Customer Reviews

Where the Wild Things Are and Other Maurice Sendak Stories (Scholastic Video Collection) [VHS]

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Please disregard the negative review given by a previous owner here. This is a thoroughly-enjoyable DVD for children & adults alike. I've had no technical problems with the disc, and it is a wonderful musical/animation experience for young children.

Maurice Sendak certainly has a unique writing style, and while I've seen people criticize his work for showing a bratty side of children, I can't say I agree. I like the fact that Sendak shows the children in his stories as little people with ranging emotions, not as little puppy dogs waiting for a treat or a pat on the head. The characters in his stories show anger, brattiness, sadness, and disobedience as well as happiness and playfulness, like all real children do. It's a refreshing change from the rampant political-correctness that pervades society today.

On to the contents. The first chapter of the disc is, of course, " Where the Wild Things Are ", an all-time classic children's story, and the favorite of many children that grew up in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. I love Sendak's style of animation, which isn't full and overblown. Max is a tempermental little fellow that most children will be able to identify with. The Wild Things are both fascinating and repellant ( like many older relatives, which Sendak expounds further on in the extras feature ), and we all had a far-away place tucked into the back of our minds as children, where we could escape to when the parents came down on us. It's a wonderful tale, but the highlight is the muscial score & narration by Peter Schickele (who also is given the same duties for 'Night Kitchen'). The music sounds like it was made where the wild things are, and Schickele narrates with infectious enthusiasm, bringing life to the words, sounding as if he's telling his favorite story as well.

Chapter Two features 4 musical vignettes taken from the chidren's film 'Really Rosie'. The music was composed and performed by Carole King, and is fantasic. "Alligators All Around" is the best of the bunch, a joyous romp through the alphabet. 'Pierre', 'One Was Johnny', and 'Chicken Soup with Rice' are also fun little tunes the kiddies will enjoy.

The last chapter is 'In the Night Kitchen', an offbeat little story that strays from the norm. The tales centers around Mickey, who we eventually find out is responsible for delivering the milk which makes the morning cake.....it's a fun story, and you'll find your kids imitating the sounds of Mickey the Pilot's plane before you know it! Once again, Schickele brings a fitting score and enthusiastic narration.

If you have children, buy this disc. They'll love the animation, the music, and the wonderful narration. You won't be disappointed.

How can you not like this dvd? I grew up watching this on VHS till it broke. Now I'll have to buy the DVD. This is simply the best work of both writer/illustrator Maurice Sendak and Carole King (besides her biggest album, Tapestry). Great songs, great stories, great animation. Highly recommended.

A note on the animation: All of the video material of the Weston Woods collection has the same style or movement of animation. Very often there is no animation at all, and the page from the picture book is shown. Keep in mind that Maurice Sendak is a children's book illustrator, not an animator, and so his original artwork is preserved by keeping the animation limited.

However, this collection of Sendak's best children's stories is highly entertaining due to the Carole King songs for the Nutshell stories, the Peter Schikele score for "Where the Wild Things Are," and the excellent dixieland jazz score for "In the Night Kitchen". The quality of music is what separates this collection from all the other scholastic videos. It is music that you won't mind hearing a million times.

Oh, and the people who bashed this DVD probably did not watch it as a kid in the late eighties on a well worn video tape. If they did, their reviews would all be five stars. All little kids are bound to dig this. One of the reviewers is much too concerned with the technicalities of the DVD. Geez, it's only 35 minutes, quit whining about too few scene selections. Kids watch movies the whole way through anyway. Don't we have to do that in the movie theatre? Isn't that how TV worked before TiVo? Nah, can't be.

I watched this video more than anything when I was very young, and I still go back to it today. I was happy to see all the original VHS material on the DVD. No more, no less. That's how it should be. This is by far the best of the Weston Woods/Scholastic DVD collection. The other ones can get quite irritating with repeat viewings. How do I know this? My mother is an elementary school librarian. Enough said.

Ages: ANY!! Even wee ones will delight in the story of the months - Chicken Soup with Rice, as well as learn the months of the year at an early age as my son did with this video. Carole King's voice range is PERFECT for all of the Nutshell Library stories - she had my son singing along with her right from the start! Max's story can be a tiny bit scary for the littlest viewer (2 & under), but talking about what the story means with your child makes all the difference. Peter Schikele's presentation of In the Night Kitchen is impressive and brings the story to life. Best video we have EVER purchased!

If you like the book, you'll love the video. The storyteller really brings the story to life. I actually bought the DVD for the other stories. I remember listening to the songs on my 45 while looking at the pictures in my book. The DVD brings it to life without losing any of the original charm. My boys (ages 5 & 3) love this DVD. Definitely a DVD library staple.

Our 18-month old LOVES this DVD -- she knew all the Nutshell Kids songs because I grew up with them and sang them to her even before she was born. She was thrilled to see the songs she knows so well come to life in animation, and begs to watch them again and again. I like that the animations aren't slick and flashy, so they're gentle on her young eyes, and with closed-captions on, the video experience can be reasonably close to our reading experience (I don't want her to learn to prefer TV over our reading sessions!)

I thought she'd be scared by the monsters and the ominous music in Where the Wild Things Are, but, again, with the gentle animations (with pictures taken directly from the book), she wasn't frightened at all, and immediately started growling and stomping along with them!

Night Kitchen is a little trippy for my taste, but my daughter enjoys this one as well -- she now runs around the house shouting, "I'm Mickey!" Clearly, she is enjoying this DVD a great deal, and looks forward to watching it. We've combined it with the books to reinforce what she's watching, and together they've really added to her vocabulary. It also doesn't hurt that the DVD grabs her attention and gives us a welcome and guilt-free break!

Some people, unfortunately, have a difficult time with Sendak's subject matter (as is reflected by the mixed reviews below). All I can say is that the movies are very nice adaptations of the books. True, the animation and voiceovers are somewhat unelegant, but my two children (Boy-4, and girl-2) loved the books and now watch the DVD with great pleasure.

If the kids don't have a problem, perhaps the grownups should learn to lighten up a bit.

And mine, too! Very cute, brings back memories from the 25 years since I was a kindergardener. Where the Wild Things Are was little intense at first but my 3 1/2 y-o now thinks its great (and recites all of the lines). Carol Kings compositions are wonderful, and I am thinking about transferring them to a cd for the kids (ok, ok, for me!)

Great video, highly recommended!

I enjoyed this video as much as my three and a half year old grandson, for whom I purchased it. I hastily bought it for a babysitting weekend, and did not realize additional stories were included. The music was great--Carole King a great bonus! We loved it!

This is by far one of the best childrens videos we have, right up there with Wallace and Gromit for holding kid interest while still being pleasant for grownups to hear/see over and over and... Another plus is that the animated versions of the stories don't at all spoil or change enjoyment of the books for me or for my little boy.

I found the Wild Things short a little jarring at first, but that wore off, and it never bothered my son. All the other shorts we have all loved from the first viewing, and are always happy to see again. I find myself humming the Nutshell kids songs when the video isn't on!

Another plus is that the stories and songs are witty, original and fantastical without being saccharine sweet. The portrayal of the characters is very upbeat, there is nothing violent, mean spirited or sexist, and no rapid editing.

I'm sure any kid who would enjoy the books, would enjoy this video. A great addition to the video library of any parent who needs kid vids that they can enjoy too.

This is a stylistically cool video, with unusual themes, sophisticated music, artful images and yet it is STILL a magnet for kids.

We loved the Nutshell Kids "extras," especially Chicken Soup with Rice. When our two-year old gets cranky, I start singing this song and it always ends with a smile.

Watching it, I felt the stories themselves were too abstract for young children, but it seems that that is part of the charm - it holds their interest long after the familiar storylines of Bob the Builder become soporific.

This video really is art for children.