Too Cute

So adorable...

Too Cute presented by Animal Planet.

Plot: The series follows the first weeks of young animals. Dogs and cats form the bulk of the episodes, but other animals, such as ducks and goats, eventually find their way into the show. The animals are filmed from birth to approximately eight weeks of age, showing their developments while referring to the history of their breeds. Additionally, the show touches on training animals for various tasks, such as agility courses and shows. The result is a show that is overwhelmingly cute, but still educational.

Genre: Documentary, Animals

Reading Level: Rated TV-G (some of the animals are slimy when they are first born, so sensitive viewers may appreciate a warning)

Similar Titles: Animal Odd Couples, America's Cutest

Personal Thoughts: While some parts of the documentary are clearly set-up (a puppy running away from home and a litter of kittens escaping their room, for example), the series does show the various stages of growth young animals experience. It also alerts viewers to necessities present in specific breeds, such as the need for warmth with sphinx cats, frequent grooming with Havanese, and socialization with bullmastiffs. As such, the show appeals to audiences seeking cute films while warning future pet owners of their animals' requirements.

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.

Planet Earth as You've Never Seen It Before

Fothergill, Alastair Fothergill. Planet Earth as You've Never Seen It Before. Berkeley : University of California Press, 2006.

Plot: The book, spawned by the popular television series, focuses on the natural history of the planet. Like the series, the book displays beautiful visuals about rare, famous, and/or elusive animals throughout the world.

Genre: Documentary, Animals

Reading Level: The language may discourage younger readers.

Similar Titles: Through the Lens, Life: Extraordinary Animals, Extreme Behaviors

Personal Thoughts: The book is beautiful and well-suited for a coffee table status. However, the writing remains extremely dry. Unlike the narration of the series, the book does not flow very well and information does not seem as accessible. Still, the captions are appealing and add greatly to the photographs, which are stills from the original documentary.

Planet Earth

Planet Earth. Produced by BBC.

Plot:  The British Broadcasting Corporation made a remarkable series recording some of the remarkable life present on the planet. Eleven episodes, arranged by habitat (for example, rainforests and shallow seas), display popular, as well as less famous, animals through formal narration, incredible cinematography, and creative music. Additionally, three episodes focus on conservation issues facing the planet.

Genre: Documentary, Animals, Conservation

Reading Level: Unrated, but some predation is present, so the sensitive may prefer a different documentary.

Similar Titles: Life of Birds, Life, Earth

Personal Thoughts: The photography for the series is amazing, both for its clarity and its subject. Animals are infamously difficult to film (there is a reason most directors refuse to work with them) and most episodes include a brief commentary of the difficulties facing the photographers. Yet, their efforts are well rewarded, both by the quality of the film and the critical praise of the Royal Television Society, Emmy Awards, Peabody Awards, and Broadcasting Press Guild.

My only complaint involves the conservation episodes. Instead of showing active conservation efforts or issues, most of the episodes focus on, as a co-worker of mine would say, talking heads. As a result, audience interest dies quickly.

Meerkat Manor: Flower of the Kalahari

Clutton-Brock, Tim. Meerkat Manor: Flower of the Kalahari. New York : Simon & Schuster, 2007.

Plot: The book follows the remarkable life of Flower, a meerkat in the Kalahari Desert. She transitions from a juvenile to the dominant female of her group, known as the famous Whiskers in the Animal Planet series. The book includes information not given in the series, such as Flower's pre-dominant life, Zephod's introduction, and other groups' interactions. Additionally, the book offers a "behind the scenes" look at the biologists' concerns, such as the purpose of the meerkat studies, similar animal studies, and filming issues.

Genre: Documentary-Books, Animals

Reading Level: A fairly accommodating book, but some may not be comfortable with its references to sex, infanticide, and predation.

Similar Titles: Meerkat Mail, Meerkats

Personal Thoughts: I liked the book more than the series. Before anyone ascribes the fact to "typical librarian behavior," the reasons exist beyond the television vs. book debate. The book offers more detail, extended facts, and better explanations than the series. Also, the animals and their actions are described from the perspective of a scientist trying to understand meerkats, so the "straight facts" are more accessible. The author also includes more information on other animals the meerkats encounter, as well as animals that have similar lifestyles to meerkats. Overall, the book seems more complete than the series.

Meerkat Manor

Meerkat Manor. Produced by Animal Planet.

Plot: A part documentary, part soap opera, the series follows the daily life of several meerkats in the Whiskers group. Several other groups, such as Commandos and Vivian, regularly come in contact with the Whiskers, often with violent results. Yet, drama also occurs within the group itself. Flower, the original dominant female, shamelessly uses aggression to ward off all up-and-coming meerkats, including her own daughters. Likewise, Zephod, Flower's main mate, must constantly battle to maintain his position within the group. Additionally, all the meerkats must defend themselves against hunger, whether, and predators. Eventually, Flower is replaced by her daughter, Rocket Dog, as the dominant female. Yet, the drama of the desert-dwelling meerkats continues.

Genre: Documentary, Documentary Series, Animals

Reading Level: Not rated, but predation and infantcide does occur, so younger viewers may need to be cautioned.

Similar Titles: Nature, March of the Penguins

Personal Thoughts: After viewing a few episodes, the popularity of the show does not surprise me. The series balances drama, characterization, and biology nicely. However, some of the terms seem to anthropomorphize a bit too much. For those unfamiliar with the term, "anthropomorphizing" means to give an inhuman object (such as an animal) human-like qualities. While many shows utilize this to attract the audience, it seems like a stark contrast to the book that the series spawned.