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Story time with Philip and Mommy!: The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything (2023)
Wonderfully interactive!
This is a delightful book to read to youngsters during Halloween time. Author Linda Williams claimed this story to be an interactive one, engaging kids to stand up and act out the motions for each of the things that try to scare the Little Old Lady like the Shoes, the Pants, the Shirt etc. I like the part where the Pumpkin Head manages to scare the lady. The story is frightfully funny.
I especially liked how the book was brought to life for the Scholastic Storybook Treasures collection. This book and cartoon is a must-have for libraries and schools everywhere. I highly recommend teachers to encourage their students to take part in doing the motions in the story.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
A delightful Disney classic for Halloween, or any time the spirit gets you.
These two stories, Wind in the Willows and Legend of Sleepy Hollow, were also released separately as part of Disney's Timeless Tales video collection. I particularly remember Sleepy Hollow most. But I do also like that song from Mr. Toad, "Merrily on Our Way." There's an attraction at Disneyland based on that short film. I hope to go on that Mr. Toad ride if I went back to the park. As for the Sleepy Hollow story, I liked Bing Crosby's narration. He's a groovy guy and a good singer, very Devonaire. Sleepy Hollow is perfect for watching during Halloween season.
So weather it's Halloween or not, Ichabod and Mr. Toad is a favorite for all Disney fans. Just beware of the Headless Horseman!
Believe You Can... And You Can! (1983)
A vintage Disney special that introduces a revised section of Disneyland.
I first heard about this special on a Disney podcast called Window to the Magic. I was born in 1984 - one year after the special premiered. I always thought the Fantasyland area of Disneyland had always been the same, but I was wrong about it. I had no idea that attractions of Fantasyland closed one by one until the entire land was completely closed down for renovation. This old special introduced what Fantasyland would be like when it would reopen in 1983.
I like watching heather O'Rourke and Maury Amsterdam introducing the viewers to the new fantasy land section of Disneyland with its expanded attractions.. This vintage Disney special also showed viewers that if you can believe in wishes, anything can be possible.
Barbie and the Sensations: Rockin' Back to Earth (1987)
Barbie and her band come down to Earth...in a different time period!
If you enjoyed the original special with Barbie and the Rockers, you will enjoy this animated sequel. In this half hour special,
Barbie and her rock group have just finished performing a concert to the world from their space shuttle in outer space. They head back down to Earth when they go through a time warp and find themselves in 1959, the year the Barbie doll was introduced to the American market. They explore how things were like three decades ago and meet a young girl who they make friends with. One familiar song to listen to is "Do You Wanna Dance?" There are many versions of that song out there, so I've heard.
When Barbie and her group return to the present day and give another concert, the girl they've met from the past is still friends, now grown-up and with a daughter of her own. It's too bad though that the idea of a Barbie TV series didn't become possible. Jen and the Holograms were more popular then.
Barbie and the Rockers: Out of This World (1987)
Barbie and her band take their concerts to new heights!
It's not often I write reviews on IMDb on specials from past decades that would've otherwise had been lost media. I'm not quite fond of Barbie dolls or anything girly, but I found this vintage animated special interesting, especially since I'm a music lover.
Barbie and her rock band have just literally completed touring the whole world performing their music. What to do next? Barbie and her band decide to take their music to new heights...literally!
I don't think I've ever seen this cartoon when I was a child. This special, along with Barbie and the Sensations, would've made a kwazi TV series (13 episodes at the most) but it didn't really catch on. I guess viewers were more into Jem and the Holograms because they were so popular back then. The music for this Barbie special is still cool, and I'm sure there may have also been an LP or audio tape of the songs performed by Barbie and the Rockers.
Sesame Street: Slimey's World Games (1996)
An exciting competition to enjoy for worms and people of all ages and countries.
I remember first watching this classic Sesame Street episode almost 30 years ago, but little did I know that it would also become a home video release. And writing this review during the actual Summer Olympics is reasonable, not to mention coincidental.
Watch Oscar the Grouch's worm Slimy take part in the Worm Summer Games as he races, crawls and dives to victory. You won't believe the events he takes part in. And to find out how many goal medals he wins, you'll just have to watch these Worm Summer Games yourself.
This video also shows young viewers not to keep on trying your best, no matter what game you play. I was even moved by Oscar's message at the end of the video to keep trying.
Getting Ready to Read (1986)
A vintage Sesame Street video that teaches kids the concept of reading.
I checked out this vintage Sesame Street Home Video title from my local library years ago looking for something on teaching young generations about the fun of reading. This video fits the bill.
Big Bird, who runs his Reading Hotline, as well as some of the other characters show kids how reading and rhyming go well together. The concept of replacing the first letter of a word is a terrific way to teach kids about reading and rhyming as well as sounding out the parts of words. Some classic segments seen on the video include Ernie and Bert's rhyming game and the song, "Fat Cat."
Try looking for this vintage Sesame Street title on YouTube, or try looking for a video copy on eBay.
Shari Lewis Presents 101 Things for Kids to Do (1990)
An interactive home video with 101 activities for kids to try at home.
Shari Lewis, along with Lamb Chop, Charley Horse, and Hush Puppy, have 101 activities for kids to try doing at home. These include art crafts, magic tricks, games, riddles, and so much more. Kids at home will want to try doing them at home and share them with friends and family.
This home video may have been out of print for years now, and I don't think there's even a DVD release. I do remember seeing some of those activities on PBS's Lamb Chop's Play-Along. I'm grateful though to find the full video on YouTube not long ago.
So what do you say? Give these 101 things a try. Like Shari Lewis says, don't just watch them. Do them!
Disneyland: An Adventure in Color/Mathmagic Land (1961)
A very colorful Disney favorite from back in the days.
I remember watching this old episode from the Disneyland/Wonderful World of Color show. This vintage Disney favorite introduces Professor Ludwig Von Drake, voiced by Paul Frees and long before Corey Burton took over the role. Frees was known for many voiceover roles in his career, Disney and non-Disney. In the Disney community, and like you'd hear in the Mathemagicland portion, he also did the Spirit of Adventure. This was also before he would do dialogue for Disney park attractions like the Haunted Mansion and Adventure Through Innerspace.
I liked Professor Von Drake's lecture on the world of color, and the songs his performed. My favorite being "The Spectrum Song." Also in the same year the episode debuted, a Disneyland LP of Professor Ludwig Von Drake was released. I own that vintage Disney record on iTGunes in fact.
Mathematics and color go good together, don't you agree? An overall 10 is what I give this classic show.
Legends of the Hidden Temple (1993)
This classic Nickelodeon game show of the '90s is a legend in itself.
Double Dare may have been the first ever game show created for the first kids network and the most watched program in 1986, but this legendary game show which premiered in 1993 truly lives up to its name.
Olmec, the giant talking stone head, portrayed by Dee Bradley Baker, is the centerpiece of the entire show. He gives the legends about the lost artifacts the winning team gets to search for in an ancient looking Temple in each episode. My favorite round of the show is the Steps of Knowledge. I like watching the teams test their knowledge on the legends. But the Moat Crossing is more exciting to watch. You never know what the teams will use to get across that dangerous looking moat. And the Temple Games are even more entertaining when the two remaining teams test their speed and strength.
If there's one thing most fans of the Hidden Temple hated about the show and the freaked them out the most, it's those terrifying Temple Guards! The Temple Run, where the winning team gets the chance to run through Olmec's Temple to find the lost treasure, is got to be the most exciting part of each episode. You never know which rooms those Temple Guards would be hiding in, waiting to scare those adventuring kids out of their wits.
Another classic '90s Nick game show I also recommend that is just as exciting is Nickelodeon Guts.
Max & Ruby: Ruby's Easter Bonnet/Max's Easter Parade/Max & the Easter Bunny (2007)
All the stories in the episode are perfect for Easter time, especially with your two favorite sister and brother bunnies.
This is my favorite Easter based episode from any Nick Jr. TV show, or any other show I've ever seen. I like how all the stories center on the Easter theme. In the first, Ruby is trying to find things to decorate for Easter bonnet for a contest to make it look like spring while Max tries to get Froggy to do tricks. In the second story, Ruby and Louise are decorating Easter eggs, and Max plans an Easter parade of his own combining the eggs and his toys. In the third, Ruby and the other bunny scouts go hunting for Easter eggs in the park, and Max plays the part of the Easter bunny and continuously keeps hiding the eggs after the girls find them..
I give this Easter based episode of Max and Ruby a perfect 10 overall.
Max & Ruby: Max's Chocolate Chicken/Ruby's Beauty Shop/Max Drives Away (2002)
The bunnies go on an Easter egg hunt for the chance at getting a chocolate chicken.
I'd like to focus on the first story in this episode, especially since I'm writing this review on Easter. The first story, "Max's Chocolate Chicken," is fully based on the book of the same name. Max and Ruby go looking for Easter eggs in their backyard. Whoever finds the most eggs gets to take the chocolate chicken. Max has more difficulty looking for the eggs than Ruby does. But despite Ruby finding all of them, Max ends up getting the chocolate chicken for himself which Ruby wanted. In the end, Ruby instead finds where the chicken used to be, a chocolate duck.
In the other two stories, Ruby and Louise play beauty shop and Max rides away in his pedal car to Grandma's when Ruby refuses to let him eat ice cream for breakfast.
Baby's Nursery Rhymes (1992)
A delightful collection of nursery rhymes for the very young and the young at heart.
The songs heard on this video were performed by Phylicia Rashad, who is known to the general public as one of the cast members on The Cosby Show. She sang the nursery rhymes wonderfully. I remember watching this special on Disney Channel when I was a kid. Of course, there is a full album that coincides with the video. However, since the video was only half an hour long, not all the songs from the album were used. Some songs from the album I wish they could've used include "Ride a Cockhorse," "George Porgie," and "Pat-a-Cake." The animation provided with the rhymes was lovely.
Look for the Rhymin' Time album, and other children's albums from Lightyear Entertainment, on Spotify or wherever you stream music.
CBS Storybreak: How to Eat Fried Worms (1984)
What a bet Billy Forester makes!
I remember reading Thomas Rockwell's book when I was in elementary school, but I had no idea CBS would make it into an animated adaptation. After watching it, I really liked it just as much as the book. Billy Forester makes a bet with another boy, Alan, that he could eat a worm a day for fifteen days in a row. If he succeeded, he'd get fifty dollars for a minibike. For me, when it comes to eating worms, I'd prefer gummy worms. But nightcrawlers? Ugh! Not even boiled worms.
This episode from the CBS Storybreak anthology series is a must-see for all to enjoy. Look for this episode, and many others, on YouTube.
CBS Storybreak: Chocolate Fever (1985)
Henry Green is a chocolate freak!
I remember watching this episode when I was in elementary school, but I have never read the book during that time until about two years ago. The book, and this CBS Storybreak episode, shows us that sometimes too much of a good thing - or something that may seem good - can be not so good. That's what happens to a boy named Henry Green. He had eaten chocolate all his life when one day he breaks out in big brown spots. Henry tries to run away because of his diagnosis of chocolate fever. He soon learns that he must try to give up his love of chocolate and not consume it so often.
This is an enjoyable episode about eating, and don't be surprised if they decide to make Robert Kimmel Smith's book into a movie. Speaking of eating, I also recommend another CBS Storybreak episode you should watch - How to Eat Fried Worms. Look for them on YouTube.
People: A Musical Celebration (1995)
A wonderful special that shows how different people can unify to be as one whole world.
This animated special shows people how we humans are very much alike, despite the fact that they may fight sometimes. A girl named Cara, who has divorced parents, goes to New York to live with her grandfather. She learns from her grandfather that differences are all part of what makes people who they are. Some people live in one country, some live in another country. Some people eat one kind of food, some eat other food. People have different cultures and ethnicities and beliefs, but it's all part of what makes our world just what it is. Cara also thinks that that if all people were the same, there'd be no fighting.
I like the songs heard throughout the special because they illustrate how the different people around the world live out their customs . And the Aboriginal story told by James Earl Jones gives the example of how even if we do have a fight, we can still share the same land. So don't be afraid of what you, or other people, don't understand.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: 1525: Conflict (1983)
The final part of a lost week of Mister Rogers' programs from the Modern Era.
This is the episode from the lost week of neighborhood shows I remember most, particularly where Rogers uses a record player. It's amazing how LP record players are going back in style these days.
In Make-Believe, the neighbors invite the people of Southwood to a peace passing celebration. Lady Aberlin also helps Lady Elaine who is working on a TV program about peace. Lady Aberlin interviews some of the neighbors on what they think of peace. But the biggest part of all was seeing Southwood neighbor Keith David using some of the Factory pieces and imagination to assemble a record player - something the Make-Believe school needed.
What surprised me most about this episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is seeing an excerpt from The Holy Bible that is shown at the end. It was from Isaiah 2:4. Here's hoping the world will be at peace someday soon.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: 1524: Conflict (1983)
The 4th part of a lost week of Mister Rogers' programs from the Modern Era.
CCI want to focus on the Neighborhood of Make-Believe for this review. Lady Aberlin, Lady Elaine, and Bob Dog (as a peace delegation) go to Southwood to get the facts on what the neighbors there have been building with the parts they ordered from Corny's Factory. In Southwood Lady Elaine meets an old friend of hers, Betty Tempelton, who tells the Make-Believe neighbors that Southwood once had a war a long time back because of a misunderstanding. As soon as the peace soldiers return from their investigation in Southwood and report that they've been building a bridge, the king and the generals are relieved to hear the news. What's more, the Neighborhood of Make-Believe never had a war before and never will have to have one. King Friday was grateful at knowing that.
At the end of the episode, Rogers talks about the importance of rules for games like block building and marbles. Rogers is right. That could hurt if someone threw a block or a marble at someone else like a bomb, a bullet, or a missile. Let's all hope America and other countries will make the best rules to keep each other safe.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: 1523: Conflict (1983)
The 3rd part of a lost week of Mister Rogers' programs from the Modern Era.
In this episode from the lost week in the Modern Era, Rogers shows the viewers a braille writing machine. I am a blind person myself,and I am very experienced in writing with the Perkins Brailler myself. I am also a very proficient braille reader. The visit to the cave was interesting. Think how old cave drawings are now and what they told people. I also liked the musician who played the marimba and drums.
In Make-Believe, Lady Elaine still not willing to help in making bombs happened to know someone who lives in Southwood, who King Friday thinks is going to make war. Accompanied by Lady Aberlin, Lady Elaine decides to ask Miss Cow at the school at Someplace Else to find information on that Southwood neighbor. And with permission from Commander in Chief Friday and his generals, the two ladies plan to go along with Bob Dog (acting as a spy) to Southwood as a peace delegation and get all the details on what they're making with Corny's mysterious parts.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: 1522: Conflict (1983)
The 2nd part of a lost week of Mister Rogers' programs from the Modern Era.
In this second part of this lost week of shows, Rogers visits the US Mint in Phili to learn how coins are made for people to spend. But according to some research I did once, there is also another mint located in Denver, Colorado, as well as a couple of other places in the States. Rogers also said that he'd take the viewers to another US mint where paper money is made, but no arrangements have ever been made for that kind of visit. If you want to know how paper money is made, try looking on YouTube for a video on that.
In Make-Believe, King Friday thinks Southwood is going to have a war based on some mysterious parts that Cornflake S. Pecially had been manufacturing for them. The king thinks the pieces might be parts for making bombs, but there seems to be a big misunderstanding. Lady Elaine Fairchilde even refuses to help the neighbors assemble bombs. They ought to get the facts before doing something dramatic like that.
Rogers tells the viewers that there are different ways to deal with anger, even when there is war taking place somewhere in the world like right now.
Mister Rogers' Neighborhood: 1521: Conflict (1983)
The 1st part of a lost week of Mister Rogers' programs from the Modern Era.
I remember watching this particular week of Mister Rogers' show when it aired its last on PBS in April 1996. With the wars going now in Gaza and Israel, and another one going on between Ukraine and Russia, I feel this is the appropriate time to post reviews on these shows.
First off, I used to have one of those boxes like Rogers showed where you fit the shapes in the right holes when I was a child, only mine was of plastic and not wood. As for those coin banks Rogers' swim instructor displayed, they were neat. My favorite coin bank I've ever had was a Coca Cola can bank.
In Make-Believe, Prince Tuesday has been thinking about war. From what I heard, Fred Rogers was just a teenager when WWII took place, particularly when Pearl Harbor got bombed by the Japanese in 1941. As for what King Friday said, I agree. There are other (nonviolent) ways to resolve difficult issues. Let's hope America won't go to war again, and may there never be WWIII.
The Diary of Anne Frank (1967)
One of the most memorable film adaptations of a classic true story.
I remember first reading Anne Frank's diary 25 years ago when I was in my freshman year of high school. I also remember watching this version of the film adaptation back then. The story of Anne and her family who tried to hide from the German Nazis during the Holocaust is very intriguing and shows all the struggles Anne tried to get through. I also hope to watch the 1959 version. I also recommend the documentary, Remembering Anne Frank, which I've also seen. Anne's diary has been translated in many languages all over the world and should be read by anyone who wants to experience a real life person who tried to live through WWII.
The Sugarbowl: Arthur's First Sleepover/Arthur's New Years Eve (2020)
A true classic Arthur episode!
The new year has just begun, so I thought I'd write a review for one of the episodes of one of PBS's longest animated kid shows. I have never read the "Sleepover" book before I first saw the Arthur TV show back in 1996. And from what I found, PBS usually runs this episode on the last day of the year - December 31 - since the second story deals with New Year's Eve. That is, unless you choose to stream it on the Prime Video app with the PBS Kids add-on.
My favorite story was the "Sleepover" story. I got my chance to read the book version a few years after watching it. I give the episode as a whole a 10. This is a true classic. Don't be surprised if a UFO landed in your yard as you and your friends were having a sleepover.
Blue's Clues: Blue's Birthday (1998)
A favorite birthday themed episode for a popular Nick Jr. character.
I enjoyed this Blue's Clues birthday episode when I first watched it with my young friend 25 years ago. Of course, it would be years later when I checked out the VHS copy from my local library. I wish they could have released that version on DVD with the extended opening and closing. I wonder if Timely the clock might be friends with Tickety Tock. Many fans of the show should have no problem recognizing the celebs seen in Blue's birthday card like Gloria Estefan, Tia and Tamara, and even Rosie O'Donnell, who many Nickelodeon fans should know for her hosting the Kids Choice Awards for most of the '90s. My favorite part would have to be the "present time" segment of the episode. Many kids birthday parties should have something like that when it comes to birthday presents.
This is a classic Blue's Clues birthday episode, and there are a couple of other birthday related ones, but this episode takes the cake... so to speak.
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1985)
A classic special to watch as you ring in the new year.
First off, I remember first watching this Charlie Brown special on Disney Channel before 1995 began. Also, Charlie Brown is to read Tolstoy's novel, "War and Peace," during Christmas vacation. This is not really grade school material. It is more for college students. If I was assigned to read a lengthy novel during vacation taking a college course, I'd pick a Jules Verne novel like "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" or "Around the World in 80 Days." I also remember when this special ran on Nickelodeon at one time or another.
My favorite part of this Peanuts special is the musical chairs game. I always like to watch this special to ring in the new year, but I don't I'd want to read "War and Peace." It's too lengthy for me to read.