Available from Koorong: $21.95

This series is a fairly recent release on the market here in Australia. It is an animated series in some ways reminiscent of the Story-Keepers series, about Christians in the first century CE. This series is based around a family in Alexandria, not Rome, and the style of animation is quite different from the Story- Keepers – more in the style of Aladdin and other similar animated movies. The family's exploits revolve around life in the Roman-controlled port where they have to keep their Christian allegiance secret. The main heroes are young Macky (short for Maccabeus) and his aristocratic Roman friend Portia, and two young refugee girls whom Macky's family are sheltering.

Adventures involving injustice, rescue and survival provide opportunities for the parents to tell stories from their faith heritage to the children, usually one from the Jewish scriptures and one about Jesus, through which the children learn lessons about God and about living the Christian way.

The animation is by award-winning animators, and while the storylines may sometimes have holes in them (like why did the soldiers stop looking for the refugee girls?) the stories are fun and exciting, the animation is excellent and the lessons are worth thinking about – being courageous with God's help, oving and helping others, listening to God, not judging others, and so on. And you'll be pleased to know I don't even object to the American voices!

Distributed in Australia by Koorong: $19.95 per DVD

You can learn more of this series at: http://uk.friendsandheroes.com/

By Paul Clark From the Hive © 2009
Running Time: approx 32 mins
Individual stories 5 mins-8½ mins
Available from Rainbow Book Agencies: $10.95
The Hive: 118 Munro St Ayr Queensland 4807

Written especially for young boys more interested in cars than bedtime stories, they will engage boys and girls of all ages. Useful for home, children's ministry and worship.

It's Sunday and the cars in the church car park are bored, wondering why they have to come here every Sunday morning. Then a voice from the shadows offers to tell them the stories being told in the church. "Would you like to hear them?" asks Old Mr T. "On one condition," the other cars reply... So the Car Park Parables begin, but with a twist - the cars are the characters! But the stories aren't just about turning Jesus' parables into car
stories. The stories have an effect on the listeners.

The DVD uses animated photos from the books, (basically zooming in and out of the still photos – which incidentally have model cars with RH drive...
a strange anomaly in an Aussie-made product!), with narration by the author Paul Clark and Gordon Burley (Shepherd of the Outback) as the voice of Old Mr T. I wasn't sure at first if it works, it's a cheap way of doing animation. But the stories are well told, and the interaction between the cars works  and is engaging, and the linking of the cars' issues with the stories is well done.

The stories:
Old Mr T: How it all Began (Luke 13:18-21: the parable of the mustard seed). 5 mins
The Prodigal Pick-up: a dissatisfied pickup gets stolen and taken to the city... (Luke 15:11-32: the Prodigal Son); meanwhile, Luxurious Lucy is upset by the smell of pig poo coming from Trevor Truck. 8 mins 30 sec
The Good Ford: A Holden driving through the desert on the road to Uluru gets rolled and is left stranded by the roadside... (Luke 10:25-37: the
good Samaritan); Hot-headed Harry Holden and Frieda Ford the family car just don't seem to be able to get on... 7 mins
The Missing Motorcycle: A businessman has 100 rent-a-cars. One is missing. Does it matter? (Luke 15:1-7: the lost sheep). Meanwhile, Harley  hasn't been seen at church for two weeks. Should the cars worry? 6 mins 45 sec
Issi's Baptism: A Baptism Story (Romans 6:1-5). Issi Isuzu has never had such a bad day. He longs for a fresh start – and finds it in a car wash... 5 mins

The Rainbow Books website has a review from someone who says of Issi's Baptism:

'A great little story ...that I have used during a baptism service with really positive feedback.'

This is another animated series aimed at boys with an interest in cars. Animated similar to Veggie Tales, Auto-B-Good let's the cars tell the stories of the good news. More info from the website.

DVDs and videos for children were reviewed regularly in KUCA News. Included here are reviews of Christian DVD and video materials that are available from Christian bookstores. Most are readily available, but some may be out of print but have been included because they may be available in church video libraries.

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