When Great Actors Return to Childhood | Book-in-a-book/Pooh Goes Visiting (Book in a Book)

Perfect! | Book-in-a-book/Pooh Goes Visiting (Book in a Book) | A. A. Milne

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	• Book-in-a-book/Pooh Goes Visiting (Book in a Book) A. A. Milne Dutton Juvenile, 2001 - 10 pages average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Fantastic production of classic tales!

My 3 1/2 year-old son and I absolutely love this cassette on a number of levels! The acting is great: lively without being over-the-top, convincing without being melodramatic. The cast brings out the humor of Milne's writing beautifully. I have to admit that I was not a Milne fan before purchasing this; I just didn't 'get' it. After listening to this cassette, I realized why: Winnie the Pooh is marketed here in the U.S. as an early childhood character/series. But it's not. The stories, the humor, the characters, and the language all are aimed at children about the age of Christoper Robin, who must be atleast 5, *and* at their parents. Ie there are elements that a child would never get, but I do, and so both my preschooler and I understand at our levels. Other fantastic aspects: great sound quality, sound effects, choice of stories. One point: Because of the British accents and idioms, this products works best for a patient and interested child. Also, for the preschooler (such as mine), it required that I listen with him the first few times until he understood the storyline well enough to follow without me. But don't let this discourage you. From the start, my child enjoyed the different voices (especially piglet) and sound effects. The subtlety only means that he doesn't get bored with it -- after even the 30th time.

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When Great Actors Return to Childhood

The great Judi Dench would make this a wonderful CD for me, even if there were only she reading. However, she is not alone here. The cast is extremely well-chosen, and the music, though spare, is wonderful as well. Our toddler, I am convinced, really listens to the piano as Pooh sings his little tiddly-poms.

Overall, when listening to this CD, I have the feeling of being at a performance that has tried as much as possible to create the spatiality of a child's imagination. There is an openness created through the spare music, through the slower pace, and the oh-so-British understatement of Stephen Fry as Pooh.

Did I mention that Judi Dench performs Kanga on these CDs with an Australian accent? How bloody appropriate!

Parents will love their memories of Jeeves and Wooster and As Time Goes By that come flooding back when Dench, Palmer, and Fry work their magic.

My only criticism is that Christopher Robin is a bit, shall we say, overacted. But then again he is a child, and children, or ours at least, like him very much.

For those who would want their children to grow up with taste, style, intelligence, and wit--this is a CD that ought not to be missed.

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Perfect!

What a refreshing change to hear Pooh in his native tongue! I am a great fan of Disney movies but Pooh is something special in this wonderful audio version of the timeless stories. My 5 year old listens to this tape all the time!

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The flavor of the original; edited for little ones

When I went to introduce my preschooler to Winnie-the-Pooh, I bought the big book with the complete stories and poems. It didn't take long for me to figure out that it wasn't quite right for my 3-year-old. Reading a story out of the original works takes a good 15-20 minutes, which is more than one can really expect from a preschooler or toddler. Also, the original Pooh is a bit like Sesame Street, in that there are phrases and indeed entire sections of the stories that adults will find amusing but which will just go over a child's head.

And yet, I didn't want to break down and go the route of the Disney-fied Pooh books, with their cartoonish illustrations and watered-down plots and characters.

That's why I was so pleased to find the Easy-to-Read series. There are six easy-to-read titles from two publishers. They are:

Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees
Pooh Goes Visiting
Eeyore Has a Birthday
Tigger Comes to the Forest
Christopher Robin Leads an Expedition
Pooh Invents a New Game

Each book is based on one chapter from the complete works. These little books are divided into four chapters, although it should be no problem to read one from start to finish in one sitting.

The print is large and well spaced, and there are ample illustrations (the original drawings by E.H. Shepard) on every page spread to keep little eyes engaged in the story. Most important, the editor has removed most of the passages that aren't so kid friendly and has simplified the stories without giving them a Disney style candy coating. One could read the original story and then the easy-to-read version and get the same basic plot; when going from the Milne works to the Disney versions, the same is certainly not true.

I didn't give these books five stars because the editor retained some language and dialogue that may be a bit confusing for children in the intended age range. Nevertheless, these books are a wonderful introduction to a classic cast of characters for the preschool set.

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Pooh on Tape

This is our very first book on tape. My son is five and listened intently to every word. I can't wait to go on vacation and have him listen while we are in the car for 4 hours. The reader is very clear speaking. I am not able to talk while this is playing because my son really wants to listen to it. He loves to be read to. I wish I would have discovered this sooner!

Winnie-the-Pooh is walking through the forest when he comes upon a hole. "If I know anything about anything," he says, "that hole means Rabbit. And Rabbit means Company. And Company means Food." Hurrah! But once Pooh goes through the hole and has some honey, will he ever be able to get out?

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