Little Zoos: A Visit to the Animal Man

Bob Klein and his wife show their collection of exotic lizards to three young children, including their daughter. Despite the tape being professionally done, the dreaded home video feel creeps in at the very introduction (three of the five people stand uncomfortably before the camera, and the youngest child is most interested in clowning). Klein certainly knows what he's talking about, but his vocabulary is way too advanced for the young children with whom he's working. How many pre-schoolers will really understand his explanations of "convergent evolution" and a "prehensile tail"? The tape would have benefited from more close-ups of the animals themselves and fewer shots of the critters crawling on people. And while some close-ups capture the reptiles in their aquariums, they also sometimes capture reflections on the glass. Overall, the Dorling-Kindersley Reptile video (see Mammal in VL-11/96) has much better production values. This is a very optional purchase. Aud: E, I, P. (R. Reagan)