Aesop's Shop

Created by and starring author, song writer, and Broadway performer Cy Young, Aesop's Shop is a half-hour children's television show that aims to encourage ethical thinking through exposure to Aesop's fables. The video I watched contained two episodes, "Belling the Cat" and "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," which both followed the same format: Mr. Aesop (Young) and a group of animal characters act out the tale and then have a brief discussion, followed by a lunch break (in which the animals essentially do vaudeville-type routines), and a question and answer period between Aesop and a studio audience concerning the "moral" of the tale. Unfortunately (on our copy), the sound was somewhat muffled and the whole shebang had the look of a local production that's not quite ready for prime-time. Well-meaning and mildly diverting, Aesop's Shop is simply not polished enough to compete with more upscale guidance videos for young children. Not recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Pitman)