Not Now! Said The Cow

Based on the book by Joanne Oppenheim, "Not Now!" Said the Cow" mixes animation with live-action animal shots to tell the story of Crow. When Crow asks for help planting corn, he is rebuffed by the Cow. In each successive stage of the harvesting process (pulling weeds, picking the corn, shelling the ears, etc.), the Sheep, Chicks, Donkey, Bunny, Hog, Cat, and Mare all decline to aid Crow. The upshot is that come chow down time, Crow doesn't share his popped corn with anyone. The story is repeated in its entirety with subtitles, encouraging children to read along with the story. For younger children, this would be an enjoyable program. Unfortunately, the tape is recorded in the long-play EP mode--meaning VCR tracking adjustments and occasional audio dropouts. What's worse is that unlike similar product, there is no statement on the box which alerts viewers to this fact. In industry lingo, this is not "quality product;" therefore it doesn't belong in a quality children's video collection. Not recommended. (Available from: Best Film & Video, 98 Mill Cutter Road, Great Neck, NY 11201; 1-800-527-2189.)