Bats and Cats

This week, we reviewed items about bats. Next week, we will review books about cats.

Russet, the bat that looks like a potato, waves goodbye

Austrailian Bats

The Australian Museum's Australian Bats website http://australianmuseum.net.au/Australian-bats/

Plot: The museum offers an overview of Australia's bats through this informative website. The site separates the bats according to fossil records and present locations. Each species' listing includes an image, as well as information about habitats, feeding, natural history, and conservation. The bats' classification is also listed and explained. A solid source for trivia about specific species of bats.

Genre: Website, Animals

Reading Level: Varied, however this aspect of the site is friendly to tweens.

Similar Title: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, American Natural History Museum

Personal Thoughts: The site manages to balance information, illustration, and appearance nicely.

Secret World of Bats

Secret World of Bats produced by Bat Conservation International.

Plot: Worldwide, bats are in peril. Misconception and superstition haunt the mammals wherever they live. Yet, they are vitally important to their environment. Many plants rely on bats for pollination and seed dispersal. Bats also provide insect control, devouring several hundred pests a night. In addition, bats have incredible adaptations which inspire scientists to develop new medical and technological innovations. Assisting bats benefits humanity.

Genre: Documentary, Animal, Conservation

Reading Level: Not Rated, but hunting scenes may be intense for sensitive viewers.

Similar Titles: Wild China, Bat and Man

Personal Thoughts: The documentary provides information under a barrage of conservation messages. Almost every segment seems to end with a sentence regarding human-influenced damage to bat populations. While bats certainly need attention from a conservation standpoint, the documentary would benefit from one or, at most, two segments directly addressing conservation with the rest of the film focusing on the importance of bats. The constant reminder of conservation topics break the flow of the documentary, making the film into little more than a rant against human actions.

Eyewitness Junior Books: Amazing Bats

Greenaway, Frank and Young, Jerry. Eyewitness Junior Books: Amazing Bats. New York : Knopf, 1991.

Plot: The book offers an overview of some of the world's weirdest and most amazing mammals, bats. Following the trend set by the Eyewitness series, the book uses white backgrounds and varied images with captions highlighting key facts about the animals. Unlike the books aimed at more mature audiences, the images include more hand-drawn illustrations than photographs, adding a degree of humor to the series.

Genre: Animals

Reading Level: Grades 3-5

Similar Titles: Beautiful Bats, Bats: Shadows in the Night, Eyewitness Junior Books: Amazing Insects

Personal Thoughts: As mentioned before, I am a fan of the Eyewitness series. The "lighter" Junior Eyewitness series may be more accessible for newer readers than the traditional series, though. Additionally, the different subjects flow somewhat better than other Eyewitness books. However, the title does not offer the details of the older series. Still, the book offers solid information and illustrations, providing a good introduction to bats.

Movies and Next Week

So we conclude our movie week, on the eve of the opening of a brand-new, highly anticipated film by Christopher Nolan. In honor of the film's opening, next week, we shall focus on bats. No men, just bats.

Photo from Animal Capshunz

Brave

Brave produced by Pixar.

Plot: Princess Merida, a headstrong, athletic, intelligent seventeen-year-old, is determined to stop her mother's plan to betroth her. By contrast, Queen Elenor observes her daughter's reluctance, but insists the only way to maintain the kingdom comes through submission to tradition. After a chance encounter with a wood witch, the princess gains a spell guaranteed to "change her mother." The spell works, but instead of changing Elenor's mind, the magic changes her into a bear. After escaping the castle and feuding clans, the queen and princess discover the spell will be permanent after two days. Miranda and her mother must work together to break the spell before Elenor's mind is lost forever.

Genre: Fantasy, Animation, Movies

Reading Level: Rated PG for scary moments and crude humor

Similar Titles: Finding Nemo

Personal Thoughts: I am not sure why this movie gets the negative reviews it receives. Most sources site slow pacing, undeveloped characters, lack of surprises, and mixed plotlines. Personally, I found the pacing considerably quicker than other Pixar films, particularly Toy Story, Finding Nemo, or Cars. While the film includes many characters and plots, their interactions with each other define their personalities. The movie does not feature the monologues or personal speeches present in, say, The Incredibles or Ratatoullie, because the characters act on their intentions instead of stating them. Not too many twists appear in the film, but they did not need to, since the traditional "princess doesn't want to get married story" morphs into a "mother-daughter film," causing a subtle shift rather than a dramatic twist. Pixar seems to take everything it learned from prior films to create a solid offering.

Perhaps the favor or disfavor stems from the viewers, rather than the film itself. For example, the movie features more "cartoony" moments than prior features, so non-animation fans may find the film tedious. Also, background can influence the viewer. For example, my mother liked the film because she raised three teenage daughters. She understood Elenor's struggles in trying to raise a good kid in an unkind world of mixed messages. Non-mothers may have a very different view of the conflicts Elenor faces.

I like the movie, though, because like the modern tween, I grew up with The Little Mermaid. Nearly every movie I watched featured a strong, independent, female character instantly hailed as the ideal women...until actually viewed her outside of the movie. I will use Ariel as an example. She is an athletic, friendly, beautiful, independent women who, ultimately, is selfish, unwilling to learn, and irresponsible. Like Merida, she gains a spell to get what she wants, and ultimately threatens her family and her kingdom in the process, but still receives her desire without cost. She receives everything she wants without facing her own faults and, as a result, never really changes for better or worse. Real people do not live in consequence-free situations. Unlike Ariel, though, Merida eventually confronts her faults with tears, realizing her choices, not her situation, caused the problems. This, combined with her other qualities such as laziness and stubbornness may not make her a "strong female character" but, with her intelligence and athleticism, it does make her into a realistic, attainable one. Merida acts like a real person, not a caricature, bringing the fantasy movie to a new height.

Gulliver's Travels

 
Gulliver's Travels distributed by Paramount Pictures.

Plot: A fierce storm blows Gulliver, a sailor, onto a land of tiny people in turmoil. The kings of Lilliput and Blefuscu declare war after they fight over their national songs, much to their betrothed children's dismay. When the giant sailor unexpectedly wins the first battle between the two nations for Lilliput, he enjoys the status of a hero. After discovering the cause of the war, though, he realizes battles alone will not solve the war. A larger way of thinking can provide the only solution to the small countries' problem.

Genre: Animation, Movies, Fantasy

Reading Level: Rated G

Similar Titles: Snow White, Wizard of Oz

Personal Thoughts: Quite unintentionally, I find myself reviewing two movies about exceptionally tiny people this week. Oh well.


The film followed the success of Disney's first feature-length film, Snow White. While Gulliver's Travels shows its age, particularly in regards to the character design and music, it shows higher potential than Disney's film. Shadow and light interact better with each other than in Snow White. Additionally, the film attempts, with mixed results, to focus on "adult" concerns, such as war homesickness, which many modern Disney films continue to neglect. Unfortunately, the movie's director, Dave Fleischer, lacked Walt Disney's business skills, and the film, as well as his studio, never really managed to rival Disney. Still, the movie offers a snapshot of the potential of early animation.

The movie fell under public domain recently, so the movie can be downloaded for free from The Internet Archive . Be warned, though. The copy is not particularly high-quality. Some DVDs offer better, remastered versions of the film, so consider finding copies at other databases, libraries, or downloads.

Secret World of Arrietty

Secret World of Arrietty produced by Studio Ghibli, distributed by Disney.

Plot: Based on The Borrowers, The Secret World of Arrietty offers a Japanese-influenced retelling of the classic English story. Arrietty, the only daughter of two Borrowers, anticipates her first venture into the house. However, the sudden arrival of a young, ill boy threatens the plan. Her first trip ends abruptly when the boy spots her. He attempts to contact the family, despite their attempts to avoid him. Eventually, the trio have no other option. They must leave the house to avoid further detection. The boy may not be as malicious as they fear, though. Yet, despite his good and generous intentions, he may lead trouble to the Borrowers, particularly when the nosy maid becomes involved.

Genre: Anime, Movies, Fiction, Fantasy

Reading Level: Rated G

Similar Titles: The Cat Returns, Kiki's Delivery Service

Personal Thoughts: I liked the different cultures within the movie. Some viewers find the contrast forced or unsettling, but the blend of Western and Japanese styles enhances the setting of the film. Much of the animation attempts to follow the modern, Western style and, as a result, the art depicting backgrounds, furniture, light, and shadow allow an extreme focus to detail, enhancing the sense of smallness in Arrietty's world. However some aspects, particularly the character movement and eye design, maintain an anime-like appearance, allowing the film to focus on the expressiveness of the characters.

Next Week

Summer is truly underway. So far, though, all of my entries have focused on non-fiction, serious stuff. It is time for tweens (and their families) to goof off a little. So next week, we will review some movies.

Netflix gooooodddd...

Wildlife Specials: Crocodiles: Smilling Predators

Wildlife Specials: Crocodiles: Smiling Predators presented by the BBC.

Plot: Crocodiles intimidate people worldwide. They are stealthy, ancient predators with fiercely effective hunting techniques. Yet, despite their primordial appearance, they often display complex behavior. To attract mates, they cry out with the range and variety of songbirds. Mothers show elaborate attention and care to their young ones. Even hunting can bring out unexpected actions. For example, crocodiles will collaborate in large groups to attack large, dangerous prey.  While crocodiles existed in the time dinosaurs and other ancient reptiles, their lifestyles are anything but primitive.

Genre: Documentary, Animals

Reading Level: Not rated, but aimed at a family audience.

Similar Titles: Polar Bear: Arctic Warrior, Eagle: Master of the Skies

Personal Thoughts: While the film is a bit dated (it was created in 1997) and does not offer the awe-inspiring cinematography of more recent documentaries, it still offers solid and captivating information about crocodiles' unexpected qualities.

Nature: Birds of the Gods

Nature: Birds of the Gods presented by PBS.

Plot: David Attenborough narrates a scientific expedition to locate and study the elusive birds of paradise in New Guinea. The birds influence the native culture with their bright feathers and distinctive displays, but finding them proves difficult for the scientists. Still, the researchers manage to observe and film several species. Since the filming took place during the birds' breeding season, many of the males' courtship displays find their way into the documentary.

Genre: Documentary, Animals, Culture

Reading Level: Not Rated, but aimed at a family audience.

Similar Titles: Nature: Humming Birds: Magic in the Air; Nature: A Murder of Crows

Personal Thoughts: The film manages to showcase both the birds and the people surrounding them. Often, documentaries focus on the animals and include humans only as the villains. While the episode does not deny human influences on the bird populations, it does not necessarily cast people in a negative light. In the film, people treasure the living birds as much as the plumage, and the efforts of scientists correspond to the traditions and needs of the locals. No one is the "bad guy," but both the hunters and the expedition team want to preserve a culture and a species linked to a unique island.

PBS offers additional resources and information at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/birds-of-the-gods/introduction/6229/.

Frozen Planet

Frozen Planet presented by the BBC.

Plot: A three-disc collection focusing on the northernmost and southernmost portions of the planet. Much like its predecessor, Planet Earth, the series attempts to film some of the strangest creatures and events of the natural world. Following the seasonal changes of the poles, the series reveals popular animals, such as polar bears, orcas, and penguins, as well as less famous creatures like guillemots and skuas. In addition, remarkable ice structures, ocean currents, and volcanoes find mention. The series is a solid addition to the BBC's collection of documentaries.

Genre: Documentary, Animals, Geography

Reading Level: Not Rated, but some bloody predator-prey instances occur.

Similar Titles: Life, Planet Earth

Personal Thoughts: The series combines gorgeous cinematography with Attenborough's steady narration to present an in-depth view of the poles. The series does not offer gentle transitions away from harsh realities, however. Each episode contains at least one Bambi moment, so caution sensitive viewers.

As a side note, keep a blanket or a sweater handy. It does not matter if it is summer. Viewers will get the chills.

David Attenborough

See this man?

Photo courtesy of http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David_Attenborough_%28cropped%29.jpg 

He has probably saved more science teacher substitutes from madness than any other person, place, or project known to humanity. He is Daven Attenborough, world-famous documentary maker. This week, we will focus on some of his works.