Kipper - Pools, Parks & Picnics [VHS]
Kipper, a loveable, animated dog with a British accent, is on par with perennial preschool favorites Little Bear and Clifford, humble characters involved in ordinary play while reinforcing messages of cooperation, courtesy, and kindness. Drawn in simple lines with floppy ears, Kipper is the creation of England's Mick Inkpen, a prolific children's author (ofThreadbearandWibbly Pigfame) whose books have inspired a Nick Jr. television series.Pools, Parks and Picnicsis a collection of seven episodes from the series, with straightforward names like "The Long Walk," "The Swimming Pool," and "The Picnic." The gentle tales are comfortably paced, accompanied by a soft instrumental soundtrack. In "The Gizmo," a bubble blower and a toy boat provide hours of entertainment for Kipper and his pal, Tiger, during an otherwise quiet day. In "Cakes and Tails," Pig agrees to share his triple chocolate cake with Kipper, until a game of hide-and-seek ends in a plateful of crumbs. A magnifying glass offers an up-close look at the wonders of nature in one episode; in another, a water fountain provides cool relief on a hot summer day. There are no crises and no moral dilemmas here. Rather, the sweet antics of childhood are mixed with the fun of friendship and the simplicity of play. Will the characters' British voiceovers play to young American audiences? Youngsters unfamiliar with the King's English may find the accents a bit distracting at first, yet, more likely, delightfully intriguing. (Ages 2 to 5)--Lynn Gibson