1981
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Books
Jodie is looking for Muffy in the children's department and finds her fast asleep reading a book. Jodie needs help to gather all the books in the store for a display, and Muffy has fallen asleep because she was reading one of them, a book of bedtime stories.
Jeff explains to us that he doesn't have to look in his "What is It?" book to find out what a book is, because his "What Is It?" book is a book! He explains that books are just pieces of paper between two covers and that there are many different kinds. He brings some books over to Jodie and begins reading titles. A fairy tale book sounds great to Jodie who takes it from him. Muffy wants a picture book, Sam wants a book of Mystery Stories with "Cam the Detective" and a puzzle book. Jeff finds a "Book of Knowledge", and decides that if he were going to the book sale the next day, that would be the book he would choose.
The four begin to sing of their favorite kind of book. "If I could only have one book, it would be . . . " Jodie, a book of fairy tales; Sam, a book of mystery; Muffy, a book of pictures; and Jeff, A book of knowledge.
Next we see the mime lady with a bag. On the bag is the letter 'B'. TXL asks if we can name everything inside the bag -- each thing begins with the letter 'B'. A book. A balloon, brown bread, a baby bottle are inside. Now we will try to name them again. Afterwards we hear a buzzing noise. It seems something else was in the bag. A bee! The buzzing stops right before the bee stings the mime lady on the rear. She rubs the sore spot as she walks away.
In Muffy's apartment, Muffy is looking at the picture book Jeff gave her. It is a book of pictures about a mouse and his family.
Meanwhile, Jeff is enjoying his Book of Knowledge and is reading about games, particularly hopscotch. He tests out his skills on a hopscotch, rather shakily at first and then proceeds to dance nimbly through the lines to the tune of "Pop! Goes the Weasel."
Downstairs, Sam is reading his Cam the Detective Mystery Stories book. He shows us a picture of Cam and he looks just like Sam! There's a section in the book for solving our own mysteries, Sam tells us, and then the phone rings. It's Jodie telling him the bedtime story book is missing. Sam is happy to have his own mystery and turns to the section of the book that shows him how to solve it. Step 1 is "Go to the scene of the crime", so Sam goes off to the bookshelf.
The mime lady has another guessing game for us. This time she is showing us several things, and all of their names rhyme. A book, a cook (the mime lady with a chef's hat), and a hook. TXL sings a song about all of them.
Sam has reached the bookshelf and looks at Step No. 2 in his book. "Look for clues." He finds a half-eaten candy bar on the shelf. Now Muffy shows up and she's not looking too well, she ate too much chocolate.
"Silly little mouse, always stuffin' your face with something!" Sam says.
Now Sam gets back to his mystery. Whoever left the chocolate bar also left fingerprints on the counter, and probably took the book. We suggest Muffy as a possible suspect, so Sam goes over to look at her fingers. Sure enough, they're covered with chocolate and the bedtime story book is nearby.
Jodie is thrilled that Sam has found the book so quickly. Sam says he had help from his book and "some friends". "Thanks!" Sam tells us, "I couldn't have done it without you."
Later, Jeff is still reading his Book of Knowledge and he is feeling smarter. He wonders if he looks smarter. He thinks maybe since what you learn goes into your brain and your brain is in your head, maybe if you learn a lot your head will get bigger. We tell him his head isn't any bigger, so he takes his hat off so we can get a better look and becomes a mannequin. Jodie comes in carrying some books and we tell her Jeff's hat is off. She asks why he took it off and when we explain he wanted to see if his head looked any different she is even more confused. So she puts the hat on his head and we all say the magic words.
Jeff explains what he was thinking and Jodie tells him you don't get a bigger head when you learn even though you may feel smarter.
Now Jodie wants Jeff to help her sort out the fairy tale books. She keeps stopping to read them and isn't getting anything done. Jeff starts naming some of the fairy tales and Jodie sings about how much she loves them, "I Love to Read a Fairy tale..."
Jeff notices one he hasn't read before. "Byron the Grump Meets the Magic Dragon." They're both curious about it, and Jeff wonders if they could maybe read it since it's short. Jodie can't resist.
Byron the Grump and the Magic Dragon is acted out for us. It is a story about an unhappy boy named Byron and a dragon that was very clumsy because she couldn't see very well. The dragon is magical and can fly and do anything but see well. Byron suggests she get some glasses. He shows her his own. He hates his glasses and that's why he's so grumpy. The dragon said she'd be happy if she could see better, so Byron sees an opportunity to get rid of his glasses and gives them to the dragon. Now the dragon can see wonderfully! She is so happy she offers to take Byron on a ride through the air on her back so he can see the whole world below. But how can he see anything if the dragon is wearing his glasses?
So the dragon uses her magic to make the one pair of glasses two, and now the two friends go happily off together. Byron is no longer grumpy, and the dragon is no longer clumsy.
The story is over and Jeff is about to read another title but Jodie stops him so these won't want to read another book and can get some work done.
Later, Sam joins the group in the children's department, he wishes he had another mystery to solve, but Jodie needs his help right now sorting books. She sorts and they all dance and sing together about all the wonderful books they have as the closing credits roll.
Quizzes:
- Book, box and bear all begin with the same sound. Which of the following three words begins with the same sound? Cow, ball or tree?
Nursery Rhyme:
Notes:
- Sam's reprimand of Muffy's eating too much chocolate seems a bit hypocritical in view of his later eating habits, such as in Cookies, and Fun.
- Stan Lesk, who played Byron the Grump, appeared again in 1985's Storybooks as Sir Sneakamore.
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