Adventures in the House; Fantasy Town

Video

The Borrowers. PolyGram Video. 91 minutes. $22.95. (800) 367-7765. It may not be absent-mindedness when you can’t find that pen you put down a moment ago, or those new radio batteries. You may have some “borrowers” in residence--tiny little folk who live unseen in the nooks and crannies of human houses, according to Mary Norton’s classic children’s books. This new home video release of the recent film version of the tales is a delight, from John Goodman’s gleeful performance as evil lawyer Ocious P. Potter to the superbly done giant-sized props that create a 4-inch-tall person’s perspective on the world.

Audio

In My Hometown. Tom Chapin. Sony Wonder. CD: $13.98. Cassette: $9.98. Ages 5 and up. (800) 221-8180. With first-rate vocals and instrumentals, top-notch children’s recording artist Tom Chapin takes listeners on a sparkling musical tour of a fantasy town where dogs sing doo-wop (“Dog Rules”), birds eat out (“Gertie’s Birdseed Diner”), “Da Baby Sitter” is dressed in a black suit and white tie and called Harry the Hat, and the game of follow the leader is a “Boogie Woogie Chase.” The quirky humor gives way to the quiet, creative warmth of “Our Next-Door Neighbor, the Moon,” “It Feels Like Home” and a lovely ode to the history of the Hudson River (“Muhheakunnuk”).