DVDs of narrated (ideally not animated) children's stories?

[Holiztic]

So DS (32 months) is TV and video free and we plan to keep it that way for a few more years, and then be very light and selective after that. Even with 6 household colds last year we managed to keep him screen-free. However, we are just recovering from a killer 10 days. I had a pretty bad cold first, then cold-related insomnia, when I felt like I was just about to implode DS came down with it and is so tired and miserable and none of us is sleeping much. Anyway, I found a video on our On Demand cable of Patrick Stewart reading The Elves and The Shoemaker while a camera just panned/zoomed on the beautiful illustrations of the book. No animation, character voices, just narration and still illustrations. It is made by Weston Woods along with Scholastic, but all their other titles seem to be somewhat or totally animated. I am considering buying something like that for sick-time, but would love to find more like the shoemaker.

So a two-part question:

1) Does anyone know of any DVD of narrated children's books on DVD without animation? I am thinking of the way Reading Rainbow showed books (if I remember correctly) by just showing the still pictures.

OR

2) Can you recommend a DVD or collection of DVDs that does animate the original illustrations but is slow and gentle with more still than moving and nothing too flashy or fast? I saw a demo of "Where the Wild Things Are" from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...cm_rdp_product and it was just too flashy (literally like a strobe--esp when the "wild things" were roaring and gnashing). I would have loved it if it had just been a little slower and gentler. Not sure about the rest of the set.

Any ideas?

[DaughterOfKali]

I did a search at my library once for "animated books, dvd". Got lots of results.
You could probably google it, too.

[TiredX2]

Moving to Books, Music & Other Media

[sapphire_chan]

http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Rainbo...0565041&sr=1-1

[Holiztic]

Originally Posted by sapphire_chan

http://www.amazon.com/Reading-Rainbo...0565041&sr=1-1

Yeah, maybe when he's older, but I really only want the parts where they read a book, not all the other stuff. I think its a great show, and it with Mr Rogers will be on my list in a few years. But for this young age I really hope to find story time on DVD, you know? No "action", just illustrations and narration.

I know I am basically saying "I want a DVD that's not a DVD" I know what I want doesn't really sell when there's so much more entertaining shows, etc. out there. I might settle on the Scholastic set, but want to keep looking for some non-action ones. If the Elves and the Shoemaker exists, something else must!

[LuckyMommaToo]

Would websites work?

Try this, of famous actors reading books:
http://www.storylineonline.net/

Or this one:
http://www.tumblebooks.com/library/a...umblebooks.asp

There are tiny amounts of animation in the second one, but they're really minimal.
-e

[merpk]

Often library websites have them.

Mine does. But then again, my (formerly local) library is the NY Public Library. But I think the stuff they have is accessible on other libraries' sites (or so a neighbor formerly from Pittsburgh tells me). I forget what it's called, but it's an interlibrary system for websites ... ??? sorry, can't be precise. You might need to have a code to access your library's content, though.

[Holiztic]

Originally Posted by merpk

Often library websites have them.

Mine does. But then again, my (formerly local) library is the NY Public Library. But I think the stuff they have is accessible on other libraries' sites (or so a neighbor formerly from Pittsburgh tells me). I forget what it's called, but it's an interlibrary system for websites ... ??? sorry, can't be precise. You might need to have a code to access your library's content, though.

Well, we do have the top rated library system in the country, so if anyone has them, they should! I'll check it out (no pun intended!)

Thanks!

[tbone_kneegrabber]

Scholastic Treasury of 50 Storybooks I think is exactly what you are looking for. I remember seeing a few of them at the school I used to work at and they were just pictures and naration. Acutally one of the reviews/comments on this amazon page is about how "boring" they are because of that!

[Holiztic]

Originally Posted by tbone_kneegrabber

Scholastic Treasury of 50 Storybooks I think is exactly what you are looking for. I remember seeing a few of them at the school I used to work at and they were just pictures and naration. Acutally one of the reviews/comments on this amazon page is about how "boring" they are because of that!

Ha! How funny, I just ordered it an hour ago! I was actually reading all the reviews of the various scholastic collections hoping to see "boring" in them!

[cheery]

We saw a very nice collection of Ezra Jack Keats stories on DVD, also produced by Weston Woods iirc.

And a lovely video of Blueberries for Sal (along with some other stories, I think) all in that same style of panning over the storybook pages. It can't get any less like TV than that

You might also consider audio books.

[luv-my-boys]

I was going to recommend the scholastic 50 that you already have linked. they are pretty great. We also got a set of books on "dvd" which literally are jus tthe illustrations with the readers voice from weekly reader a few yrs ago. They have new sets each yr and the last 2 have not had the dvd portion just audio cd's. So im not sure if they quit making those sets.

[Holiztic]

So we got the Scholastic 50 and like the type-A TV-free mom that I am, I stayed up late 3 nights in a row watching each and every one (over 7 hours) and making notes and grading them on how appropriate they are for DS. Go ahead, laugh at me, I am!

Anyway, I am very happy and love most of the Keats and Harold DVDs as well as a smattering of others.

Thanks to all!

[meemee]

something i got my dd hooked on (i have always encouraged her to listen rather than watch) was tv shows on the radio. i had a hard time finding plays. however the tv shows worked as there were none of the voices she was scared of.

[Holiztic]

Originally Posted by meemee

something i got my dd hooked on (i have always encouraged her to listen rather than watch) was tv shows on the radio. i had a hard time finding plays. however the tv shows worked as there were none of the voices she was scared of.

We have a tuner for our sound from the DVD player, so we could turn off the screen and just listen to the stories on DVD or a (carefully selected) TV program, but really I know he'd not rest or let me rest with this option. Neat idea for fun, but not for desperate-need-a-rest sick time!