In honor of Earth Day’s 40th anniversary, Scholastic Books culled the archives to release seven short mini-films for young children on a new DVD, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands … and More Stories to Celebrate the Environment. Most of the shorts emphasize appreciation for the natural world rather than setting out a specifically green agenda. “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands includes scenes of people in various relations to nature—under rain sun and starlight—as Crystal Taliefero sings the familiar gospel song. “Owl Moon” is the story of a girl’s discovery of the beauty of a winter woods with wonderful still illustrations from Jane Yolen’s book. The narrative of “Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message: unfolds against a backdrop of deep, horizontal color blocks suggesting patterns from American Indian blankets.
