‘Notes Alive!’ Presents a Vivid Welcome to a New Child

Video

Notes Alive! On the Day You Were Born. Minnesota Orchestra Visual Entertainment. 30 minutes. $19.95, plus $3.95 shipping and handling. (888) 666-6837. Based on Debra Frasier’s tender and beautiful best-selling picture book about a new child being welcomed by nature and the Earth, this musical video for ages 3 and up features the evocative music of composer Steve Heitzeg, performed by the Minnesota Orchestra.

Although Frasier’s own too-careful narration lacks dynamism, her gorgeous colorful paper cutout illustrations--star-studded skies, migrating animals, the flaring sun, the tides--come to vivid life in 3-D animation, interspersed with images of the musicians.

Conductor William Eddins provides wrap-around commentary and the performance is followed by an absorbing segment on the making of the piece.

Blue’s Clues: Story Time, Arts and Crafts, Blue’s Birthday. Paramount Home Video. $9.95 each. Here are the first three offerings in the welcome home video series taken from Nickelodeon’s absolutely irresistible, gentle learning show for preschoolers, with its inventive cutout animations, lovable blue pup and equally lovable host.

Audio

I’m an Animal: Songs of the Earth as the Animals See It. Lightyear Entertainment. CD: $15.98. Cassette: $8.98 (800) 229-7867. With poetry, passion and humor, Sarah Weeks, never cloying, uniquely observes the world through animals’ eyes, melodically celebrating nature and humankind’s place in it. A sampling of the inventive, heartfelt songs: Tigers “Pad, Pad, Pad” through the jungle and assess human guardians of grazing cattle: “Shake your stick little man, little man, scare us off if you can.” A baby penguin snuggles against dad: “here I am warm as toast, balancing on your feet.” And, the poignant, “Don’t Discover Me,” is a plea for peaceful coexistance.