Windy Day — Short from John and Faith Hubley

Posted on January 30, 2009 at 11:12 am

Writing about the original version of “The Electric Company” reminded me of one of my all-time favorite short films by John and Faith Hubley, who later went on to work on the “Letterman” segments of that show. It is the story of two little girls playing and it is called “Windy Day.”
When the Hubleys began making films, animation was very structured and scripted. Their great innovation was the use of improvised dialogue and impressionistic images and the result was fresh, natural, innovative, and remarkably touching. In “Windy Day,” the dialogue is the private conversation of the Hubley daughters as they were playing. I first saw and loved it when I was just past the ages of those girls myself, and I thought of it often as I listened in on my own children at play.

The Hubleys created many more wonderful films, including “Everybody Rides the Carousel,” based on the work of Erik Erikson about the psychological stages of development, and “The Hat” about two border guards (played by Dudley Moore and Dizzy Gillespie) who argue over what they should do when one’s hat blows into the other’s territory.

Return of ”The Electric Company’

Posted on January 27, 2009 at 4:00 pm

Hey you guys! The classic 1970’s show The Electric Company taught a generation of kids how to take the letters they learned on “Sesame Street” and turn them into words and sentences. The superstar cast included Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno, and Bill Cosby. Zero Mostel, Joan Rivers and Gene Wilder worked with animation pioneers John and Faith Hubley on the “Letterman” segments.

Now endearingly retro, the original disco-era series is available on DVD. And it has just been updated with a whole new series featuring beat-boxers, hip-hoppers, and record-scratchers, but still teaching kids about the power of the “silent e.” It also has some very good lessons about problem-solving and asking questions to discover the truth. In this version, The Electric Company is a group of people with special word skills who work together to foil a group of mischief-makers called the Pranksters. No Broadway or television stars in the cast, but it does have some Tony-award talent behind the scenes and some guest appearances by kid-friendly celebrities like Tiki Barber. It’s aimed at children from 6-9 and its bright, bouncy, and colorful characters and situations will keep them entertained and inspired about the power of words. And they still yell, “Hey, you GUUUUYYYYS!”

Make Em Laugh — The (Very Funny) History of Comedy

Posted on January 25, 2009 at 3:48 pm

There is no better way to strengthen family connections than combining shared laughter and history. So every family should make time to watch the hilarious new PBS series “Make Em Laugh,” the history of comedy on television and in the movies in the United States, from the silent era to Jon Stewart, with current comedians commenting on their inspirations and influences. Episodes on slapstick, satire, pushing the limits, and verbal humor are on the schedule (NOTE: some mature material)

Middle School Confidential: Be Confident in Who You Are

Posted on January 25, 2009 at 8:00 am

Most adults still shiver a little when the subject of middle school comes up. It is a time of the most polarizing extremes as we first begin to question everything we have been told and everything we thought we knew on our path toward becoming our true and individual selves. This new book is a welcome guide for kids from ages 11-14 by Annie Fox, an online adviser at The Insite.

I like the way she makes it clear up front that there is no one way to be and no one right answer by focusing not on one generic kid or on a lot of generalized rules but creating six different characters to illustrate different situations and responses. Since middle school is a time of a lot of internal and peer-imposed stress about conformity, she begins by talking about teasing and bullies and gets to an important question right away: “If nobody teased you, would you totally accept yourself the way you are?” This lets kids know right away that they need to think about the extent to which their anxieties are based on what goes on inside their own heads and not in what someone else said about them.

The book has comments from real-life kids about their problems and how they deal with them and helpful suggested scenarios and resources. It covers dealing with self-esteem and anger problems, empathy, kindness, and problem-solving. Today’s middle schoolers will probably still shiver decades from now when they remember their tween years, but this book will help them get through a little more smoothly.

I have one copy to give away. The first person to send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with “middle school” in the subject line will get the book!

KidThing — Stories, Games, and Educational Content for Kids

Posted on January 17, 2009 at 8:00 am

Kidthing is a safe and secure place to find games and educational content for children.
Kidthing recently won The National Parenting Center’s 2009 Seal of Approval and has been selected to be the sole digital distribution partner for the National Education Association’s Read Across America 2008-09 resource calendar and guide. As part of this award-winning literacy program, Kidthing offers teachers a free digital download of select titles featured in NEA’s Read Across America calendar for use in the classroom each month.
It is is the first and only free digital media player made just for kids. It was created by parents to give kids a safe place to play and learn online away from web browsers and ads. After you download the free software you can select from an online store that has carefully selected and parent-approved digital animated books, interactive games, activities and videos. The downloads start at under a dollar and can be played even when the computer is not online. Kids can enjoy it away from home or in the car.
I was pleased to see that they now feature stories read aloud by Mrs. P, played by actress Kathy Kinney, who invites children to use their imaginations while she reads classic stories beside the crackling fire in her virtual library. She tells classics like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, The Princess and the Pea, The Frog Prince and The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin.
It’s just getting started, but it seems to be very thoughtfully designed, with excellent content and a refreshing absence of ads. Definitely worth a look for any family with school-age children.