Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories [VHS]

This is largely a glorified reading experience of the 1950s collection of stories by Dr. Seuss. The visuals are comprised of camera pans and zooms of the author's original artwork, using minimal animation (occasionally a rabbit ear droops or a pond ripples) and relying on the vivid, highly entertaining narration by John Lithgow to bring to life the book's three tales about the follies of pride. First up is the title story, concerning King Yertle's efforts to ascend to an ever-higher throne at the painful expense of his subjects. Next is Gertrude McFuzz, a cautionary piece about a bird whose sad tail feathers are a source of such embarrassment she obtains flamboyant and utterly impractical replacements. Finally, there's The Big Brag, the funny fable about a rabbit who claims superiority over all other animals for his excellent hearing, the bear who poses a challenge with his superior smell, and the disgusted worm who puts them both in their places. --Tom Keogh