KidVid: The Valentines Collection Is Sugar-Free, Fat-Free, and Fun
Since you don’t give kids candy on Valentine’s Day (you don’t give kids candy gifts, do you?), Scholastic Storybook Treasures has the perfect answer to the question that must be haunting you right about now, “What can I give favorite kids for Valentine’s Day that won’t be bad for them?” The answer can be found in a new video release, The Valentines Collection.
There are five stories in the The Valentines Collection, starting with One Zillion Valentines, written and illustrated by Frank Modell. In a tale that is sweet without being syrupy, Marvin teaches his friend, Milton, how to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Milton has never received, nor given, a Valentine’s card for two reasons: 1) he has no money, and 2) he has a negative attitude about the big day. Marvin shows Milton how to make a Valentine, and the two boys make “one zillion,” which they distribute to their neighbors, selling the remainder. Won’t Milton be surprised when he finally receives a Valentine?
Popular writer/illustrator Ezra Jack Keats’ A Letter to Amy is an appealing tale of a boy named Peter who attempts to mail a birthday party invitation to a very special friend. On Peter’s way to the mailbox, a storm arises and the wind rips the letter from Peter’s hand, setting him on a wild chase. Goggles, a second story by Ezra Jack Keats, offers two boys, a dog named Willie, a pair of goggles, and a gang of bullies who want to take the goggles. A fight ensues, and an unlikely hero emerges.
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge (written/narrated by Mem Fox; illustrated by Julie Vivas) is a young boy who lives next to an old-peoples' home. Wilfrid knows all of his neighbors, and is sad to learn that one of the residents, Miss Nancy, has lost her memory. Visiting his many neighbors, he learns what “a memory” is, then shares some of his with his friend who no longer has any, and something wonderful happens.
The fifth story, Will I Have a Friend, concerns shy, young Jim on his first day of school. His biggest concern is if he will have any friends. Will anyone else in his class feel the same? Written by Miriam Cohen and illustrated by Lillian Hoban, it’s a story that explains how friendships happen.
Like all Storybook Treasures, The Valentines Collection includes an optional read-along feature. It supports reading skills, friendship, sharing, new experiences, giving, and creativity. It was released January 10, 2012, by NewVideo, and is recommended for ages four through eight.
Follow Technorati