by Maurice Sendak
New York: Harper Collins, 1967
69 pp.
Age: 4 +
Interests: dogs, adventure, theatre
Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must be More to Life
13 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+ Tags: adventure, dogs, theatre
The Adventures of the Dish and the Spoon
02 May 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 5+ Tags: action, crime, romance, theatre
GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER – 2007
Mini Grey
New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2006
30 pp
Ages:5 +
Interests: nursery rhymes updated, crime and punishment, love stories
Shakespeare’s Theatre
21 Apr 2011 Leave a comment
in Books Tags: British history, history, London, theatre
GREENAWAY MEDAL WINNER – 1964
C. Walter Hodges, author and illustrator
London: Oxford University Press, 1964
102 pp
Ages: 10 + (?)
Interests: drama, theatre history, British history, Shakespeare, London
Dumbo (1941)
08 Apr 2011 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 4+ Tags: animals, circus, clowns, elephants, family, single parent, theatre
Rated: G
Length: 64 min.
Age: 4 Commonsense Media sez: 6 +
Scary Factor: the sight of the elephants crashing down from their pyramid was more alarming than funny; also Dumbo has to jump from a great height in the clown act and is scared; hallucination scene is just weird enough to freak out some young viewers
Intense scenes: the scene in which Dumbo is separated from his mother is heart-wrenching; the other animals mock Dumbo, and he feels bad, though he does get the last laugh in the end
Also: the general tone of the whole film is rather depressing. Especially scene in which he visits mom in ‘jail’ – very sad! And some parents may not like the boozing and hallucinations so much… (see full review)
Interests: circus, elephants
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
14 Mar 2011 Leave a comment
in Books, books 4+ Tags: animals, nature, penguins, pets, theatre
A NEWBERY HONOR BOOK
Richard & Florence Atwater, authors
Robert Lawson, illustrator
Boston : Little, Brown and Co., 1938
138 pp
ages 4 and up (chapter book to read aloud)
Interests: penguins, antarctic
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935)
11 Mar 2011 Leave a comment
in Introduction to..., Movies, movies 3+, Old Movies, Shakespeare Tags: fairies, Magic, poetry, romance, spirits, theatre
Black & White
Rating: USA: Approved
Length: 133 min – other versions: 117 min (edited version), 142 min (with overture and exit music)
Age: suitable for 3, but for plot comprehension 4 or 5
Scary Factor: Oberon in black and his bat-people minions are a little unnerving, particularly when they seem to be rounding up the beautiful fairies at the end. Other than that there’s nothing violent or threatening. Viewers may wonder about the small orphan boy fought over by Oberon and Titania, but the toddler keeps smiling whether he’s with one or the other and seems to be treated well, so it shouldn’t be an issue. (He weeps only when Titania ignores him during her fascination with Bottom.)
Interests: magic, fairies, Shakespeare, old movies
Next: MOVIE: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999) is more for 12+ crowd (PG-13); BOOKS: traditional fairy tales, Peter Pan, Tales from Shakespeare by Charles & Mary Lamb, Shakespeare’s The Tempest (in a picture book version)
Preparation: picture books or other abridged versions of the Midsummer Night’s Dream story – helpful to know the plot first!
Pinocchio (1940)
04 Mar 2011 Leave a comment
in Movies, movies 5+ Tags: adventure, fairies, Fairy Tale, insects, Magic, ocean, puppets, single parent, theatre, toys, whales
Rated: G
Length: 88 min.
Age: 5 and up Commonsense Media sez: 6 +
Scary Factor: Stromboli character waving an axe and threatening; young Lampwick’s terror as he turns into a donkey; Coachman herding the donkey-boys with a whip; enormous whale Monstro chasing them at the end
Also: scenes with alcohol and smoking are too numerous to mention; some leering and mild sexual innuendo from lady’s man Jiminy; character playing with fire; wanton destruction
Intense: some children may have trouble with Pinocchio’s ‘death’ near the end, but keep them watching because he isn’t dead for long!
Language: “Give a bad boy enough rope and he’ll soon make a jackass of himself!”
Interests: fairy tales, fairies, magic, puppets, insects, ocean, whales
Next: Dumbo (also astonishingly not-politically-correct)
Rarest Kind of Best 