One of a series of videos and DVDs in the Scholastic Video Collection, Click, Clack, Moo Cows that Type features three animated stories based on classic storybooks by Doreen Cronin, Trinka Hakes Noble, and Helme Heine, and the common farm theme is a sure hit with the target audience.
The title story is an adaptation of the fabulous book, "Click, Clack, Moo Cows that Type". This story contains humor on different levels, tickling the funny bone of people of all ages. Older children and adults will enjoy the whole concept of free speech, while young kids will be delighted with the demands of the farm animals, the negotiations between the animals and the farmer, and the delightful story twist at the end. Cows get heard when they get their hooves on an old typewriter, and decide to use their typing skills to request electric blankets from the farmer. When the farmer doesn't comply, they protest by not producing milk! The hens get involved as well, and the frustrated farmer wonders what he will do without milk and eggs. Randy Travis is the narrator for this adorable tale.
"The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash" features a "backwards" story, recounted by a little girl who had a very eventful school field trip to the farm. This cute story will delight young viewers as the story unfolds, and they will receive a valuable lesson in sequencing at the same time. The third story, "The Pigs' Wedding", offers children a lesson in creative problem-solving as they follow the story of Porker and Curlytail's wedding. The guests are a little smelly, and efforts to get them clean and all dressed up for the big event result in a set of interesting problems.
Although clearly animated versions of the storybooks, the video keeps the "feel" of books intact — something that parents will certainly appreciate. Good children's books capture children's attention and offer kids the chance to view the world in different and creative ways, and the stories on this video do all of the above. Each story is available in print so that kids can delight in the rewards of reading a story and viewing its video adaptation in whichever order suits them best.
The DVD edition offers some nice extras. Two bonus stories, "The Cow Who Fell in the Canal" and "Charlie Needs a Cloak", are included on the DVD, as well as a Spanish version of the feature story. Read-along versions are ideal for developing young readers.
