Missy Mila: Twisted Tales, Vol. 1

K-Gr 3—This import from the UK aims to introduce children to traditional stories from around the world, updated with a "twist." The tales are introduced by Missy Mila, a manic, shrill-voiced eight-year-old with a gratuitous giggle. Each of the 13 stories is loosely based on a fairy tale, folk tale, or myth, but lacks the richness and sophistication of the original. Borrowed from Greek mythology, "The Toupouloupou" who lives in a labyrinth is persuaded not to eat the seven sacrificial prisoners he's offered when he's introduced to sweets and finds that he prefers them. "Baba Yaga the Witch" rides on a vacuum cleaner. The three pigs tame a big, bad bull. In what is a rather disturbing twist, the story of "Djoha's Last Lie" features a genie who rewards the main character for promising that the next lie he tells will be his last. In addition to the questionable morals involved, literal-minded children will notice that Djoha actually tells two lies to achieve his deceit. Most of the tales are innocuous, however, and reward qualities like kindness, (e.g., when Piboule is kind to bees, they help him capture a bear) or punish behavior like bullying (e.g., Aurel the Mocker is turned into a hedgehog). The two-dimensional animation is unimpressive. In an attempt at making the produciton more interactive, Mila addresses the audience and asks questions. Children may find the brevity and humor in these updated stories entertaining, but not overly engaging.—Constance Dickerson, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, OH