Herman And Marguerite; Orange Cheeks; Six Stories About Little Heroes

Without piling on an embarrassment of adjectives ("Delightful! Superb! Inspiring!, etc.), we'll just say that Jay O'Callohan is a one-man cultural renaissance, point out that these tapes should be required viewing for all between the ages of five and ninety-five, and be done with it. Otherwise, we'd have to go on at length about Mr. Callohan's inventiveness, his dexterous control over both his illuminated (and illuminating) face, his obvious love for the language, and the fact that he tells such damn good stories! Herman and Marguerite is a howlingly funny, warm, and touching story about the friendship which binds a worm (Herman) and a caterpillar (Marguerite). Six Stories About Little Heroes contains: "The Bubble" (a king, caught in a bubble, calls on his knights to free him--which they attempt without success--until a little girl shows them the right approach), "Raisins" (a wondrous story about twin girls, who never grow tall, are unable to find employment, and create their own magical job), "Don't You Dare" (a short anecdote about a bossy sister and a daring brother), "Woe Is Me Bones" (in which a pair of bees unwittingly make their queen very happy), "The Boy Who Loved Frogs" (a boy, much inclined to mud, teaches frogs to sing), and "The Red Ball" (Marian's red ball becomes a close friend). Orange Cheeks is the story of Willie's trip to his grandmother's, how he almost gets in trouble, and learns a lesson about love in the process. All three tapes are highly recommended for all public and elementary school libraries. (Available from: Vineyard Video Productions, Elias Lane, West Tisbury, MA 02575. Libraries receive a 10% discount off the list price.)