The Toy Castle: Twinkle Twinkle

Created by Neil and Katherine Jeans, The Toy Castle series features live-action stories full of music and dance performed by members of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. “Only at night when your eyes are shut tight” do the toys in two real-life kids' toy castle come to life in the 12 stories compiled in Twinkle Twinkle, featuring dancers playing characters such as Ragdoll, Ballerina, China Doll, Strongman, Goblin, and the Mouse family. Each of the segments feature voiceover narration and voice actors who appear with the dancers, and while the candy-colored backdrops and over-the-top costumes and makeup are a bit gaudy, the exaggerated effect is perfect for the eight-and-under target audience, who will relate to the simple tales on topics such as staying up late (“Twinkle Twinkle”), reading a beloved book (“Again Please”), camping out (“Sky Show,” “Solo Sleep Out”), and fear of the dark (“Night Lights”). While not every youngster is destined for Julliard, the entertaining Twinkle Twinkle (featuring DVD extras such as dance step demos, as well as DVD-ROM-accessible puzzles, stories, and a coloring book) could inspire an early appreciation for the art of ballet. Highly recommended. [Note: also newly available in The Toy Castle series are Beautiful Ballerina and Birthday Bash.] Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)