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My Changing Planet

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Gr 1—5—More than 20 singers and actors from across the country, including Joan Osborne, Toby Lightman, Noah Emmerich, Lucy Woodward, and the Wiyos, perform these 18 songs, poems, and skits about caring for planet Earth. The songs were written by four mothers (Maya Churi, Jessica Hoffman, Jennifer Marks, Heather Staples) who planned this project together. Musical styles range from rock to blues to folk. All vocal and instrumental performances are very good. The playlist includes "My Changing Planet" (changing temperatures), "Garbage," "Fortunate" (turning off lights and water), "Gas Guzzling Blues," "The World Beneath the Waves," "No Te Creo" (famous discoveries and accomplishments), "Two Polar Bears in Love," and others. "The Earth Is Not a Ball" and "Why Not Grow a Garden" are poems. "Jeremiah Tin Can" is a skit about a fourth-grader who recycles everything. In "Paper vs Plastic," a paper bag and a plastic bag argue over which is better for the environment. All of the profits from the album will be donated to the Nature Conservancy. A useful collection for libraries and classrooms.—Beverly Wrigglesworth, San Antonio Public Library, TX
In this beautiful, heartrending, yet horrifying film, North Koreans tell their stories of imprisonment, sexual slavery, torture, murder, and escape to China or South Korea during the nearly 50-year regime of Kim Il Sung (1912—94). The interviews are illustrated through the interspersion of dance sequences, archival news footage, and drawings. Particularly interesting are the North Korean propaganda films celebrating Kim Il Sung as God and showing in the face of mass starvation happy workers, elaborate military displays, and the creation of a new flower in 1988 in honor of the 46th birthday of Kim's son and successor, Kim Jong Il. A valuable time line traces 20th-century events in Korea. Bonus features include previously unreleased footage of camp refugees. This mesmerizing film displays excellent production values and is highly recommended for Asia collections.—Kitty Chen Dean, formerly with Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY
Reviewed by Kitty Chen Dean , May 01, 2011

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