Lost in the Woods: The Movie

A delightful film version of Carl Sams and Jean Stoick's bestselling children's book that adds catchy original music to excellent live-action nature footage and photographic stills, Lost in the Woods features good voice-work for the animal characters, cleverly edited to match the creatures' natural movements onscreen, and also includes songs (such as “The Signs of Spring,” sung by a Sinatra-esque tree frog) that teach young viewers about animal behavior and their environment. In this wonderful adaptation from filmmakers Laura and Robert Sams, lost raccoon Fernando Hernandafandavez—confused by the new signs of spring—luckily meets up with a grandmotherly and seasonal-wise box turtle named Shirley, and as the pair wander through the woods looking for Fernando's brother, Shirley shares a story about forest critters who come upon a small fawn alone and assume that it is lost (although the fawn assures them that its mother will return soon—as she does). DVD extras include a behind-the-scenes segment, an interactive game, and biographies of the filmmakers. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: K, E, P. (E. Gieschen)