All Rise...

Judge David Johnson has the whole double cheeseburger in his hands.

The Charge

…and more stories to celebrate the environment.

The Case

Here's Scholastic with another batch of read-along stories, plucked from the vaults and tied together with the tenuous theme of environmentalism that doesn't quite shake out. The title segment is more a sing-along than a read-along. He's Got the Whole Word in His Hands is a song I remember singing in Sunday School and I don't quite see how it reflects the disc's synopsis, that calls it "the beloved folk song that celebrates the connection between people and nature." Who's the "He" in that sentence? Jake from Avatar? Still, catchy tune and it features easy to follow lyrics on the screen.

The fun continues with three more stories:

"Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message"
Written and performed by Chief Jake Swamp (awesome name!), this recitation comes complete with authentic Native American verbiage and a reverence to Mother Earth.

"Come On, Rain"
Tess is a little girl who can't take the scorching summer heat and bellows out to nature for some refreshing rain and SPOILER! it rains,

"Owl Moon"
This might the fiftieth time I've seen "Owl Moon" on one of these Scholastic compilation discs, but what do you expect? It's a classic.

In addition, you get three more stories that are barely about the environment: "The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks," "Patrick," and "A Boy, a Dog and a Frog." Sixty minutes worth of entertainment, presented in boilerplate full frame and 2.0 stereo.

The Verdict

Not Guilty. All hail Mother Earth!

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