Customer Reviews

Chrysanthemum and More Kevin Henkes Stories (Scholastic Video Collection)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

My daughter Molly loved "Owen" when I bought it for her a year ago. Then I got "Chrysanthemum", then more and more of Henkes' wonderfully delightful, stupendously enjoyable, magnificently superb books. Molly liked them so much, she wanted to rent the video... just assuming EVERYTHING must be available as a video!! Good news, Molly. Now it is!

Of course, when I saw this DVD, I had to order it immediately. I was worried that it would just be pictures from the book with a big-name guest reading the story. I'm happy to say that I was wrong! The animation is simple, flowing gently like Henkes' illustrations. Meryl Streep's reading is a reflection of her well-known talent. She and Sarah Jessica Parker give the readings real heart.

5-year old Molly gives this DVD 5-stars, and so does 8-year old big brother. (And he's a Yu-gi-oh playing, GameBoy-toting, sports-playing "tough guy"!!! It proves that Henkes brings out a gentle humor in everyone!)

Sorry to gush, but this DVD is worth twice what I paid for it. In fact, I just ordered 2 more for gifts. I just hope they follow up with a "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" DVD. Or--heaven forbid--a TV show! If you liked the "Little Bear" cartoons, you'll like these.

My 4 year old daughter loves all of Henkes' books so when I saw there was a DVD out there with 3 of his stories I snatched it up. Talk about a 3 time winner in our home. My daughter LOVES this DVD, it's her favorite amongst all the other scholastic videos we own and I can see why. Meryl Streep and Sarah Jessica Parker do a wonderful job narrating. I would love to see Sheila Rae the Brave, Chester's Way and any other Henkes book compiled into another DVD.

You get 6 stories: Chrysanthemum, Owen, A Weekend with Wendell (all Henkes), The Picnic, Monty and The Wizard for an hour of enjoyable stories. I highly recommend the DVD for young kids.

Our family has all the Kevin Henkes books, mainly because they appeal to both kids and adults. When I saw that the books were read on DVD, I purchased them without hesitation. These wonderful books are even better when narrated by the likes of Oscar winner Meryl Streep (reading "Chrysanthemum")and Golden Globe winner Sarah Jessica Parker (who narrates "Owen"). Included are a few bonus stories (not Henkes) and an option to read alond with the story (in the same format as a sing-a-long show). A wonderful idea! Also look for books like "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" and "Goodnight, Gorilla" on DVD published by the same company.

I'm a special ed teacher for K-1 and my students love these videos. They add a visual depth to these classic stories. Don't forget to view the extras and you can also have the words displayed as well. I find them invaluable for illuminating literature. Most stories are no more than 7-10 minutes long and so are great for getting students involved quickly. Well worth the price. Students ask for them over and over again. Get the books too and students begin to engage with the books and get excited keeping up with the video.

Chrysanthemum is a great story as are Kevin Henkes other stories, Owen and A Weekend With Wendell. The other stories in this collection are just as terrific - Monty, Picnic and The Wizard. For all the stories the animation is wonderful - not too little, not too much. The production values are good too. The stories are also narrated by some pretty nifty actresses - Meryl Streep, Sarah Jessica Parker and Mary Beth Hurt. My favorite story is Picnic a wordless story about a family of mice on picnic who accidentally lose their youngest mouse on the way. Everything turns out fine, don't worry!

We read several Kevin Henkes books during our author study, and the students love to compare the books to the video.

I had rented this prior to the purchase so I knew I liked it, but I really love watching this with my little one again and again. Great stories.

These stories are done to perfection! Having read chrysanthemum literally at least one hundred times, I had a pretty good idea of how hte story should look - and lo and behold, it has been brought to life.This is my daughter's favorite video - now we only hope they follow it up with a "lily" series!

My family loves this DVD. The stories are clever and fun. The pictures have my kids sitting there watching every moment. I personally enjoy hearing Meryl Streep voice the story of Chrysanthemum. She voices every character as only she can do. If you have a little girl, I would recommend this! I also have a year old boy who enjoys it too. A must have if you own any of the Scholastic collection.

Cute movie for the beginning of the school year.... arrived quickly and in good condition.