Hey, Al

"Look at this dump," says Eddie, a dog who lives with his buddy Al in a rundown West Side Manhattan walk-up, "pigeons live better than us." Poor Al and Eddie--always working, always struggling, never getting a break…until, that is, a very large, colorful bird sticks its beak into their tenement window, and makes them an offer they can't refuse: an invitation to a marvelous vacationland. Narrated by Jim Brownold, this enhanced iconographic animated adaptation of Arthur Yorinks' 1986 Caldecott Honor award-winning picture book (illustrated by Richard Egielski), follows the pair's journey to an island in the sky, filled with lush trees, rolling hills, and cascading waterfalls, where the birds sing all day and regale their guests with scrumptious food. Appearances are deceiving, however, as the working class stiffs discover in this moral fable that takes its cue from one of Pinocchio's adventures, reminding us that the grass is not always greener on the other side, and that "paradise lost is sometimes heaven found." Colorful, charming, and mildly instructive, this is recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Pitman)