Ralph's World: Say Hello!

Hearing the intro song (“Ralph's World! Ralph's World! Ralph's World!”) inevitably conjures up images of Saturday Night Live's “Wayne's World,” with Wayne thrashing his guitar in his parents' Aurora basement. Also based in Illinois, Ralph Covert, a former rock musician with The Bad Examples, hopes to set a good example in children's music video with this production featuring songs from his critically-acclaimed CDs: Ralph's World, At the Bottom of the Sea, and Happy Lemons. While most of the songs are typical kiddie pop, a handful boast other influences--such as the bluegrass-flavored “Honey for the Bears,” and reggae-riffed “Clean-Up”--while “Four Little Duckies” teaches kids how to count to four in English, German, Spanish, and French. As is often the case, however, musical virtuosity doesn't necessarily translate into video magic. Here, while the sets are colorful, the local kid dancing cast detracts from rather than enhances the production: some girls overact as if they're Broadway bound, others can't follow the choreography, and a few look like they don't want to be there. Libraries in which Covert's CDs circulate well might wish to purchase, but others should consider this optional. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Reagan)