Juana la Iguana: El Barco Mágico

If this were pitched to Hollywood, the tag line would be: Treasure Island meets Barney...in Spanish. Siblings Ana and Paulo go to the beach with their parents and a plush green toy iguana named Juana, who magically transforms into a large talking, singing, wish-giving pal (I'm not sure if this actually constitutes copyright infringement, but it's close...). When Juana revamps a beached boat into a seafaring treasure ship, the trio set sail, eventually landing on an island where they learn that being environmentally responsible is good for the planet and take time to do nominal battle with a pirate. A few good songs and some fine puppetry (especially in a sea-creature orchestra extravaganza which owes more than a little to a similar sequence in The Little Mermaid) make this Spanish sing-a-long passable children's fare, and those libraries with a large Spanish-speaking patronage will want to consider. Optional. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)