‘Monty’s’ Not Just Another Goofy Moose

“The Adventures of Monty the Moose: Amazing Alaska Animals” sat on the review shelf for a while: It was just another of a seemingly endless number of nature videos out there, and it had this goofy-looking cartoon moose on the cover and. . . .

As it turns out, this Alaska Video Postcards release is terrific family entertainment, a clever and beautifully filmed program with real information about the region’s flora and fauna, combined with an equal amount of hilarity.

Feast your eyes on gorgeous shots of ice showers cascading from huge glaciers, panoramic footage of seasonal changes and amazing visions of birds in flight. Watch leaping salmon, humpback whales, greedy bears, fuzzy Canadian goslings, caribou, moose and vivid puffins. And you won’t want to miss the bachelor walruses--a mountainous 3,000 pounds each, with fearsome tusks--lazing on the beach in a massive, cranky tangle.

Meanwhile, Monty, an animated moose (voiced by Larry Robinson), plays tour guide, weather reporter and news anchor, while amusing sound effects and catchy original songs punctuate the action--once you get past the first musical number, which plays like a commission from the Alaska bureau of tourism.

The creative narration and funny dialogue were written by producer Todd Hardesty.

* “The Adventures of Monty the Moose: Amazing Alaska Animals,” Alaska Video Postcards, 50 minutes, $19.95 plus shipping, (800) 248-2624.

It’s a Sign: Want more Alaskan lore? Check out this nicely filmed outdoor adventure that teaches kids and adults how to identify animals by what they leave behind: “Trailsigns North--Poop, Paw & Hoof Prints.”

Trail guide Eric and preschooler Max find evidence of caribou, bald eagles, bears, rabbits, moose and other animal residents, and Eric offers kid-friendly comparisons of nest size, wingspans, animal feet and antlers. The hike is interspersed with points to review and shots of animals in parts of the Northern U.S. and Canada.

* “Trailsigns North--Poop, Paw & Hoof Prints,” KidTime Video, $14.95 plus shipping, (916) 346-6184.

The Write Stuff: Budding bards ages 8 to 12 will be showcased in L.A. Parent Magazine’s “First Annual Kids Playwriting Festival” at a free performance at Barnsdall Art Park’s Gallery Theatre on Sunday.

The presentation of five plays, the result of L.A. Parent’s series of playwriting seminars for children in February, includes “Jennifer the Troublemaker” by Kariann Deshler, age 9; “The Opal Rune” by 11-year-old Nathan A. Soussi; “The Boy and Girl Story” by Erica Elwood Sardi, 8; “Whobody’s Business” by Kyle L. Buckley, 11; and “What Are You Afraid Of?” by 8-year-old Laura Nicholas.

The plays will be performed by students of the All God’s Children Theatre and the Serendipity Theatre Co. and by students of Glorious Repertory Co. co-founders Debbie Devine and Jay McAdams and Nicholas de Wolff, former artistic director of Chicago’s Greenview Arts Center.

* Gallery Theatre, Barnsdall Art Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd. Free. Information (L.A. Parent): (818) 846-0400.