[.ca] Elephant S Child (ISBN 0940793776)

Good, so-so.:
This movie was very informative. I read the story, and thought that it was better than the movie. For me, the movie spoiled the whole story. I did not approve of the way that Jack Nicolson changed "insatiable curtiosity" to "satiable curiosity." I think that since it was Rudyard Kipling's intention that it should be written the way it was, then Nicolson should have kept it the way it was. The animation wasn't really animation but a bunch of pictures that moved around. I did like the music however. I think that the animation should be remade, but the music should stay the way it is. I suggest that you read the actual story.

Wonderful language, interesting story:
Kipling's language is almost poetic. It's meant to be read aloud. When read aloud to a child, say, a beloved girl of six, at bedtime, she stops fidgeting, she listens carefully, she asks questions about what this word means or why the family members are all so mean and have to spank the little elephant with the "'satiable curtiosity." Most of all, she's not bored and she wants to hear it again. And again. And she gets very excited when she finds out that her daddy got the whole series of "Just-So Stories." I don't know how other children experience this. We're starting to teach our daughter about evolution of species; she asks a lot of questions about what elephants used to look like, and did they really once not have the really long noses they have today? I think she's starting to understand that this is a tall tale, but it's a great springboard for talking about the real-life origin of species (I think this statement is true even if you're trying to raise a creationist child). Yes, there is a lot of spanking. It didn't seem to upset my daughter, and she's pretty high-strung. All in all, a nicely rollicking story, and a good introduction to another classic in English-language children's literature.

Results of being nosey:
Right after "The Cat who Walked Alone" This has always been my favorite "Just So Story." It is good to see it in an individual book, as it is a little unwieldy as part of a group. This is the story of a curious elephant and how the elephant go its trunk. I can not say much more as the reader needs to experience the story as it unfolds. The pictures add a dimension and do not distract from the words. Rudyard Kipling is a master at this telling. "In the High and Far-Off Times the Elephant, O Best Beloved, had no trunk."

Results of being nosey:
Right after "The Cat who Walked Alone" This has always been my favorite "Just So Story." It is good to see it in an individual book, as it is a little unwieldy as part of a group. This is the story of a curious elephant and how the elephant go its trunk. I can not say much more as the reader needs to experience the story as it unfolds. The pictures add a dimension and do not distract from the words. Rudyard Kipling is a master at this telling. "In the High and Far-Off Times the Elephant, O Best Beloved, had no trunk."

Fantastic performance:
Buy a copy of this before it's out of print. Jack Nicholson (usually scary, but here quite gentle sounding) slyly gets deep into the characterizations of Kipling's tale, and Bobby McFerrin provides incidential music, songs, and even sound effects throughout. This is one of my favorite Rabbit Ears' productions. I only wish I'd snagged videos of the "Camel" and "Rhino" tales as well. Again, if you're at all a fan of Jack Nicholson or good storytelling, you cannot get any better than this release.