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Stranger in the Woods
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K-Gr 3 The stunning best seller self-published by Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick (2000) comes to life in this fantasy set in a winter woods. Pierre, a snowdrift with a "bad French accent," tells of a day the forest animals discover a snowman in their midst. The birds are the first to notice and sound the alarm. The creatures' startled expressions and frozen poses convey their fear. Wary of the stranger at first, they quickly realize that there are tasty seeds on his hat and a yummy carrot nose. A mitten lying in the snow suggests the presence of another stranger, and two young siblings are revealed, watching the wildlife enjoy their snowman. When the food is gone and the scavengers disperse, the youngsters venture out to replenish their food supply. The scene then switches to a cozy living room where brother and sister are reading Stranger in the Woods after which they bundle up for the snow, go sledding, make snow angels, and build the snowman. Suddenly and somewhat confusingly, they are grown and engaged in a snowball fight. The story ends with a catchy sing-along, "Who's the Stranger?" that children will find irresistible. Exquisite close-ups of a muskrat, owl, porcupine, rabbit, field mouse, fawn, buck, and various birds accompany the spirited narration and lively songs. All of nature is anthropomorphized in this fanciful flick, from the snow itself to a little oak leaf lying in the brook. Kids will particularly enjoy the upbeat tune, "Mr. Winter's Here," during which the snowman dons silly hats and faces, reminiscent of Raymond Briggs's The Snowman (Random, 1978). Though each creature has a distinct voice, the silly accents may annoy some viewers or confuse non-native speakers. The final 15 minutes contain an additional promotional video on the making of the film. Most of the humor in this segment is aimed at an adult audience (i.e., the trials of self-publishing) and a lot of the material is repetitive. Though it cannot compete with Briggs's classic, this selection is an ideal resource for units on snow or winter, and the soundtrack is bouncy and engaging.-Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

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