Product Details

• Actors: Jack Nicholson, Bobby Mcferrin
• Format: Animated, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Rabbit Ears
• VHS Release Date: April 1, 2000
• Run Time: 30 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004STR6
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,023 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Before Jack Nicholson utters word one of his unflappable, ultracool narration to How the Rhino Got His Skin & How the Camel Got His Hump, what's clear is that quality viewing lies ahead. The two fables comprising this 30-minute video storybook are authored by Rudyard Kipling, and leading up to them over the opening credits are the unmistakable chirps and melodic murmurs of Bobby McFerrin, who keeps up his wordless, joyful rants throughout both tales, making the world feel smaller and the stories--not your average fluffy, feel-good kids' fare--seem less dour.

In the first, a hapless Parsee man somewhere on the Red Sea suffers the injustice of having his just-baked cake gobbled up by an ill-mannered rhino. To retaliate, he spreads itch-inducing crumbs and currants on the "piggy-eyed" beast's skin while he's bathing (this being Kipling's imagination, animals sometimes shed their skins to cool off), thus causing him to rub savagely against a tree for relief. The relentless rubbing leads to the formerly smooth-skinned rhino's wrinkling, which, the tone of this story suggests, serves him right. In the second tale, a camel gets his just desserts: It's the beginning of time, and everyone in the desert is hard at work getting the world in order. Everyone, that is, except the inexcusably idle camel, who sits lethargically chewing milkweed. His standard answer to those who implore him to move it (an ox, a dog, and a horse) is "HUMPH!"--an unsatisfactory response that spurs the "head man in charge of the desert" to deform him with the protuberances that all of camelkind sports today.

Tim Raglin's sharply defined yet sandy-soft drawings capture each creature's temperament with exactitude, all the while portraying exotic, geographically and historically correct details such as the "Oriental splendor" of the Parsee man's hat gorgeously. This film earns a spot among the short shelf of well-rounded kids' titles: It's as stunning to watch as it is enchanting to listen to. (Ages 5 and older) --Tammy La Gorce

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Simply Uninspiring..., May 31, 2005

By	Pam Tee "Harmless" - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

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.)

5.0 out of 5 stars Nicholson's Stories Are The Best Of The Best, November 27, 2000

By	Christopher Weaver "weaverc" (Wayne, NJ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"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.