The Sign Language Storytelling Series

PreS-Gr 5—These excellent videos, suitable for deaf or hearing children, combine the quality viewers have come to expect from Weston Woods with the American Sign Language (ASL) savvy of production company ASL Inside. Each program presents a popular children's book and uses the familiar format of picture-book pages translated to video, with some animation added. Signers Missy Keast and Manny Hernandez, both known in the signing community for their storytelling skills, appear in the foreground, translating the text on each page into ASL. Optional English text on screen and English voiceover make these videos completely accessible to all viewers. Additional features include a vocabulary section, which is arranged alphabetically by English translation and shows featured signs in isolation, and a 10-question quiz that assesses comprehension and memory. Additional classroom activities, flashcards, and worksheets are available online for each title. The series will appeal to multiple audiences: deaf children can access the stories in their native language while building English vocabulary and reading skills, and hearing youngsters can practice their English vocabulary while learning basic ASL.—Kathleen Kelly Macmillan, Carroll County Public Library, MD