”Animal Stories” (Children`s Circle. 32 minutes. Ages 4-9. $22.50.)
The Caldecott award-winning illustrations of Leo and Diane Dillon spring to life in the animated version of the childrens` book ”Why Mosquitoes Buzz in Peoples` Ears,” one of three fanciful tales about animals captured on this entertaining home video for kids. Each segment runs about 11 minutes, and
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”Mosquitoes” is a clever story that unfolds in a colorful jungle with exotic music. The jungle falls dark one day when Mother Owl, despondent over a mishap that kills one of her owlets, is so sad that she cannot hoot to wake up the sun. When King Lion convenes a meeting to determine who was responsible for the mishap, the story takes on a life of its own as it passes from animal to animal. Eventually, blame rests with the mosquito and all the animals call for the little insect to be punished.
In ”Petunia,” an animated version of Roger Duvoisin`s endearing book, Petunia, the silly goose, spies a red book in the barnyard and remembers she once heard that ”he who owns books and loves them is wise.” So she tucks the book under an arm, and her neck stretches out a few notches. Eventually, however, the myth of her wisdom explodes when she tells her friends that a box of firecrackers is actually filled with candy.
A young boy named Andy is fascinated with lions in James Daugherty`s charming ”Andy and the Lion.” Told visually with camera shots of the expressive golden-toned still illustrations in the book, Andy checks out a book about lions from the public library. Then one day, he spots a lion on his way to school. He removes a thorn from the beast`s paw. A while later, visitors at the circus run for their lives when the biggest lion in the show bolts over a high steel cage. It`s Andy`s old friend, and the situation is solved.