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Peanuts, Popcorn & Cotton Candy

A Clown's View of Health & Nutrition
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Gr 1—3—Nine professional clowns present a light-hearted, whimsical look at health and nutrition in 11 scenarios. The circus theme prevails throughout the program, with scenes ranging from a clown juggling balls representing the different foods we should eat to clown news reporter Ima Smarteater explaining how to select healthy foods when eating at a restaurant. Topics covered include portion size, snack foods, the Food Pyramid, and exercise, among others. Simple sets and props are coupled with traditional circus music. Some of the terminology such as "cholesterol" and "high blood pressure" will need to be introduced prior to viewing so that young viewers will fully understand the content. The teacher's guide provides discussion questions for each scene as well as a brief biography of each clown.—Cathie Bashaw Morton, Millbrook Central School District, NY
In this beautiful, heartrending, yet horrifying film, North Koreans tell their stories of imprisonment, sexual slavery, torture, murder, and escape to China or South Korea during the nearly 50-year regime of Kim Il Sung (1912—94). The interviews are illustrated through the interspersion of dance sequences, archival news footage, and drawings. Particularly interesting are the North Korean propaganda films celebrating Kim Il Sung as God and showing in the face of mass starvation happy workers, elaborate military displays, and the creation of a new flower in 1988 in honor of the 46th birthday of Kim's son and successor, Kim Jong Il. A valuable time line traces 20th-century events in Korea. Bonus features include previously unreleased footage of camp refugees. This mesmerizing film displays excellent production values and is highly recommended for Asia collections.—Kitty Chen Dean, formerly with Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
Reviewed by Kitty Chen Dean , Nov 01, 2010

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