When it comes to little kids, scary stories are tough. Finding that balance of fun frightening without freaking them out can be difficult. Just in time for Halloween, Scholastic Storybook Treasures released a new DVD collection Teeny-Tiny and the Witch Woman...and more spooky Halloween stories, and unfortunately, Scholastic did not hit the right balance.
There are five stories in the collection including Teeny-Tiny and the Witch Woman by Barbara K. Walker, The Boy with Two Shadows by Margaret Mahy, Los Gatos Black on Halloween by Maris Montes, What's Under My Bed? by James Stevenson, and King of the Cats by Paul Galdone. The first story is a lot like Hansel and Gretel with siblings who are lured into a witch's house, except in this case it is three brothers instead of a brother and sister.
The Boy with Two Shadows is a story about a boy with an exceptionally good shadow who is tricked by a witch into looking after her naughty shadow. Los Gatos Black on Halloween is a Spanish-language Halloween book with a little twist at the end. What's Under My Bed? is a bedtime story about a grandchildren staying over at their grandparent's house who are scared of monsters under their beds. King of the Cats is the story of a clan of black cats who have crowned a new leader.
Out of all the stories, the only two that really make sense in the compilation are Los Gatos Black on Halloween and What's Under My Bed? Los Gatos is scary enough to get kids interested while not being too weird, and the twist at the end empowers kids to not be scared of monsters. What's Under My Bed? is also ultimately empowering to kids because it takes bumps and shadows that turn into monsters and shows that they are nothing to be afraid of. Teeny-Tiny was too much like Hansel and Gretel, and the part with the multiplying stack of needles was just weird. The Boy with Two Shadows didn't really make much sense, and King of the Cats didn't have a very strong plot at all. Ultimately, this is a strike-out for Scholastic's Storybook Treasures which usually puts out much stronger products.
SPECIAL FEATURES
There is an interview with author Maris Montes which by itself is better than everything else on the DVD. Her story of overcoming adversity is inspiring, and she had some wonderful tips for aspiring young writers.
"Teeny-Tiny and the Witch Woman...and more spooky Halloween stories" is on sale September 6, 2011 and is not rated. Animation, Children & Family, Education. Starring Maria Conchita Alonso.
