Customer Reviews

Rabbit Ears - How the Rhino Got His Skin/How the Camel Got His Hump [VHS]

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

 

 

I am surprised by the positive reviews for this video (see editorial and personal reviews on this page). My 3 and 5 year olds, boy and girl respectively, did not like this video, and to tell the truth, neither did I.

With the pastel, still-frame animation and Jack Nicholson's sedate reading of Kipling's tales, "How the Rhino Got His Skin" was simply not very interesting . Bobby McFerrin's vocalizations were amazing from my perspective but not enough to carry the day.

2 stars for mediocrity. (Check it out at the Library before buying.)

"Rabbit Ears" is easily the best series of children's videos out there. And the best of the best are the two stories narrated by Jack Nicholson (this one and THE ELEPHANT's CHILD). Nicholson's wry, sardonic voice, the imaginative drawings, and Bobby McPheron's strange, otherworldly vocals give an exotic and magical feel to these two stories. For those who aren't familiar with Rudyard Kipling's "Just So Stories," the two fables are about what happens, "back when the world was new and all," to two animals who are rude, unpleasant, and lazy. For those who aren't familiar with the Rabbit Ears line, these videos and tapes, which are appropriate for kids of about four and up, are storytelling at its best. A great alternative to too many cartoons.