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MY RATING: 5 stars
SYNOPSIS: Both Ma Otter and her son, Emmet, hope to win the $50 talent show prize and surprise each other with a special Christmas present.
MY RATING: 5 stars
SYNOPSIS: Both Ma Otter and her son, Emmet, hope to win the $50 talent show prize and surprise each other with a special Christmas present.
MY THOUGHTS: This is a sweet story about a poor mother and son who steal an item from each other without the other knowing so that each one of them can use the item to help them win a talent contest. Neither knows the other one is entering the same contest. They want to buy a Christmas present for the other.
The 1977 48 minute CBC film adaptation is better, more detailed. It aired on HBO in 1978 then went to ABC in 1980, I think. I know it from ABC in the very early 80s. The Riverbottom Nightmare Band doesn't make an appearance in the book until they're at the talent contest but in the film they're introduced early on. In the book they have a female lead singer, Mary Jane Chipmunk. Emmet and his crew never meet them in the book.
Irma Coon and Harvey Muskrat aren't in the film but are in the book briefly. Some of the first names were kept but the last names, which is the type of animals they are, were changed for some reason; Wendell Coon in the book's name was changed to Wendell Porcupine in the film. Charlie Beaver's name was changed to Charlie Muskrat. I think Ester Snapper in the book was changed to Hetty Muskrat in the film. In fact, lots of names were changed. The Nightmare band in the book's name was changed to Riverbottom Nightmare Band, which I like a lot better. Those were just some examples of name changes. I'm sure the songs were changed too.
The illustrations are full-color and very nice. Russell's wife at the time, Lillian, did the artwork.
The 1977 48 minute CBC film adaptation is better, more detailed. It aired on HBO in 1978 then went to ABC in 1980, I think. I know it from ABC in the very early 80s. The Riverbottom Nightmare Band doesn't make an appearance in the book until they're at the talent contest but in the film they're introduced early on. In the book they have a female lead singer, Mary Jane Chipmunk. Emmet and his crew never meet them in the book.
Irma Coon and Harvey Muskrat aren't in the film but are in the book briefly. Some of the first names were kept but the last names, which is the type of animals they are, were changed for some reason; Wendell Coon in the book's name was changed to Wendell Porcupine in the film. Charlie Beaver's name was changed to Charlie Muskrat. I think Ester Snapper in the book was changed to Hetty Muskrat in the film. In fact, lots of names were changed. The Nightmare band in the book's name was changed to Riverbottom Nightmare Band, which I like a lot better. Those were just some examples of name changes. I'm sure the songs were changed too.
The illustrations are full-color and very nice. Russell's wife at the time, Lillian, did the artwork.
My favorite image from the book is when Emmet and his mother are playing on a slide, pictured below. That's a really fun scene in the film too.
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