A cute bit of fun for the kiddies, this collection of stories based on the work of Doreen Cronin is harmless entertainment for all ages. The DVD, part of the award-winning “Scholastic Storybook Treasures” series, consists of five stories by Cronin, three of which feature that mischievous feathered imp Duck.
Duck follows in the footsteps of other famous fowls like Donald and Daffy, using his cleverness to get his own way. In fact, Duck’s voice is so similar to Donald Duck’s, it’s a wonder Disney hasn’t complained. Duck’s perpetual opponent is the hard-working but easily outwitted Farmer Brown. Brown is to Duck what Ranger Smith is to Yogi Bear, or Officer Dibble is to Top Cat, or zookeeper Stanley Livingston is to Tennessee Tuxedo.
In the first story, “Giggle, Giggle, Quack”, Duck takes advantage when Farmer Brown goes on vacation, leaving his unsuspecting brother Bob in charge. Farmer Brown leaves detailed instructions for Bob to follow. He also warns Bob to watch out for Duck. “He’s trouble!” the farmer states and he is soon proven right. No sooner has the farmer left than Duck puts his scheme into action.
Duck gets hold of Farmer Brown’s notes and changes them to a list of activities Duck finds more entertaining. The naïve Bob obeys the written instructions and soon it's party time for the farm animals. Duck's rewritten rules include pizza for all the animals and movie night. “Giggle, Giggle, Quack” is illustrated by Betsy Lewin and narrated by Randy Travis.
In the second story, “Dooby Dooby Moo”, Duck sees an ad in the paper for a talent show at the county fair. The prize is a trampoline, which Duck really wants, so he organizes the farm animals to start rehearsing musical acts for the show. Duck has to hide the song-and-dance preparations from Framer Brown, who wouldn’t approve. The animals rehearse at night when Farmer Brown is asleep. Whenever he hears a noise and comes to check up on them, they quickly feign sleep. The gullible farmer is fooled.
On the day of the show, the seemingly innocent animals sleep in the back of the farmer’s pick-up truck as he drives to the county fair. While Farmer Brown wanders off to the free buffet, Duck and his farmhouse songsters spring into action and race to win the talent show before Farmer Brown gets back. The judges are hard to impress. When all else fails, Duck breaks into a rocking version of “Born to be wild”. “Dooby Dooby Moo” is illustrated by Betsy Lewin and narrated by Randy Travis.
The third story, “Duck for President”, finds our feathered friend Duck railing against Farmer Brown for working the animals too hard. In protest, Duck arranges for farm elections and runs against his human nemesis. Duck wins the election but finds that running a farm is even less fun than living in one, so he decides it's time for bigger and better things. Duck decides to run for governor of the state. And surprise, surprise, Duck wins. However, he is still disenchanted. Being a governor is not fun. Too many paper cuts and the scotch tape gets stuck in his feathers. So it’s onward and upwards, when Duck decides to run for President.
There is a lot of political satire in “Duck for President” that the little ones won’t get, such as a Bill Clinton parody where Duck plays the saxophone on late night television. There’s also a commentary on partisan preaching-to-the-choir politics when Duck continually makes speeches that only other ducks can understand. “Duck for President” is illustrated by Betsy Lewin and narrated by Randy Travis.
The fourth carton, “Diary of a Worm”, is a look into the life of a young and lovable worm dealing with the pangs of growing up. The story makes a parallel between the lives of the underground invertebrates and us humans. The funniest scene is when the worms do the “Hokey Pokey” but can only put their heads in because they have nothing else. “Diary of a Worm” is illustrated by Harry Bliss and narrated by Alexander Gould.
The final cartoon, “Diary of a Fly”, is similar to the previous one, giving us a peek into the life of a young fly. The major difference is her dream of being a superhero. She enjoys her “super powers” such as flying and being able to see in all directions at once. “Diary of a Fly” is illustrated by Harry Bliss and narrated by Abigail Breslin.
DVD Bonus Features
The DVD features include Spanish language versions of “Giggle,G iggle, Quack” and “Duck for President”, as well as an interview with illustrator Harry Bliss about “Diary of a Fly” and “Diary of a Worm”. There is also a read-along option for each cartoon.
"Giggle, Giggle, Quack" is on sale March 30, 2010 and is rated G. Animation, Children & Family. Written by Doreen Cronin. Starring Abigail Breslin, Alexander Gould, Randy Travis.
