Watch Kids' Reviews of
PICTURE BOOK CLASSICS

Mixed comments. One 5-year-old never took his eyes off the screen throughout the Little Red Lighthouse movie. Another liked it because, "It has a big bridge and I like big things." Andy and the Lion was a huge hit with one boy. "This moving is telling people about lighthouses and bridges but mostly about boats being aware of where they are going in the night. Also, the bridge and the lighthouse become friends." "The man with the keys is special because the lighthouse didn't have hands to turn itself on. So it needed the man."

These iconographic titles are very true to the original book, all of which are award-winning books with great stories. The images are clear but the viewer should be prepared that they are not full range animation. The Little Red Lighthouse is relevant to the New York area since the story takes place there. The narration by David de Vries is most enjoyable. He alters his voice when taking on the persona of boats and is particularly pleasing to the ear. In "Millions of Cats," we are immediately drawn into the story and wonder how it unfolds. The idea that the husband goes out of his way to find a cat purely for the purpose of pleasing his lonely wife, demonstrates how one human being is capable of providing comfort for another. In "Andy and the Lion," we celebrate a young boy's passion for reading. This story was written in 1938 which explains why the mention of joyfully killing a lion is mentioned. But, in today's culture, this practice isn't accepted. The yanking of a thorn from the lion's pay, with close ups of the lion and the frenzied background music may be a bit frightening for younger viewers. A 4 year old may not grasp the danger involved in helping a lion, so that fact needs to be explained. All three books were written at a time when either women were not allowed to work alongside men, or at a time when the issue of animal endangerment was not an issue. All three stories have the "read along" option which puts the words at the bottom of the screen.

Includes three shorts: The Little Red Lighthouse and the Great Gray Bridge. The importance of small things in a world dominated by great size is illustrated in this real life story about a lighthouse on the shores of the Hudson River. Millions of Cats - This is a classic story about a gentle old man who looks for one cat for his lonely wife and returns with "millions and billions and trillions of cats." Andy and the Lion - This charming film relates a tale about a friendship between a lion and a boy and the favors they exchange, with a happy ending for both.