Ivor The Engine And The Elephants; Jimbo And The Jet Set, Vol. 1

Good iconographic animation highlights Oliver Postgate's Ivor the Engine and the Elephants, a winning story of railway life in the Welsh countryside. Ivor, the singing engine, is run by the intrepid conductor Edwin Jones, for the Merioneth and Llantisilly Rail Traction Company. One day, Ivor and Jones are literally stopped in their tracks when they discover that what looks to be a large boulder ahead is actually an elephant. An elephant with a bad foot. Edwin Jones' attempts to nurse the mammoth invalid back to health are richly infused with the droll sense of humor characteristic of British productions. When Alice (the elephant) gets back on her substantial feet, she goes on to win the sheep-dog trials, an unusual honor for a pachyderm. Children accustomed to the frenetic pace of modern television's brainless cartoon fare will probably find Ivor too slow for their tastes...but I hope not. Ivor is good family fun, a rarity in itself. Jimbo and the Jet Set, on the other hand, is more in keeping with today's fast-paced disposable cartoons. The 12 cartoons on the tape all offer bite-size entertainment concerning a pint-size jet named Jimbo. The main thrust of each story is the amiable bickering between the airport Chief and Jimbo. The Chief will often assign Jimbo a thankless task, and Jimbo will then turn it to his own advantage, occasionally embarrassing the Chief in the process. Written and produced by Peter Maddocks, the Jimbo cartoons are a little bit better than their American counterparts, but nothing to write home about. Ivor the Engine and the Elephants is recommended; Jimbo and the Jet Set is an optional purchase. (Available from: BFS Video, 350 Newkirk Road N., Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4C 3G7.)