TURN-ONS AND TURN-OFFS IN CURENT HOME ENTERTAINMENT RELEASES : Excellent Good Fair Poor : AUDIOCASSETTES

“The Man With Big Ears.” Caedmon. This is one of a series of follow-along “FunnyBone Poems” designed by this veteran spoken-word audiocassette company to promote reading skills in 3- to 6-year-olds. While Sandy Huffaker’s delightful illustrations are a feast for the eye, the breathless (if enthusiastic) recitations by Sandy Duncan make it tough on young readers to keep pace with Othello Bach’s witty tall tales. Absorbing 30 pages in less than two minutes is asking a bit much (each story is read twice, with and without page-turning cues). You’d do better to skip the cassette and have some leisurely fun with the books--at your child’s own pace. 1/2