REVIEWS+

What a Zoo

NOT- -AVAIL-ABL-E.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 3—Parents' Choice Gold Award-winner Joanie Leeds presents her fourth album for children. With her rich, full soprano voice, she belts out ten original songs, three covers, and one traditional number in a variety of rock, jazz/swing, country, and 2-beat novelty styles. Accompanied by flawless performances on guitar, banjo, percussion, trumpet, trombone, and tuba, Leeds joins the Nightlights (Matt Aronoff, Dan Barman, Thomas B. Eaton, and Scott Stein) in singing about animals large and small. "All the Animals" counts the legs of various species; "Mosquitoes" recommends squashing these pests; and "Happy As a Clam" features animal idioms and sayings, such as "cat's got your tongue" and "snug as a bug in a rug." Lovely harmonies and soft rock enhance "Hummingbird" and "My Butterfly." Special guest Secret Agent 23 Skidoo adds his own rap lyrics to the traditional "Froggie Went a Courtin'." Joanie performs terrific covers of Phish's "Possum," the 1909 classic "Pony Boy," and "Wimoweh" in which listeners are encouraged to roar like a lion, then "sleep" as the lion sleeps. "Big Blue Whale," "Sea Cow," "Tofurky," "If You Go," and "Animals in Concert" round out the selections. The lyrics sheet includes suggestions for participatory movements and sounds. This excellent recording deserves a place in every children's music collection.—Beverly Wrigglesworth, San Antonio Public Library, TX
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 , Jul 01, 2011

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?