Serious Farm

Farmer Fred is one serious steward of the land, a man who finds "nothing funny about corn," "no humor in tomatoes," and claims, "I never laugh at bell peppers." Unfortunately, the farm animals find their master to be a bit of the proverbial stick in the mud. Narrated by David Calabrese, this iconographic-animated adaptation of Tim Egan's winsome 2003 picture book follows the plight of the animals as they try to inject a little humor into their boss's life: a cow crows "cock-a-doodle-doo," the pigs bark like dogs ("that's more weird than funny," says Farmer Fred), and the gang even dresses up in the farmer's clothes for a laugh--all without success. After two weeks, the animals decide to leave their Gloomy Gus overseer and head for grinner pastures, so to speak--an exodus that first sparks concern and then smiles in Farmer Fred, leading to a happy resolution. A deadpan funny reminder of how important a modicum of levity is to mental health, this is recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Pitman)