Product Review

For those who found the animated Pooh video series a disappointment compared to the original Disney featurettes (compiled in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh), The Book of Pooh may revive interest. Its puppetry gives child viewers the delightful impression that their stuffed toys have come to life. Although this new Disney Channel series still offers more lesson-oriented storytelling than the whimsy of the A.A. Milne-based originals, it has its own charm. This 46-minute offering contains three fright-oriented stories with Halloween in mind. The first--a double-length episode--focuses on Eeyore's move to the Scary Woods while the rest of the gang dreams up creepy costumes to win the contest at Kanga's holiday party. Piglet finds a black hat he thinks makes him brave, and Tigger, Piglet, and Rabbit get spooked housesitting for Owl in the other two stories. (Ages 1 to 6) --Kimberly Heinrichs