`Stanley’and his goldfish debut on Disney Channel
“Stanley,” an animated Disney Channel interactive series premiering at 9 a.m. Saturday, will bring out the animal in preschool viewers. Stanley is a 6-year-old who looks to the animal kingdom and his “Big Book of Everything” to solve problems and learn life lessons. In one story, a giraffe suggests how Stanley can pick an apple that he wants to present to his mother as a birthday present.
A la “Blue’s Clues,” Stanley’s pet goldfish prompts viewers to help Stanley choose which animal would be best suited to help with a particular problem and with such basic concepts as counting and size and shape recognition.
Children can feel the rhythms of the world
Winnetka native Jessica Harper turns traditional children’s music “Inside Out” on her follow-up to her Parents’ Choice Award-winning recording, “Rhythm In My Shoes.” Harper, whose film credits include the cult classics “Phantom of the Paradise” and “Suspiria,” as well as “Stardust Memories” and “My Favorite Year,” presents an even more eclectic sampling of rhythms ranging from African to New Orleans jazz. Her daughters Elizabeth and Nora contribute to the hip-hop slice of classroom life “Four Boys Named Jordan.” A child turns the tables on her parents with “Lizzie’s Dos and Don’ts,” which will be published as a children’s book next year. To order, call 800-ROUNDER.
`Mommy & Me’ takes a video whirl
“Mommy & Me,” a best-selling audio line, branches out with three captivating videos, “Splish Splash,” “Fun & Friends” and “Lullaby & Goodnight.” Recommended for children ages 5 and under, these musical programs take their cue from the groundbreaking “Baby Songs- series with a blend of delightful animation and charming live-action footage of mothers interacting with their children and cute scenes of toddlers at play in a variety of familiar settings.
Listen for Tim Conway as the voice of Walter the radio and Caroline Rhea as Rosebud, a plant. Each title retails for $14.98 on video and $19.98 on DVD. To order, call 800-784-0991.