The Little Prince (2015) and Schoolhouse Rock (1972-1979)

Two animated joys for the child in each of us as school starts up again.

The Little Prince (2015; Paramount+)

A goal-oriented, science-loving girl meets a reclusive aviator who tells her a story that changes her world. I learned about the book The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943) when my college newspaper ran an editorial suggesting ten short books you could read over spring break. So, I found it and read it in French, and I was glad I did. The book is a renowned classic, a children’s book by a French aviator and WWII pilot, complete with illustrations. It would be difficult for a movie to do justice to this book, particularly as a sort of sequel—but this movie succeeds. It captures that sense of wonder and love that help us to see the world around us as more than numbers. The computer animation is simple but effective, and the “flashback” sequences (straight from the book) use delightful clay and paper animation. Clean, moving, and hopeful.

If you want to read the book first, it’s free in English here. It was Mister Rogers’ favorite.

Schoolhouse Rock (1972-1979; Disney+, Internet Archive or YouTube)

Three-minute cartoons make math, grammar, American history, and science come alive in song! This is not a “movie,” but it’s too good to miss. These musical cartoons were produced for television starting in the 1970s. “Grammar Rock” is probably my favorite, but all four subjects have their highlights. (And memorable phrases! “Three is a magic number.” “Six: that’s all there is.” “I’m just a bill.” And so many more.) The series continued in the 80s and 90s with episodes about prepositions, the electoral college, computers, and ecological conservation. I haven’t seen many of those, but I can tell you that the 70s shorts are top-notch: really catchy, richly creative, and truly educational. (Do you like my adverbs, Lolly family?)

You can read a history listing each episode and year at this fan wiki.

Nathan’s Writing Update

My writers’ group and I have started a literary podcast. In each episode, we share our thoughts on a short story one of us chooses for the group to read. The story I chose was Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Wives of the Dead,” which you can find free at Gutenberg.org (or read here for larger text, or listen to someone reading on YouTube). Then, you can listen to a conversation about the story between me and my friends Alex and Phil, here!