Nighty Night

Watching this video the second time (with my eyelids propped open, like Malcolm McDowell's in A Clockwork Orange), I had to ask: did I fall asleep the first time because this "soothing bedtime video" successfully hooked me up with the Sandman through its gradual shift from showing footage of animals playing to footage of animals nodding off, accompanied by lite background music that slowly dropped in tempo? Or, was I just plain bored? Dunno. But on the second run-through, I noticed that a low-budget animated shot of a starry sky comprises the entire final five minutes. As an added bonus we're told that "studies say that listening to certain kinds of music may actually improve the development of children's intellectual skills" (a scientific urban myth that was effectively questioned and dismissed some time ago, but simply refuses to die), and that "this is the same kind of music your child will be drifting off to sleep with" (i.e., Mozart lite). In any case, given the fact that this type of program is really more likely to be purchased than borrowed, it's strictly an optional choice for public library collections. However, I am going to send this on to a colleague whom I admire and respect, Library Journal's John Berry, a self-professed insomniac. Sweet dreams, John boy. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)