Rage of the Fallen

Welch continues narrating The Last Apprentice series, this time following Tom; his friend, Alice; and his master, John Gregory as they flee to Ireland and attempt to bind the Fiend. Christopher Evan Welch's deep voice is a great match for this dark story. He gives a slight British accent to some of the characters, including the gruff John Gregory, to help differentiate them. His female voice for the witch Alice isn't as strong, and it comes across a little breathy. But the malevolent whisper he uses for the Fiend and the raspy voices of the witches pursuing Tom fit well with the dark nature of their characters. Welch also changes his pacing throughout the story to account for Tom's alternating uncertainty and confidence as he continues to learn the ways of a Spook. E.N. (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine

June 1, 2011

Gr 2-6-The titles in this series introduce young viewers to a variety of artists and their work. In this program, Puffer the puffin goes to Florence, Italy, where his friend Polly teaches him about Renaissance artists. Elements of the Renaissance are briefly introduced and then information about Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael is presented. A brief biography of each artist is presented, and two examples of his art are examined in detail. The material in the DVD is based on the book (Crystal Prods., 2010) by Pamela Geiger Stephens. Jim McNeill's soft, computer-generated illustrations are simply animated. There are also photographs of these masterpieces: "5 Grotesque Heads" and "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci; Michelangelo's "Pieta" and "The Creation of Adam" (carefully framed for elementary audiences); and Raphael's "The School of Athens" and "St. George and the Dragon." This simple yet interesting introduction to an important part of our artistic heritage will be embraced by art teachers for use with young students.-Teresa Bateman. Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA

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