Zoo Food With Grandpa Nature

Have you ever wondered exactly what is involved in the feeding of zoo animals? This video takes you on a musical journey through the Santa Barbara, CA zoo with the magically appearing-and-disappearing Grandpa Nature puppet, played by the many-voiced comedian Jonathan Winters, and four children of various ages and ethnic backgrounds. The five friends take a trip to the zoo kitchen and find out how to match meal with beast, and then proceed to feed a variety of animals, from lumbering elephants to scampering monkeys. Grandpa Nature, in keeping with what one would expect from the multi-talented Winters, appears in a variety of personas and voices, and leads the kids in various zoo-related songs. Alas! The concept is great, but the acting is not. Too, the puppet voice-overs were done after the video was shot, and the voice and mouth movement are often not in sync. Finally, although we see long montages of animal feedings, and the subsequent manure cleanup, we are given relatively little information -- not even the names of the animals are shown. It's disappointing to see a good idea poorly executed. Not recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (E. Gieschen)