Penny Lee and Her TV

If you ignore the TV-bashing aspect of this iconographic animated adaptation of Glenn McCoy's 2002 picture book Penny Lee and Her TV (and, being a professional couch potato myself, I tried not to take this personally), then this tale of young Penny Lee, a channel-surfing sofa spud who has no friends (other than the tube), ignores her dog Mr. Barkley, and likes "every show on TV" is an amiable spoof. Life is fine and dandy for Penny Lee; her TV glows night and day, she's a master of the remote control, and even her dreams have their own commercial interruptions…until one fateful morning when she awakes to find the TV screen "dark…and cold." Forced to make a panic-ridden trip to the repair shop with Mr. Barkley, Penny Lee is distracted along the way by…the bright sun, kids playing, and kites flying, before ultimately ending up (you knew this was coming) at the library, where she and her dog read books to one another. I won't reveal the cute twist ending, but the underlying message of variety being the spice of life--especially for children unacquainted with the world outside the screen--is presented here in a humorous manner that won't insult the target audience (well, I wasn't insulted anyway). Recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Pitman)