Oswald - On-the-Go Oswald
Who is Oswald and what is this octopus doing?
I had never met Oswald and I was surprised to discover that he was an octopus- not exactly the children's cartoon character I expected. In fact, his friends are a pretty odd lot- a dog, a flower and a penguin ( with the distinct voice of "Squiggy" from Laverne and Shirley). I don't mean odd in a bad way, they certainly are a lovable bunch, but yet a different blend of characters none the less. Perhaps Nickelodeon was trying to make a statement about the diversity of our world, by putting them together.
Anyway, the video consists of four short stories about twelve minutes each. While watching the first, Daisy and the Duckling, I was immediately struck by the serenity and the calm of the characters and the intermittent musical background. In fact, this is probably the quietest and most low keyed children's cartoon video, I have ever seen. Even more impressive, was that it actually held the attention, of my class of four year olds, as they watched in relative silence.
Basically there are four simple stories told on this tape, each highlighting a lesson or a basic feeling. At times, compared to the fast action-packed videos of today, it was slow moving, but its simplicity had a very calming effect on the children and they followed each storyline intently.
On The Go Oswald is a welcome relief from the prolific noise and violence on our children's televisions. A good simple story can always stand on its own.
Written by: Janet Pope
Reviewers Rating: 8
Reader's Rating: 10.00
Reader's Votes: 1
Added: 9-Dec-2003
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