It's Only Stanley

Narrated by actor George Newbern, this iconographic-animated adaptation of author and illustrator Jon Agee's 2015 picture book features realistic color backgrounds in a tale that takes place during a nocturnal disturbance at the Wimbledon house. When parental units Wilma and Walter wake up hearing strange sounds, Dad goes to checks things out, and is thankful that “it's only Stanley,” the family dog, doing mundane activities such as howling at the moon…and fixing the oil tank. As the night wears on, youngsters Wendy, Willie, Wanda, and Wylie are awakened by clanking, buzzing, and splashy noises, and they pile into the adults' bedroom, but each time Dad looks in on Stanley, he's busy fixing the TV or clearing the bathroom drain…or at least that's what it looks like. Viewers will certainly notice before the Wimbledons that Stanley is actually hard at work on a contraption that will send them all on an unexpected journey in this rhyming story that features a read-along option. Recommended. Aud: K, P. (J. Williams-Wood)