The Ugly Duckling: Sing-Along-Tunes

Does Fodor know how to travel? Does Kovel know the price of old china? Does McNally give good directions? Well then, all things being equal, wouldn't you think a partnership between Hallmark Entertainment and Crayola (as in crayons) would make darn good kidvid? Well, I'm still scratching my head and wondering what went wrong. The Ugly Duckling: Sing-Along Tunes is a 22-minute assemblage from The Ugly Duckling (the movie), featuring the usual adorable sidekicks and lovable misfits tacked on to the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale. The songwriting here is run of the mill, the singing uninspired, and the animation mediocre--just like tons of other children's fare. I expected to be WOW-ed a little. My mistake. Powerhouse name recognition could generate interest but only libraries maintaining huge juvenile collections should consider. Aud: P. (N. Plympton)