour, Happy Lion.” Naturally, when the lion finds his door open, he decides it would only be proper to visit all his friendly neighbors in return. But, wait—sacré bleu! Why is everyone fleeing in terror?
As a friendly zookeeper makes his evening rounds, a mischievous gorilla follows behind freeing all of the fun-loving creatures. But a zookeepers home is no place for giraffes, elephants, and lions, so when the zookeeper's wife says goodnight she receives a most unexpected surprise. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
When a gentle bear learns that he shares a birthday with the moon, he buys his celestial friend a very special birthday gift. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Adapted from the timeless children's book by author Jane Yolen, How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night proves that even the mightiest of creatures can fuss and fight when it's time to turn out the lights and go to bed. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
When Patrick picks up his fiddle, the entire countryside starts dancing in this adaptation of author Quentin Blake's playful children's book. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A poor man finds his luck suddenly changing for the better when he comes into possession of a most unusual top hat as author Tomi Ungerer's imaginative children's book comes to life on the small screen. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Even fleas get an itch now and then, and when a tiny little insect starts to scratch, the vibrations rouse more than a few slumbering critters - and perhaps even a human or two - in this playful adaptation of the children's book by Audrey Wood. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker narrates this adaptation of Dav Pilkey's popular children's book about a newspaper delivery boy and the trusted canine companion that helps to ensure that all the locals have their morning paper by the time the sun rises and the coffee is brewed. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Harold and the Purple Crayon is the original tale of Harold and the worlds he discovers by drawing moonlit paths with the help of his purple crayon and vivid imagination. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
A Picture for Harold's Room concerns Harold's decision to draw a picture on his wall, and the predicament he falls into once he discovers that his size changes in proportion to the worlds he has created. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
Through lively folk verse and glorious woodcut illustrations, Barbara Emberley and Ed Emberley describe how an elaborate cannon is put together piece by piece and finally fired off. Corporal Farrell brings the barrel, Sergeant Chowder supplies the powder, and General Border gives the order — but it's Drummer Hoff who finally fires off the cannon and explodes the story into a blast of brilliant colors.
In Harold's Fairy Tale, Harold draws a castle he can enter in order to ask the king a very important question. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi
Auntie tries everything she can think of to make the baby smile.
t's Louis's birthday and Uncle McAllister has brought him a very special gift&150a tadpole all the way from Scotland! Louis can hardly wait for Alphonse to grow into a frog. But it soon becomes clear that Alphonse is not turning into any ordinary frog. First Alphonse outgrows his jar, then the sink, and then the bathtub! This new edition of The Mysterious Tadpole boasts reimagined story twists and entirely new illustrations. The lovable giant of a tadpole has grown into something even more wonderful!
One day Angus discovered that he couldn't be curious any longer about the same places and the same things. So he went down the path to the gate and through the gate and followed another dog to find other places and other things.
Emergency! At the sound of the alarm bell, Dot the fire dog and her firefighter friends know exactly what to do. Within minutes, their fire truck races out of the station. They're off to rescue people -- and animals -- who need their help.
Every kid wants one, but few are as persistent and inventive about getting one or a substitute for one as little May. It seems to little May that everybody has a dog except her. She tries everything, even bringing one home, with no success. Then one day she accidentally discovers that a rollerskate can act like a dog, almost, so she works at acquiring the technical skill that will change it into one, almost. She leads it, walks it at first timidly, then boldly ties it up outside stores, takes it all the places a dog can go. In fact, she starts quite a fad on her street of rollerskate walking.
The popular hero of Harry the Dirty Dog does his best to be rid of Grandmother's birthday present: a silly green sweater with yellow roses on it. After being laughed at and barked at, Harry decides to lose the sweater.
Officer Buckle's safety presentation at Napville Elementary School is always ignored. It's so dull, in fact, that it puts audiences to sleep. Z Z Z z z z z... But soon, children are paying attention...to Officer Buckle's new police dog, Gloria, who stands behind him, impishly miming the dire consequences and accidents involved in not using one's head. Buckle is surprised to see the children suddenly so attentive, even applauding and laughing, and each time he checks on Gloria, she is sitting at attention. Humorous illustrations let readers know what Buckle does not realize: that Gloria is performing the children's socks off. That is until a news team videotapes Gloria's comedy routine. This sends Officer Buckle into a slump, deflated to learn that Gloria has been stealing the show. Gloria soon goes solo, and not only does she flop without him, but Napville Elementary has its biggest accident ever. It's apparent how much Officer Buckle and Gloria need each other, and before long, they are again a winning team. Rathmann's story of the importance of teamwork, along with her Caldecott Medal-winning illustrations, which have been created from a vibrant palette of cartoon art, make this book an appealing read aloud. Older readers will have their interest piqued by the many safety tips found on the endpapers, all hilariously illustrated with Gloria's antics.
A little girl with a newborn baby brother longs to have a child of her own, but wonders if she's ready for motherhood in this animated short narrated by Lynn Whitfield. Elizabeti's brother is so huggable and kissable that the young girl can't help but feel her motherly instincts take hold. But this is one girl who knows she's not be ready to have her own child just yet, so she adopts a tiny rock and names it Eva. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A little girl offers a playful summary of the three humans and five felines that reside in her family abode in this charming children's story told through the eyes of an imaginative child. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
An orphaned goose adopted by a family of woodchucks begins to feel like an outcast, but experiences a notable confidence booster when she realizes that she can fly by herself. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A little girl and an adorable bear cub set out to pick blueberries on a lovely Maine hillside, only to get mixed up with each other's mothers when the time comes to take the trip home. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Whenever Burt Dow, who lives in a snug little house on the Maine coast, sets out to sea, his pet giggling gull goes along. But this time, it will take all his might and some plain old ingenuity to save him and the gull from a raging storm.
Colonel Carter's marching band can't play a single note to save their lives, but Lentil and his harmonica might just be able to make sure there's still some music to keep the mood lively in this animated story adapted from the book by Robert McCloskey. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Take a virtual voyage to a picturesque Maine island as the sights and sounds of nature come magically to life in vivid watercolor. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
When Joseph's favorite overcoat starts getting all tattered and worn, it's time to think up a new use for the old garment. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Brilliant paintings illuminate this retelling of a popular Japanese folktale. Coveting a male mandarin duck for his plumage, a greedy lord captures and cages him — separating the duck from his mate. The kitchen maid releases the bird and is sentenced to death. How the grateful drake returns the kindness, and outsmarts the capricious lord, makes for a wondrous outcome.
Enchanted by the snow that blankets his city, an adventurous youngster rushes outside to build a snowman, make some snow angels, and rush down the hillside on his favorite sled. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Young Peter is preparing to have a birthday party, and when he heads out to the mailbox to send a special invitation to Amy, he experiences an extraordinary turn of events that leaves him feeling all mixed up. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A blind man and two boys living in the same inner-city building gain the understanding needed to look past their differences when the playful sounds of a harmonica begin echoing through the air. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Archie knows that his cat may have a shot at winning the neighborhood pet show, but when the wily feline goes missing it's up to the young boy and his faithful friends to track it down before the entry deadline has come and gone. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A little boy expecting a baby sister finds cause to panic when his cradle and crib are both painted pink. But while Peter's parents seem to have come down with a burning case of pink fever, there's no way he's letting them get anywhere near his favorite chair with their wet paintbrushes. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
After constructing a shoebox diorama of his old neighborhood, young Louie uses his rich imagination to take a nostalgic stroll down the streets he used to play on as a little boy. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
When a young boy discovers that by learning to whistle he can call his dog, he quickly determines to master the art of whistling and move one step closer towards adulthood. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Actors Jonathan Lipnicki and Diana Canova narrate this playful adaptation of Mike Thaler's children's book about a young boy preparing for his first day of school, and dreading the thought of coming face to face with his teacher Mrs. Green. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A young girl about to be gobbled up by a hungry cat, a restless witch, a horrible hobgoblin, and all of their frightful companions decides to play a mischievous trick on the nasty creatures who think she's a tasty treat in this adaptation of the children's book by author Caroline Stutson. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
His frightful scare tactics no longer effective on the unflappable Whittaker clan, a playful ghost embarks on a spirited search for a new house to haunt in this adaptation of author Robert Bright's popular children's book. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Despite their mother's warnings, three brothers go into the forest to play and encounter the witch-woman who eats little children.
Their vicious crime spree sparking terror into the hearts of peace-loving folks all across the countryside, three notorious criminals meet a charming young girl who playfully helps them learn the error of their wrongdoing ways. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
This story discusses children's bedtime fears when Mary Anne and Louie are afraid after Grandpa tells them a scary bedtime story. ~ Julie Clark, Rovi
No one quite knows why the old lady swallowed a fly, but in this animated children's tale viewers can find out just how much other interesting stuff the old lady can fit in her stomach. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Antarctic Antics features animated adaptations of that and six more children's stories. Among the celebrities who narrate these tales are John Lithgow, Diana Canova, and Laura Dern. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
Loathe to keep up on the housekeeping, quick thinking Lizzie Firkin sends her friend Robin Puckertucker to straighten-up a bit so she can perfect her dance moves. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Crystal Taliefero provides the music for this tale of beginnings, middles, and ends that follows an egg as it hatches into a caterpillar, and the caterpillar as it blossoms into a beautiful butterfly. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Adapted from the controversial children's book by author Maurice Sendak, this lighthearted fantasy follows the dreamy adventures of a young boy named Mickey as he discovers just how the local bakers prepare their delectable morning cakes. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Includes animated versions of Sendak favorites Chicken Soup With Rice, Alligators All Around, One Was Johnny, and Pierre. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Adapted from the timeless African folk-tale, this animated story follows Ananse the Spider Man as he ascends to the sky to purchase stories from the all knowledgeable Sky God. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Adapted from the popular children's book by Mwenye Hadithi and Adrienne Kennaway, this story tells how a friendly hippo promises not to eat the delicious fish that swim in his pond in exchange for being allowed to live in the water rather than on dry land. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
A young West African girl explains why the men in the village of Tos live in square houses, and the women live in round ones. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Masai actors in animal masks perform this traditional African folk tale about a rabbit that can't get into her house because of a creature known as the Long One rumored to eat trees and trample on elephants. Perhaps with a little assistance from the leopard, the rhino, and the elephant the desperate rabbit can be back in her home by sundown. James Earl Jones narrates. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi