Animal Antics; Little Letters On The Loose

Both of these truly refreshing children's programs combine witty scripts with a wide array of formats to present pre-school information on the subjects of the alphabet and animals. In Animal Antics, children are treated to a superb singing puppet show called "Animals Rappin"' which features delightful lyrics ("I'm a pig with a turned-up nose/Who slops in mud without his clothes"). In addition, there's an excellent claymation segment, an imaginative live-action episode in which a dancer acts out particular animals, and a visit to the San Diego Zoo. In Little Letters on the Loose, a puppet "saleschicken" does a commercial for "Hearty Chicken", an alphabet soup with bizarre ingredients. There's also a fine rendition of Shirley Simon and Dora Leder's "Get Lost, Becka!" picture book (the book is included), and a wonderful description of the letter "O" by an octopus. Both of the programs have strong production values that are matched by the educational/entertainment value of the segments. Highly recommended. (Other titles in the series are: Shipshape Shapes, Alphabet Uppercase, Crazy About Colors, and Numbers 1-10.) (Available from: Baker & Taylor, 501 S. Gladiolus, Momence, IL 60954.)