by Cornelia Beckett, Program Specialist Programs and Outreach
Classic kids’ author and illustrator James Marshall brings back Miss Nelson and her wicked counterpart, Miss Viola Swamp, to “whip the football team into shape” for the kids at the Horace B. Smedley School, who also grace the pages of Miss Nelson is Missing. This 80s adaptation is still beloved and fresh, with wry narration and Marshall’s inimitable illustrations brought to life in a Weston Woods recording.
Is your daughter obsessed with princesses? Meet the anti-damsel in distress, Princess Elizabeth, who rescues Prince Ronald from a fiery dragon, wearing only a burnt paper bag and using her wits. The ending is a fresh twist on happily-ever-after and the neat fable works perfectly as a book to video adaptation.
This gentle story by Kelly Starling Lyons, about shy Lil Alan dreaming up the perfect talent to share at his family reunion’s show, is a lyrical celebration of a multi-generational African American family. The video lingers over Daniel Minter’s warm, gentle art that shows every character and the rural setting in loving detail. This story is perfect to spark conversations about family stories and the ties we share.
Adam Rubin’s modern classic Dragons Love Tacos is just about universally loved by readers and listeners ages 2-5. The idea of luring dragons to a party with lettuce, tomatoes and teeny tiny tacos—but NOT spicy salsa— is just too deliciously silly to pass up. Little ones will want to hear this again and again- just hit replay on this great video!
The True Story of The 3 Little Pigs!
Poet and author Jon Sciezka’s talents lend themselves well to a wacky fairy tale remix, but veteran character actor Paul Giamatti’s narration is perfection for this fun and easy video adaptation. It’s the number 3 most popular kids’ video on Hoopla, and with good reason—Giamatti’s acting chops nail the voices of the pigs, the wolf and the quotable narration.