Providing a reasonably useful tool for learning American Sign Language (ASL), We Sign--Animals is hosted by Ann Marie, who instructs viewers on the basics of ASL--finger-spelling, placement of hands, and facial expressions--before presenting animal-related and other words (over one hundred) embedded in more than a half dozen songs. Demonstrating words only once, after which the audience is "ready" to sign along with her, Ann Marie lip-synchs along with generic-sounding renditions of classics such as "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," "The Bear Went Over the Mountain," "Froggy Went A-Courtin'," as well as some original songs. Unfortunately, the front and back video box art featuring smiling children is quite misleading--although the program includes stills of kids, no actual children perform any of the signs. Still, this is recommended for libraries looking for a comprehensive series of children's ASL videos, rather than single volume programs such as Talking Hands: A Sign Language Video for Children (VL-7/01). Other titles in the We Sign series include: American Patriotic Songs, Rhymes, ABC, Colors and Numbers. Aud: E, P. (J. Williams)
We Sign--Animals
(2001) 30 min. $14.95. Production Associates. PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-887120-61-0. Volume 17, Issue 5
We Sign--Animals
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