Earth Babies Blog

Archive for the ‘Books & Movies’ Category

Tomorrow is our first visit to the dentist … I know this is a first that should have happened long ago but well it didn’t.
I have been talking about it for over a week now to get the kids (mainly Kara) positive about going. Rafe was keen – he actually asked if we could go as it seems he has a molar bugging him. His plan is to ask the dentist to pull it out so he can get money .

I now have 2 children who cannot wait to visit the dentist – I am embarassed (maybe not) to admit that with Kara is took bribery of the worst kind … “if you dont go to the dentist it means you cannot have sweets anymore, but if you go to the dentist and we look after your teeth nicely you can have sweets” …. she was practically in the car and ready to go last week with this reasoning. Sugar is this childs crack *sigh*.
She will also be getting a Dora the Explorer lucky packet after the visit if there are no tears and fighting – holding thumbs it works, doctor visits in the past have been very traumatic, mostly for the doctor and myself.
Read the rest of this entry »

translated into English by J. Alison James

I read this book to the kids this week and found a you-tube clip of the story.
It is a simple yet sweet story about the joy of sharing – not only about the giving of an item but about the joy it bring those that receive as well as those that give.

On the flip side it can also be a good introduction to talking about how we treat those who are different. How having ‘more’ does not make a person better and that just because someone looks different does not mean they need to be treated differently.

Youtube clip of The Rainbow Fish (6 minutes)

Another book/you tube clip blogged about was
Where the Wild Things are

Yes they ARE in my home (3 & 5 yrs), but I am referring to the book & movie today.

* Dont think this contains spoilers apart from my opinions, for those who have not seen it*

I recently took the dvd out thinking it will be a nice one for the kids and i to watch together (movie-on-the-wall-night) – I had no clue about the story, had never seen the book and have just picked up on the hype from the internet.
Both my kids were already upset by the first part of the movie, the child’s behaviour is very angry and depressed (i think it is more this than the anger that got to them). Kara lost interest here but Rafe watched on till the Wild things entered the scene and all the anger, monsters, dark scenes and the constant underlying fear of being eaten made him decide he was scared and was not watching any more. I think also the fantastic construction they were building was ominous to him.

I watched a little longer until my husband got home and then was not interested enough to continue watching it alone.
I had come to the conclusion that the book had been written for older children (7-8 years +) and was discussing it with my sister who said (after I described pretty much the above) that the book was not really like that and it was aimed at a younger group. She had done the book when studying teaching and wondered how they had made a movie out of a ‘one line a page story’. Out of curiosity I googled the book and found this sweet you tube clip which i am assuming is the entire book narrated. It looks cute, has none of the overly disturbed personalities depicted in the movie (the book character gives me the impression of a normal child with normal moods and tantrums) and it has very little of the extended story line. I feel rather disappointed in how it was translated – it was definitely done on a much more grown up level and focusses on social concerns that little ones can’t grasp (I think a lot of it even escaped me).

Have you seen the movie? What did you think? Is it worth giving it another try and watching to the end (for me not the kids lol – would not do that to them again till they are older and less worried about monsters in their rooms).