Sammy the Toucan Flies Solo

Since Wild Thang is attending the Public Library Association (PLA) national bigbash in Philadelphia, Sammy the Toucan flew solo for this week's video installment of Explore to Learn:  Early Literacy Fun. Sammy featured several books involving chicks, eggs, and hatching--what else?--and introduced viewers to a couple of recently hatched chicksoons, which, I guess, I'll now have to officially call chicks, since they're OOEE (out-of-egg-experienced).

The digital camera was on a tripod, so we had to swivel left to pan the shot rather than move the whole apparatus.  That made the left-side books facing off-center.  Hey, there were just Sammy and Scowl-Face there to make it so.  They only have two hands and two wings between them.


Actually, Broadway Gal was there, too, to direct and act as chick herder. Directing is an all-consuming job, so we needed to have a property master to handle the props (books).  Don't ask Scowl-Face, however. Running the camera already exceeds his limited cognitive skills and manual dexterity. He works cheaply, though.  Just plug a 52-oz. carbonated beverage into his face, and he's a happy camper.


Sammy did excellent work, but we'll be glad when Wild Thang returns. She and Sammy make a great team for early literacy video-making.






I'd Have Helped, But I'm More the Producer Type,


Cauli Le Chat
MPL Roving Reporter
Early Literacy News Beat

P.S.  Watching those chicks reacting to Sammy the Toucan reminded moi of the Carpenters' first number one single, "(They Long to Be) Close to You," which appeared on their second LP, Close to You (1970).  Covers of Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs were really chart-toppers in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  Take a peek at Billboard's Hot 100 Pop Singles charts for the period, say, between 1967 and 1971 and count the number of Bacharach/David compositions that rode the American top 40.  Karen Carpenter's life ended tragically (1950-1983), but thanks to video archival preservation, we can continue to enjoy her terrific singing voice.  She was the first girl that Scowl-Face had ever seen as a pop group drummer, and she was pretty good, too.  He was instantly smitten.  Drummers have that effect on fans.