Gumbo Goes Downtown

Like Judy Garland, Gumbo the watchdog learns that "there's no place like home," in this enjoyable iconographic animated story based on the book Gumbo Goes Downtown, written by Carol Talley and illustrated by Itoko Maeno. Set in colorful New Orleans, the story opens with a depressed Gumbo being unable to scare up any kind of reaction to his bark from either a neighbor child or (shame of shames!) the mail deliverer. Since he figures he's not ­really needed by his owner, Gumbo takes off downtown where he meets Pompon, a French Poodle from, naturally enough, the French Quarter; Champion Stella de Chateau Blanc, a show dog; and Cat, a Catahoula hound, who teaches Gumbo the importance of being a watchdog. Viewers will pick up a little New Orleans culture, learn a lesson about the importance of home, and get a real treat in listening to Bob Walkenhorst's superb Southern-flavored narration. Recommended for larger children's collections, this is from the same company that produced Kiki and the Cuckoo (reviewed in our July-August 1993 issue). (R. Pitman)