Showing results by narrator "Carl Sommer" in All Categories

As a reward for winning the soccer championship, Davy is chosen mayor for a day. The band and the whole town assemble together for this great event. Tired of his parents' rules, Davy's first official announcement as mayor is to eliminate all rules. The parents' groan, but the children jump up and down for joy. But the day without rules was a disaster for everyone. The whole town becomes angry, but Davy finally saves the day.

Life couldn't have been better for Buzzie Bee, until she overhears some disturbing news. Buzzie became furious and started a revolt among the younger bees. The angry bees left the hive to start their own. In the new hive, the young bees argue and fight over who should do the work. They finally discover that working together with a leader is the only way to have a happy hive. They return and follow the queen bee.

Witnessing the deterioration of her inner-city neighborhood, Stephanie decides to "light her candle" to help clean up the trash and stop the violence. After convincing her two friends to do as much good as they can for one week, Stephanie and her friends, with the help of parents, end up transforming their inner-city school and the whole city from a place of violence and deterioration to a model of order and cleanliness.

To grow up to be big, little lions have to learn survival skills, but the cub Sangu doesn’t want to listen to Papa and Mama’s lessons - he just wants to play. Getting lost while escaping a charging rhino, Sangu learned how unprepared he really was to be out on his own. Befriended by some kind gazelles, Sangu didn’t have the slightest idea as to what a lion should be. After being taunted by his friends, Sangu finally learned to be assertive, to value learning, to listen to his parents, and to respect himself.

Randy was a poor young boy. Everything he had was old. His rich neighbor Mike had a new bike and new toys, and he constantly teased Randy. Randy wished he was rich so he could buy everything new. He was warned by those around him that riches alone don't bring happiness, but Randy never listened. To Randy's great delight, his wish came true! Everything he touched turned into gold - even his beloved dog. As he held his lifeless gold dog, he realized he was now the most miserable kid in the whole world. Remembering he had one more wish, he used it to have things return as before.

Trapped high on a mountain by deep snow, hungry townspeople wait desperately for one of the three big trains to bring them food, but they all refuse to go up the mountain. Seeing the desperate situation, The Little Red Train and a family of brave helpers decide to go up the mountain in spite of the ridicule from the big trains. The Little Red Train and it helpers overcome severe obstacles and save the people from starvation.

As a wee bear, Teddy was a very smiley fellow, but now that he is older, his smile is nowhere to be found. Frustrated and bewildered, Teddy tries to find joy through new toys and fun activities. However, for toys and activities to be fun, one needs to be happy, and Teddy is anything but. In fact, the more he tries to make himself happy, the grumpier Teddy gets.

About to be devoured by the fearsome King of the Forest, Bitsy the Mouse manages to convince Leo the Lion to let her go in exchange for future assistance. While Leo cannot conceive of any way that a tiny mouse could help him, he does admire Bitsy's pluck and releases her. What he later discovers is that big help can indeed come in small packages. Through Bitsy, Leo also realizes the importance of keeping your word.

Individuals with a sunny attitude understand that the ending of one opportunity in life often opens the door for a new one. Carrying big loads of grain is easy for young donkeys, but what happens when they get too old to be of use? One old donkey takes off on a journey of rediscovery, picking up an old dog, cat, and rooster along the way. Intending to combine their musical talents to start a band, this lively crew finds another surprising way to benefit the community.

Sometimes there is danger in being too friendly; as is the case with kind-hearted Little Red Riding Hood in this loveable rendition of a Brothers Grimm classic. Distracted by the Big Bad Wolf with a bouquet of lovely flowers, the kind-hearted little girl forgets her mother's instructions and strays from the path on the way to Grandmother's house. Little does she know, the crafty wolf has devised a wicked plan to arrive at her house first. Will Grandmother meet an unfortunate end?

This lovely tale tells the story of Princess Isabella, who is greatly loved by her parents happy and carefree until she overhears girls making fun of her large nose and ears. Miserable and ashamed, she quits playing and hides in the palace. Nothing can sway Isabella's feelings of ugliness and sadness until an old woman reminds her that giving love to others brings deep happiness.

Believing in a foolish superstition, Chicken Little is convinced that the sky is falling. In her distress, she convinces a number of other animal friends that this is indeed the case. One after another, the animals join Chicken Little, soon forming a frantic pack. Fortunately, Chippy Chipmunk steps in with wise intervention. What follows confirms the importance of critical thinking and the possible dangers of gullibility.

Sometimes it is hard to comprehend why certain individuals choose to spread gossip about others. In this rendition of Aesop's timeless fable, the reason is crystal-clear: The lion is hungry and would do anything to have a delicious bull for dinner. Using malicious gossip, the sly fox helps the lion by separating the bulls for capture on the promise that he will receive his own tasty portion of the meal. Will the lion eat the bulls?

While a little fun is essential for a happy life, wise individuals know that prosperity begins with hard work. Gary and the other grasshoppers want to play all day, and they cannot understand why the ants work so hard and miss all the fun. Alex and the ants know they must work during the spring to have food for the winter. Sure enough, when winter arrives early, the lazy grasshoppers have nothing to eat. Passage of a new law that requires the ants to share their food with the grasshoppers transforms the whole community into a fun-loving crowd.

There is an old saying that states, "You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time." Miller Elmo most certainly could have benefitted from this sage advice. His constant effort to please the local farmers grows into an obsession to satisfy everyone, which the miller unfortunately passes on to his son. The two learn the hard way what can come of always taking the advice of others instead of listening to your heart.

When an aging emperor begins the search for his successor, he wisely listens to an elderly advisor and creates a test to find a courageous boy of character and integrity. To choose a worthy successor, he gathers seven of the best students in the land and gives them each a seed to cultivate and return to the palace. Even with careful research and tending, Ming's seed does not grow. While many urge him to use another seed, he refuses to be dishonest.

Mom and Dad Fox try to set a healthy example for triplets Freddy, Fay, and Flip. Even though Mom cooks nutritious meals, Freddy prefers to stuff himself with sugary treats, and refuses to participate in healthy family exercise. One bad choice leads to another, and in spite of Dad and Mom's efforts, Freddy finds himself part of a crooked gang of foxes. When the leader recruits Freddy as a decoy to help him outwit a lion and a donkey, the plan backfires. Is Freddy too chubby to get away?

"Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" When a storm separates a young eagle from his family, he takes up residence with a group of chickens. Poking fun at his crooked beak, the way he flaps his wings, and his white feathered head, the eagle is ashamed and embarrassed. Soon, he discovers even more differences. Unlike the frightened chickens, he does not fear the sly fox. While the chickens are happy to live on the ground, he yearns to fly.

When Androcles’ enormous effort results in harsh punishment, he finally realizes the impossibility of satisfying his demanding slave master. Even though capture means his delivery to very hungry lions, Androcles escapes. When he comes across a wounded lion, he quickly and kindly offers aid. This results in a budding friendship between the pair until their unfortunate capture. What follows illuminates the significance of an act of kindness and gratitude for life and freedom.

Missing his city cousin, Country Mouse invites him for a visit. However, from the moment he arrives, the flamboyant and arrogant City Mouse shows contempt for his less-privileged cousin by incessantly bragging about his home and good fortune. In fact, he won't even consider spending the night and convinces Country Mouse to return with him for a visit in the city. His cousin cheerfully accepts, but what follows illustrates the significance of a simpler, safer life.