Thank You, Meiling

Behavior-wise, Meiling is one ugly duckling. Impatient for her breakfast, the young Chinese duck wakes the Old One (elderly father of her mistress), hogs (to mix barnyard metaphors) the communal water bowl, grabs a butterfly her brother has his eye on, and generally fails to heed her mother's advice to stop and think of others. When Meiling accompanies the young boy Song Hai to the market to buy food and decorations for the imminent Moon Festival, she learns the importance of simple civility as she watches Song Hai help the oldest woman in the village across the street, and later share a lunch bun with a friend. Mixing computer animated enhancements with simple iconographic animation, Thank You, Meiling, written by Linda Talley and illustrated by Itoko Maeno, and featuring winning music from Bob Walkenhorst, offers a heartwarming lesson in manners. Another solid entry from the same creative team responsible for Gumbo Goes Downtown (VL-1/94) and Plato's Journey (VL-9/98), this is recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Pitman)