Davy Jones’ Locker

"I’ve heard of singing nuns, but reading pirates?" Aye, matey, and this is sure to warm the cockles of any landlubbin’ children’s librarian’s heart, not to mention laddies and lasses of just about any age. An innovative paean to the joys of reading, Davy Jones’ Locker features the Bil Baird Marionettes (seen in The Sound of Music) in a clever story about a young boy who, after suffering a bump to the head, dreams about a fantastic voyage on a pirate ship bound on a quest for the treasure in Davy Jones’ locker. Imagine the pirates’ surprise, when the young boy Joey (who’s elected to make the dive) returns with the rather disturbing news that the treasure consists of books. "Read it and reap," Davy Jones tells young Joey who passes the message along to the pirates, forcing the captain to ask that eternal existential question: "Are we pirates or bookworms?" How Joey manages to transform the bloodthirsty cutthroats into docile story hour listeners makes for a compelling program, and the magical puppetry and exquisite songs add considerably to the narrative charm of this award-winning film. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)