Wild Things

by John Holbo on October 14, 2006

A few months ago I praised Kim Deitch – as well I should. I didn’t mention at the time that his dad, Gene Deitch, is no slouch either. (I guess that must be why they gave him an Oscar, so maybe my help here is not needed.) And not just that: on Gene Deitch’s website you can listen to the original John Lee Hooker recordings he made long, long ago.

I mention Deitch because I notice that Amazon just put a bunch of Scholastic DVD’s for kids on sale (we parents watch out for such things). And the pick of the litter is Where the Wild Things Are; a bunch of Sendak stories, directed and produced by Deitch. And you get Peter “PDQ Bach” Schickele providing some music and narration. And Carole King singing songs we remember: “Pierre”, “One Was Johnny”, “Alligators All Around”, “The Ballad of Chicken Soup”. (You can watch them all on YouTube.) Best of all is “In the Night Kitchen”. It tripped out my 2-year old. And, of course, “Where The Wild Things Are”.

{ 2 comments }

1 Russell Arben Fox 10.14.06 at 9:47 am

We just picked these up ourselves, John; it was Peter Schickele’s involvement in the narration that sold us. And I agree, his rendition of “In the Night Kitchen” is the best of the bunch (though Carole King’s songs, particularly “Chicken Soup,” are a whole lot better than I thought they possibly could be). I know Sendak held out for years, resisting any adaptations of his work; but with Deitch & Co., he (or his lawyers) made the right choice.

2 Belle Waring 10.14.06 at 11:09 pm

Yeah, Russell, my girls marched around chanting ‘I’m in the milk, and the milk’s in me, God bless milk, and God bless me.’

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