Beyond Dr. Seuss and Berenstein Bears, there is a phenomenal assortment of lesser-known children’s stories that define elementary classroom lessons. A close friend and kindergarten teacher was overjoyed by this collection; featuring the all-star cast of Splat the Cat, Ping the Duck, Leo the Tiger, and many more of their close friends. The result is an invaluable boxed set that any child and educator will adore.
Splat the Cat, read by the strong British voice of John Keating, headlines this set. Included as well is an interview with Splat author and illustrator, Rob Scotton, that gives a comic backstory to one of the newest beloved children’s characters. Each story is narrated by a voice parents will recognize, including the superb talents Catherine O’Hara, Laura Dern, and Mary Beth Hurt among others. The narrators are undeniably children at heart, and let their own enjoyment of the stories and attachment to the characters shine through.
Each story also has a read-along function that breaks the fourth wall in a manner powerfully pioneered by Sesame Street in the 1960s, making the stories interactive and therefore more valuable to the early reader. Splat the Cat tells the story of a cat scared of going to his first day of school. Hondo & Fabian tells the story of two friends, a cat and a dog, while Leo the Late Bloomer follows a tiger who’s developing just a little bit slower than his friends. Each story tackles a universal idea, from fear of the unknown to the meaning of friendship, making these stories of the best caliber for a child developing his or her understanding of the brave new world around them.
"My First Collection Featuring Splat the Cat" is on sale May 10, 2011 and is rated G. Animation. Directed by Scholastic. Written by Rob Scotton, Emily Arnold McCully, Peter McCarty, Robert Kraus, etc.. Starring Catherine OHara, Laura Dern, Mary Beth Hurt.
