Guidance

A lttle fish learns to deal with teasing. Potter the Anglefish lives among the beautiful coral reefs off the islands of Hawaii. But all is not perfect in paradise... there is always Alakuma the Crab. When bothered by Al's persistent teasing, Potter and his pals try various ways for dealing with this annoying crustacean, and in the process find that some strategies work better than others. This DVD is a word for word match of the storybook and will help you:

• Explore the nature of teasing
• Build enthusiasm for life-long growth and learning
• Identify techniques for coping with the challenges of teasing
• Introduce the marine life of Hawaii

Age Group: Grades K-4

Author Linda Talley

Illustrator Andra Chase

Key Concept: Coping with teasing

A New York story weighs love against material wealth. Hit the sidewalks of New York with a girl named Margot and a Dalmatian pup named Bailey. Both are on their best behavior in anticipation of their shared birthday celebration. Students will feel Bailey's keen disappointment when all he gets for his birthday is a kiss and a bandanna. And they will rejoice with Bailey's realization that the love and support of his family are more important than material gifts. This DVD is a word for word match of the storybook.

Bailey s Birthday will help you:

• Explore the value of material gifts as measures of worth
• Promote growth in self-confidence
• Introduce factual information about aviation, about the canine species, and about the sights and history of New York City

 " Bailey learns] about something more important than material gifts: the love and support of a family. Recommended." - Video Librarian

Author Elizabeth Happy

Illustrator Andra Chase

Key Concept: Celebrating gifts of the heart

Age Group: K-4 

Make a beeline for the French countryside to learn how boundaries benefit everyone.

To keep the honeycomb strong, to make the very best honey, and to keep all the little honeybees safe and sound, bees must do things just so — according to honeybee rules.

One early spring day, an inexperienced honeybee named Beatrice hears about the most beautiful garden in the world, and she decides to go on an expedition, even if it means breaking a rule or two. When a change in the weather turns her outing into a near-disaster, Bea realizes that rules are for her own good.

Bea's story takes students to the Loire Valley of France where they will visit a beehive, a country market, and the famous Chateau of Villandry. Illustrator Andra Chase has created delicately beautiful scenes of Bea’s world inside and outside her hive. 

This DVD is a word for word match of the storybook and will help you:

 Investigate the function of rules at home and at school
 Promote responsibility and self-control
 Explore the lives of bees and other insects
 Present information about the culture and geography of France

[an] excellent, well-rounded production...”
School Library Journal

Age Group: Grades K-4

Follow Boston's Freedom trail and witness a small revolution against a big bully. Emily is a nice, playful little dog. So why would she join forces with a big bully like Spike? Even Emily can't answer that question. It`s true that Spike makes Emily laugh, in spite of herself, and he is fun — in a way. Emily feels flattered that Spike asks her to tag along with him. But when Spike begins to tease a fluffy outsider named Cotton, Emily's feelings become confused. Just when Emily is wondering how to make things right, a bewhiskered terrier named Emerson saunters onto the scene and shows Emily how to break free of Spike. This compelling story unfolds along the Freedom Trail™, Boston's famous walking tour of historic sites from the Revolutionary era. These scenes of the colonists' struggle for independence from Britain are a perfect backdrop for Emily's struggle to free herself from Spike's tyrannical ways! 

Emily Breaks Free will help you:

Fly into Miami Beach and meet a parrot who talks too much. People never stop talking, do they? And from his perch at Las Flores café, Feathers hears every word — and repeats a good deal of what he hears. The problem is, the words sometimes get a little jumbled up, turned around, stretched out of shape. That's what happens when Julio finds a ten dollar bill on the sidewalk. By the end of the day — and with the help of the talkative Feathers — Julio's bit of good luck has grown to immense proportions — at least in the minds of the regulars at Las Flores. Feathers' misadventures take place within sight of palm trees and blue ocean waters in Miami Beach, Florida. Andra Chase has depicted a kaleidoscope of local color and characters in her sunny watercolor illustrations.                         

 Feathers at Las Flores will help you:

A herd of Spanish sheep is badly in need of guidance. Everyone knows that sheep are followers. They are perfectly content to trail along behind whomever happens to be a few steps ahead. This is exactly the case with a flock of sheep living outside a tiny village in the heart of Spain. One day Isabella begins to wonder if there isn't another way. "Must we always be wandering about willy-nilly, nobody knowing where we are going?" But recognizing the need for a leader and accepting the responsibility of being one are two different things. It will require a bolt of lightning — literally — to transform the reluctant Isabella into the leader she must be. From crumbling stone farm buildings and rugged grazing land to the pinnacled Alcazar, once home of Queen Isabella, this story captures the drama of the Spanish landscape, the perfect backdrop for the exciting events that lead to our Isabella's transformation. 

Following Isabella will help you:

• Consider leadership as a service to one's community
• Investigate different kinds of leadership
• Present information about sheep and sheep farming
• Explore the geography and culture of Spain

"A story about leadership, confidence, initiative and cooperation. Particularly useful for studies in social skills and character education. [Isabella] will be appreciated by general viewers as well." — School Library Journal

Author Linda Talley

Illustrator Andra Chase

Key Concept: Becoming a leader

Age Group: Grades K-4

Travel north to the Arctic Circle, where reliability can be a matter of survival. Inger may have the whitest fur and an impressive set of antlers, but his friends just can't depend on this young reindeer. First he disrupts a wedding. Next he forfeits the big sled race. Will Inger get another chance to prove he can be trusted? Inger's opportunity soon comes, against the backdrop of an unforgiving Arctic snowstorm, and at stake are the lives of three reindeer. Inger's story is set in Norway and features a fast-fading way of life among the Sami reindeer herders, who have lived in close interdependence with the reindeer for centuries. In glowing watercolors, illustrator Andra Chase depicts the rugged beauty of the Norwegian landscape and the richly colorful Sami people who live there. 

Inger s Promise will help you:

• Emphasize the value of being trustworthy
• Investigate the lives of the Sami people
• Introduce information about reindeer and other Arctic wildlife
• Explore the geography and culture of Norway

"The large watercolor illustrations are perfect for storytime sharing with ages five to ten." — Small Press Magazine

Author Jami Parkison

Illustrator Andra Chase

Key Concept: Being trustworthy

Age Group: Grades K-4

Visit the Okefenokee for a lesson in pursuing goals. Jackson is a green tree frog and a resident of the Okefenokee Swamp in southern Georgia. One afternoon, Jackson learns that a slick new brochure is being prepared to draw tourists to this famed wildlife refuge, home to alligators and water lilies, coach whip snakes and cypress trees, pileated woodpeckers and cinnamon ferns. Jackson is determined that the diminutive green tree frog species will not be left out. Jackson's plan takes him on a photo shoot through three habitats of the Okefenokee — the swampy woods, the piney woods, and the open marshlands. Along his madcap way, he encounters obstacles and setbacks, but Jackson perseveres — with surprising results. 

Jackson s Plan will help you:

• Promote goal-setting and strategic planning
• Encourage perseverance in the face of obstacles
• Explore the ecology of wetlands and the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

"A striking multimedia presentation package." — Children's Bookwatch

Author Linda Talley

Illustrator Andra Chase

Key Concept: Learning to persevere

Age Group: Grades K-4

Promote understanding and respect among brothers and sisters. Jomo is four years younger than Mata. Little brother can't hope to match Mata at digging into the dry earth with his feet and tusks to find underground water. Jomo might just as well rest in his brother's shadow and play a tune on his trunk. But when the riverbed dries up, thirsty Jomo learns that digging a well is sometimes more important than besting his brother. The dramatic Jomo and Mata video features the sprawling vistas of the East African savannah and its beguiling inhabitants, and the storybook's colorful endpages present a host of facts about the African grasslands. 

When Kiki sees the green and brown Kansas meadow laid out below him like a welcome mat, he knows just what to do - claim the meadow as his own, sing a song, and attract a lovely meadowlark wife.  But Kiki's perfect plan for happiness goes awry when he is lured into a senseless rivalry with the wooden inhabitant of a clock.  "Cuckoo! Cuckoo! I'm the best!" calls the mechanical bird.  "I'm ruined!" wails Kiki.  "That bird sings in MY meadow!"  The story of how Kiki regains his meadow and his self-esteem teaches a valuable lesson about competition.

Discover the spirit of generosity in a timeless Russian village. When homeless dog Vladimir is rescued from the cold, he joins a growing community of animal characters who inhabit Ludmila's barn — Ludmila herself, of course, and the three hens, the two cows, the one contrary goose — and we mustn't forget the mylishe, tiny but hungry — and then the swallows! Ludmila knows the best way to maintain harmony in these tight quarters: share and share alike. The ancient town of Suzdal, with its onion shaped domes, belltowers, wooden windmills, and chalk-white monasteries, provides the backdrop for this simple story of generosity. A traditional Russian family, that cares for the animals and grows fruit and vegetables on the small plot of land, echoes — in human terms — the theme of sharing.

Making healthy choices, Stanley the bear shows children how healthful nutrition and exercise give the body the energy and strength to live a life full of fun and adventure. When Stanley goes on an eating binge and accidentally falls asleep in a camper, he suddenly awakes and finds himself far away from home and stranded at a drive-in - which appears to be "the life." However, after days of eating cookies and candy, sleeping and watching movies, Stanley realizes he is not living "the life." He is very overweight and feeling very tired. He doesn't have the energy to fish, run or climb trees anymore. In his effort to get his real life back, Stanley learns that eating healthy food makes him feel better and gives him the strength to do all of the fun things he really liked to do in the forest. "He thought about the food at the drive-in, the frightening chase in the forest, and the long journey home. Now Stanley stayed away from people and their cookies. He caught fish. He ate pine nuts and huckleberries. He felt healthy. He felt strong.

.  Stanley s "This Is the Life!" will help you:

• Promote healthy nutrition
• Introduce the right foods to give the body energy
• Emphasize why it's important to be active

Age Group: Grades K-4

Author Alyssa Chase Rebein

Illustrator Andra Chase

Key Concept: Health and wellness