Customer Reviews

Pooh Goes Visiting Mini Board Book

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

 

 

This amazing dramatization of the Pooh books is performed by a marvelously talented group of British entertainers who truly bring the Pooh characters gently and lovingly to life. As for this tape, I finally got this figured out. This is part of a four-tape program that represents the complete two-book Winnie-the-Pooh story collection, except the stories are out of order (probably so that they would fit equally on the tapes). Book 1, "Winnie-the-Pooh," is represented by "Pooh Goes Visiting" (stories in order: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10) and "Piglet Meets a Heffalump" (stories: 5, 6, 7, 8). Book 2, "The House at Pooh Corner," is dramatized by "Tigger Comes to the Forest" (stories in order: 1 2, 4, 3, 9, 10) and "Pooh Invents a New Game" (stories 5, 6, 7, 8). When stories that depend on previous information are out of order, it gets confusing. My suggestion: Get the "Winnnie-the-Pooh" / "The House at Pooh Corner" gift pack, which is also four tapes (the same recordings), but in the proper order.

Dame Judi Dench and her husband Michael Williams warmly and with great humor narrate several Pooh stories, with the hilarious Stephen Fry as Pooh, and their daughter Finty making a squeaky cameo appearance as Roo. Geoffrey Palmer has found his niche forever, as far as I'm concerned, as Eeyore. A more forlorn and world-weary Eeyore has never and will never exist! Add to this a delightful piano accompaniment underlying the "hums" and you've got the best Pooh tape ever. When will there be more?

This tape represents a whole new Pooh. The readers create an elegant experience that is gentle and at the same time fun and adventurous. My favorite Pooh reader was always Lionel Jeffries, but as those tapes seem to have disappeared from the face of the earth, the Stephen Fry series may become my new favorite. The talented people involved in this production make it a true classic. I have listened to this over and over, and it doesn't lose its freshness. Take it along on your next car trip with the kids! (or without them!)

When I went to introduce my preschooler to Winnie-the-Pooh, I bought the big book with the complete stories and poems. It didn't take long for me to figure out that it wasn't quite right for my 3-year-old. Reading a story out of the original works takes a good 15-20 minutes, which is more than one can really expect from a preschooler or toddler. Also, the original Pooh is a bit like Sesame Street, in that there are phrases and indeed entire sections of the stories that adults will find amusing but which will just go over a child's head.

And yet, I didn't want to break down and go the route of the Disney-fied Pooh books, with their cartoonish illustrations and watered-down plots and characters.

That's why I was so pleased to find the Easy-to-Read series. There are six easy-to-read titles from two publishers. They are:

Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees
Pooh Goes Visiting
Eeyore Has a Birthday
Tigger Comes to the Forest
Christopher Robin Leads an Expedition
Pooh Invents a New Game

Each book is based on one chapter from the complete works. These little books are divided into four chapters, although it should be no problem to read one from start to finish in one sitting.

The print is large and well spaced, and there are ample illustrations (the original drawings by E.H. Shepard) on every page spread to keep little eyes engaged in the story. Most important, the editor has removed most of the passages that aren't so kid friendly and has simplified the stories without giving them a Disney style candy coating. One could read the original story and then the easy-to-read version and get the same basic plot; when going from the Milne works to the Disney versions, the same is certainly not true.

I didn't give these books five stars because the editor retained some language and dialogue that may be a bit confusing for children in the intended age range. Nevertheless, these books are a wonderful introduction to a classic cast of characters for the preschool set.

This little book is an exact reproduction of Chapter 2 in the original book, Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne, with illustrations by Shephard. All the charm of the original, in a perfect size for reading to littler kids, who can feel satisfied at having been read "the whole story."

This little book is part of a series of 10 such Pooh books published by Dutton.

My Grandson, who is 4, and my granddaughter, who is 3, really enjoy this book. They enjoy having the book read to them and also enjoy looking at the pictures and reciting the story from memory. I recommend this Winnie-the-Pooh book for young children. Pooh Goes Visiting (Puffin Easy-to-Read) (Easy-to-Read, Puffin) I ordered this from Amazon as it is a wonderful, safe place to shop. Amazon Customer Service is awesome!

The great Judi Dench would make this a wonderful CD for me, even if there were only she reading. However, she is not alone here. The cast is extremely well-chosen, and the music, though spare, is wonderful as well. Our toddler, I am convinced, really listens to the piano as Pooh sings his little tiddly-poms.

Overall, when listening to this CD, I have the feeling of being at a performance that has tried as much as possible to create the spatiality of a child's imagination. There is an openness created through the spare music, through the slower pace, and the oh-so-British understatement of Stephen Fry as Pooh.

Did I mention that Judi Dench performs Kanga on these CDs with an Australian accent? How bloody appropriate!

Parents will love their memories of Jeeves and Wooster and As Time Goes By that come flooding back when Dench, Palmer, and Fry work their magic.

My only criticism is that Christopher Robin is a bit, shall we say, overacted. But then again he is a child, and children, or ours at least, like him very much.

For those who would want their children to grow up with taste, style, intelligence, and wit--this is a CD that ought not to be missed.

This is our very first book on tape. My son is five and listened intently to every word. I can't wait to go on vacation and have him listen while we are in the car for 4 hours. The reader is very clear speaking. I am not able to talk while this is playing because my son really wants to listen to it. He loves to be read to. I wish I would have discovered this sooner!

My 3 1/2 year-old son and I absolutely love this cassette on a number of levels! The acting is great: lively without being over-the-top, convincing without being melodramatic. The cast brings out the humor of Milne's writing beautifully. I have to admit that I was not a Milne fan before purchasing this; I just didn't 'get' it. After listening to this cassette, I realized why: Winnie the Pooh is marketed here in the U.S. as an early childhood character/series. But it's not. The stories, the humor, the characters, and the language all are aimed at children about the age of Christoper Robin, who must be atleast 5, *and* at their parents. Ie there are elements that a child would never get, but I do, and so both my preschooler and I understand at our levels. Other fantastic aspects: great sound quality, sound effects, choice of stories. One point: Because of the British accents and idioms, this products works best for a patient and interested child. Also, for the preschooler (such as mine), it required that I listen with him the first few times until he understood the storyline well enough to follow without me. But don't let this discourage you. From the start, my child enjoyed the different voices (especially piglet) and sound effects. The subtlety only means that he doesn't get bored with it -- after even the 30th time.

If you have a small child, there simply isn't a better way for them to enjoy the magic of these stories as they were meant to be heard. The truncated, illustration-heavy Disney books, which seem to be everywhere, simply don't tell the stories.

Other notable versions, such as Lionel Jeffries's excellent reading, are no longer available, and Charles Kuralt's, while clearly in the right spirit, can be a little dull for smaller kids.

Sephen Fry is wonderful, and Jane Horrocks's piglet is a delight. Judy Dench and Geoffrey Palmer also bring excellent characterizations to the stories. My 2 year old and I love this version, and it makes her want me to read the book to her. There is no higher recommendation than that from a child!