Free to Be You and Me

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Summary: free to be you and me
Review: i am so excited that they are releasing this onto dvd. i have been searching for it for months now. i remember watching this in my younger years (the 70's and 80's), and i just loved it. it has so many positive notes to it that i want my chidren to learn too. my daughter has the cd and plays it all the time. she even called one of our fish atalanta after the one story. thank you for releasing this. i think that everyone with children should get this. i think it has great lessons to teach.

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Summary: Who can forget Jennifer Joy and Zachary Zugg? : D
Review: I enjoyed the Helping Song throughout the years. Found it in a Shel Silverstein book and realized they put to music his poem.

William Wants a Doll bravely explores gender issues in a way that is honest and entertaining.

Helping
Agatha Fry, she made a pie,
And Christopher John helped bake it.
Christopher John he mowed the lawn,
And Agatha Fry helped rake it.
Zachary Zugg took out the rug,
And Jennifer Joy helped shake it.
And Jennifer Joy she made a toy,
And Zachary Zugg helped break it.

And some kind of help
Is the kind of help
That helping's all about.
And some kind of help
Is the kind of help
We all can do without.

~Shel Silverstein in 'Where the Sidewalk Ends'
and put to music in Free to Be You and Me.

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Summary: rare before face change michael jackson
Review: I enjoyed this DVD very much. If you wondered what Michael Jackson would have looked like if he did'nt get that disease that turned his skin white or his nose ,eyes, lips,hair and chin job , watch this DVD for a classic moment of mike and Roberta Flack singing together. The songs are great and the little skits about growing up really kept my interest. By the way , the kids liked it,too.

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Summary: Free To Be You and Me
Review: I enjoyed this movie when I was a child, and now I have the pleasure of sharing this movie with my own children. I definitely recommend this movie for children of all ages. From live action to animation, Free to Be You and Me explores children's perspectives about things like brothers and sisters to little boys playing with dolls. Free To Be you and Me features talents by Alan Alda, Michael Jackson, Roberta Flack, Marlo Thomas ,Rosey Greir,Kris Kristopherson, and Mel Brooks.

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Summary: Simply Wonderful
Review: I have been searching for the VHS version of this production for 3 years now. Needless to say, I am beyond excited that it is being re-released on DVD. I was very influenced by this program when I first saw it in the third grade back in 1987. I was just learning how to be a best friend and how to deal with children teasing me for my very long and extremely coarse 'nappy' hair, my 'white' grandmother (she's biracial), and my 'funny' proper accent.

Watching this movie in Mrs. Hammond's 3rd grade class was eye-opening. It taught me that it was okay to cry about things and to talk about how I feel to family, friends, and bullies. I am definitely going to buy this DVD for my 15 month old son and his 1 month old twin sisters so they can enjoy it.

Oh, and the scenes with the baby puppets (a boy and a girl who teach kids about the differences and similarities between girls and boys) are must see--believe me. The scenes are extremely funny--I laugh just thinking about them--and are great for little kids and for dispelling some common social conceptions and misconceptions about gender & gender equality.

This program will re-enforce the lessons my husband and I are trying to teach our kids--epecially since we are a multi-racial family who speaks 3 languages at home and travels between our two homes. DO BUY THIS DVD when it becomes available.

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Summary: Great DVD
Review: I have owned the CD and book since January 2004 and after alot of thought, I brought the DVD. I loved it alot. Some of the songs and scenes are not on the CD or book, which is great. A thing I would like to say. I had no problems playing the DVD on my Australian PS2 games and DVD player connected to a common medium sized TV one can get here.

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Summary: The BEST thing in equality rights for ALL kids!
Review: I know that sounds political, but in a large part, it is true. I had the record album when I was about five years old, and loved it. Now I find that my own children can enjoy it, too! I have two girls, now, and I never want them to think that being a girl is a hindrance to whatever they want to be. My oldest daughter (3 3/4 yrs old) says she wants to be a firefighter, and I always say, 'That's fine.' Do the same for your kids!

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Summary: What a trip down memory lane!
Review: I loved Free To Be You and Me as a child and I love it now as an adult looking back. As a young girl in the 70s, Free To Be taught me that girls could be anything they want and broke stereotypes for ALL children. It taught us all that are feelings were important and singing was a cure for just about anything. I love this DVD, but I am sad that they couldn't find room for Carol Channing and some of the others on the original record (found on the cd). This DVD is a must-have!

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Summary: So glad I found this!!
Review: I myself watched this video when I was younger, and I loved it. I am thrilled to be able to share it with my son!

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Summary: The album probably carries the message just as well
Review: I purchased this DVD for my almost-three-year-old through a sentimental haze; I suppose I hadn't seen this on television since 1977 or so. Back in the day, this show was broadcast annually, so I couldn't remember it too well - the puppets in the hospital nursery was about it.
But I certainly still had the songs in my head (my record was played daily) as well as the ideas, and these I wanted to share with my son. So, I bought the book and the CD and the DVD, all to make certain my son knows he is free to be, darn-tootin'.
The DVD, however, has turned out to be somewhat of a letdown. As another reviewer wrote, it is dated. I can't see this show, in 2004, as the most effective vehicle to transport the message to little Sam. As for Mommy, I prefer to sing along with the CD, allowing my son to listen to what he's hearing and not get lost in (or perhaps bored by) what he's seeing on screen.
Somewhere on Amazon I read that the show was developed in response to the success of the record. This reassures me that the content is well-carried without the visuals.
Feel free to profit from my over-enthusiasm - I watched the DVD once after it arrived and probably won't again. And in Sam's book, the Free to Be DVD probably earns 4 stars, but ranks rather at the bottom of his must-see-for-the-43rd-time list.