Sarah Toast

Piglet's Big Movie is my second favorite Disney Pooh movie, right after The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It was so refreshing to have direct adaptations of chapters straight out of the Milne book after the previous two films -- Pooh's Grand Adventure and The Tigger Movie -- went so far afield from the canon. Also, the Carly Simon soundtrack is plain wonderful, and I have it on regular rotation in my music mix slipping in between Metallica, Mozart, and Johnny Cash.

My sixth and final show more adaptation of Piglet's Big Movie is an Interactive Play-a-Sound book by writer Sarah Toast and the Disney Storybook Artists. There is a board of buttons down the right side that produce different sounds. The images on the buttons appear as icons embedded in the story to let you know when to press them. They're cute once or twice, but they get pretty tiresome pretty fast. And the writing gets a little tiresome too as the script goes overboard trying to find ways to work in the sound effects, averaging about a dozen times per page.

Most disappointing though was the way the story messes up the climactic rescue. I don't know if the writer was working with an earlier draft of the script, but what's in the book doesn't match the film and really undercuts the big theme that Piglet's friends really do need him and should appreciate his contributions more.

FOR REFERENCE:

The original film was directed by Francis Glebas, with a screenplay by Brian Hohlfeld, additional screenplay material by Ted Henning, and based on Winnie-the-Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne. The film and its many adaptations contain a framing sequence around segments adapting A. A. Milne's:
• Winnie-the-Pooh Chapter 7. In Which Kanga and Baby Roo Come to the Forest, and Piglet Has a Bath
• Winnie-the-Pooh Chapter 8. In Which Christopher Robin Leads an Expotition to the North Pole
• The House at Pooh Corner Chapter 1. In Which A House Is Built at Pooh Corner for Eeyore.

(My Pooh Project: I love Winnie the Pooh, and so does my wife. Having a daughter gave us a chance to indoctrinate her into the cult by buying and reading her every Pooh book we came across. How many is that? I’m going to count them this year by reading and reviewing one every day and seeing which month I finally run out. Track my progress here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/23954351-rod-brown?ref=nav_mybooks&she... ) show less

This is a classic I read years ago and since then seen referenced in various movies/other media in one form or another, and there's a reason for that. The moral of the story is 'a kindness is never wasted' and the small favor the lion bestows upon the mouse is repaid amply when the lion finds himself in a trap.

It certainly echoes true in real life, because no matter how high up you are, you can still find yourself in an unfortunate situation, and those you might look down upon can be in a show more position to help you... so the moral, in modern-day vernacular is, don't be an asshole to your inferiors. show less

ISBN 0785329080 - This little pillowed hardcover is about pocket-sized and great for taking along when you're out and about - especially if you're going to the zoo! Really informative non-fiction titles for very young readers are hard to find and this one, by Sarah Toast, is full of good information that will fascinate and educate young ones.

Mother Panda (who doesn't seem to be a mother just yet) lives in the mountains of China and spends most of her time looking for food in the form of show more bamboo. She must eat a great deal of bamboo to get the energy she needs, so she travels a great distance and has more than one den to sleep in. She gives birth to Baby Panda and raises him, teaching him everything he will need to know.

There are a few odd things here, nothing major. The first several pages go on about how hard it is for a panda to find enough food to eat, but as winter approaches, the author says "Mother Panda will be able to find plenty to eat during the winter." That just seems contradictory. Even though the book features "Mother Panda" and "Baby Panda", the story is factual and tells about the way they live – until the very last page, which has Baby Panda doing "a handspring to show his delight" with his first snowfall - a bit of silliness that, while it might amuse a child, detracts from the overall believability of the book. The illustrations by Debbie Pinkney are simple and several remind me of popular Chinese prints of pandas. Worth a try, this sneaky way to educate your little reader while he or she just thinks it's a cute little book.

- AnnaLovesBooks show less

This is a great book for children when trying to learn patience. It a story about a ugly ducking that everyone makes fun of. The duckling is ashamed of how it looks, but that all changes as the duckling matures and ends up being a beautiful swan.

This is another story that I grew up hearing and reading. I always try to remember this story and tell it when I see my children making fun of someone. I use this story as a moral builder in my children.

In the classroom, I would have the children show more write down what they do not like about themselves and then help them find a solution to this feeling. I would also encourage the students not to make fun of someone that they view as different. show less