Bedtime for Frances | Kid-Friendly Movie Reviews | Family Movies & DVDs



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		Bedtime for Frances: DVD & Book Set

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		On DVD Now Best For Preschoolers (3-5) Not Rated
		Animation \| Comedy

		Frances, the beloved badger, worries about cupcakes, missing Lizard Land and going to sleep in these three stories CGI-animated by Henson Digital Puppetry Studio. Russell Hoban's classic children's book comes to life for the first time on DVD through the magic of Jim Henson's digitally animated characters. The DVD is tucked into a custom-made hardbound version of the award-winning book, offering kids a great opportunity to read and watch the story. By the end of both, kids will be shouting along with the slightly self-absorbed star, "Hooray for Frances!"

Babies won't understand the concept of emotions yet, but may still be attracted to Frances' exuberance and her imaginative ways of expressing herself. Two-year-olds won't be surprised that bedtime is so hard for Frances--"my eyes just don't want to sleep yet"--and they'll watch with interest to see how she resolves the issue. Be warned: young viewers may decide to copy Frances, who shines a flashlight in her father's face while he's sleeping!

Preschoolers are full of drama--their highs are very high and their lows are very low--so they'll immediately relate to Frances' excitement about going to Lizard Land as well as her disappointment when the trip is cancelled because her sister gets sick. They'll understand her screaming, "No fair!" and will sing along that "Little sisters are such a pain/They're worse than clouds/They're worse than rain." They'll also be fascinated when Frances eats her friend's cupcake and makes up stories about ants eating it--or maybe the cupcake monster!

The "Frances" stories are probably too babyish for kids in this age group, although younger children may still gain confidence by realizing that others share their same feelings. They'll find it reassuring to know they're not the only ones who sometimes need "me myself time" to figure things out, who get jealous when their friend is better than they are at something and whose tummy aches when they tell a lie.