The Toymaker's Workshop with Rick Hartman, Vol. 1

Rick Hartman's The Toymaker's Workshop teaches kids how to make simple folk toys from around the world in a few easy steps, using simple, everyday materials. Working in front of a small class of youngsters, the soft-spoken Hartman encourages his audience to explore their own creative variations as they're taught how to make: the Bullroarer, a mysterious noisemaking toy from Australia, using a tongue depressor and some string; an Indian puppet, created from a few blocks of wood and some ice cream spoons; and a Chinese pendulum toy. Fresh off The Tonight Show, Hartman celebrates the lost art of toy making, perhaps preserving cultural traditions in the process. [One important note: in all three demonstrations, an adult is needed to supervise and to pre-drill holes.] Recommended. Aud: E, P. (R. Ray)