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Nighty Night
Could it be magic? Call this reviewer gullible, but this unique little video (which clocks in at a more-than-adequate 20 minutes) not only put a toddler and cocker spaniel to sleep in the prescribed time, but it got an adult to nod off (way before big people's bedtime, too). Nighty Night offers up a combination of footage and music--without any narration--that culminates in the eponymous Nighty Night. The video comprises four distinctive little films that, upon initial viewing, seem a queer combination. But it works. The first is reminiscent of a family home video of a visit to the zoo or farm--there's lots of footage of animals (cute ones, of course). There's a slight shift in music and suddenly the animals begin to yawn and stretch. Pretty soon the viewers begin to emulate the onscreen action. Lilting music accompanies the screen's change into a starry sky. The stars slowly begin to fade until the sky is black and the music somber. Sure, it sounds odd, if simplistic, but it's pretty darn miraculous. The video's packaging boasts that it'll provide children with a soothing bedtime routine, and indeed, here's a rarity: some truth in advertising. (Ages 2 to 6) --N.F. Mendoza Nighty Night II
Much like children before bedtime, the animals in this wordless 16.5-minute video eat and play. To the upbeat musical score, ducklings splash, piglets nurse, and llamas and rabbits chow down on what must be assumed is dinner. Within five minutes the animals slow down: monkey mamas recline with their youngsters, kangaroos paw a fresh sleeping place in the dirt, and piglets yawn--all to the strains of recognizable classic melodies. By 10 minutes, these images of sleepy ferrets and ponies are intercut with views of the night sky. At the 14th minute, it's all sky, and at 16 minutes the music cuts out for the last 30 seconds of peaceful, silent sky. Although billed as a nighttime tape, it could perhaps be even more useful for lulling unwilling youngsters down for a nap--a less-guilt-inducing use for those preoccupied with what experts think about TV before bedtime. (Ages 2 to 6) --Kimberly Heinrichs
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