Monday, November 21, 2011

The Perfect DVD to Share with Your Family This Thanksgiving– Giving Thanks…and More Stories to Celebrate American Heritage (Product Review)

 

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  • Directors: Scholastic
  • Format: Animated, Color, DVD, NTSC
  • Language: English
  • Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only)
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: G (General Audience)
  • Studio: New Video Group
  • DVD Release Date: October 18, 2011
  • Run Time: 92 minutes
  • Summary:

    GIVING THANKS (Written and narrated by Chief Jake Swamp, illustrated by Erwin Printup Jr.) Known as the Thanksgiving Address, this Native American good morning message is based on the belief that the natural world is a precious and rare gift – from the moon and the stars to the tiniest blade of grass.

    HIAWATHA (By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, illustrated by Susan Jeffers) Hiawatha’s boyhood is gracefully brought to life against a background of authentic Native American music in this excerpt from Longfellow’s classic poem.

    THE PILGRIMS OF PLIMOTH (Written and illustrated by Marcia Sewall) The arrival of the Pilgrims in the new world is chronicled in this dramatic reenactment of their daily activities during those first trying years in the colony they called Plimoth.

    LINCOLN AND DOUGLASS: AN AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP (By Nikki Giovanni, illustrated by Bryan Collier, narrated by Danny Glover) The story of an unusual, historic friendship between two great American leaders – Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

    Supports: Appreciation; History; Friendship

    Bonus Features

    Interview with Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship Author Nikki Giovanni; Read-Along

    Awards:

    Parent’s Choice Award Winner!

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    My Thoughts:

    With Thanksgiving days away, it was nice to watch this movie today with my family and learn about and appreciate the real reason we celebrate Thanksgiving.  With the hustle and a bustle of our hectic lives, we sometimes forget why we are celebrating holidays.  So, it is nice when there are books and DVDs like this one that can be shared with the entire family to teach the true meaning of important events in history.

    Being from New England, every October my family and I would head to Plymouth Plantation for a family trip.  As a child growing up, I found it more entertaining to watch the people dressed up in character and run around the plantation, never really getting the real reason for Thanksgiving or how important Plymouth Plantation was.  It wasn’t until I was older and went to here on a school field trip that I truly grasped the importance of this family attraction.  And, since then, I have always looked forward to returning back prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, and stepping back in time as I listened to the workers dressed in character share their stories.

    Whenever possible, I try to find books that teach about important historical events, so that I can share these with my daughters as they get older.  I enjoyed books about historical events growing up, and hope they will appreciate them too. So, it was nice to see that Scholastic was offering this DVD just in time for the holiday. 

    My family and I enjoyed this DVD, and each of the 4 stories that were brought to life on the screen.  I especially loved The Pilgrims of Plymouth and HIAWATHA.  My daughters are too young to understand each of these stories, but as an adult, I found a great appreciation for each and know that these stories will become a tradition prior to each Thanksgiving in our household in years to come.

     

    ---BUY NOW---

    Head on over to Scholastic to buy this DVD now for only $14.95.  And, while you are there, don’t forget to check out their extensive line of educational and entertaining DVDs for the entire family.

     

    Disclosure:  I was sent a copy of this DVD from Scholastic in order to write up an honest review.  The views above are mine and mine alone.

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