Earth Day for Kids

In honor of Earth Day’s 40th anniversary, Scholastic Books culled the archives to release seven short mini-films for young children on a new DVD, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands � and More Stories to Celebrate the Environment. Most of the shorts emphasize appreciation for the natural world rather than setting out a specifically green agenda. “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands includes scenes of people in various relations to nature�under rain sun and starlight�as Crystal Taliefero sings the familiar gospel song. “Owl Moon” is the story of a girl’s discovery of the beauty of a winter woods with wonderful still illustrations from Jane Yolen’s book. The narrative of “Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message: unfolds against a backdrop of deep, horizontal color blocks suggesting patterns from American Indian blankets.