If any of you are not currently catching the ASTOUNDING series on Discovery called Planet Earth, I cannot stress enough how much you NEED to see this show! If your tv has HD capability, you're in for even more of a treat, as the show was purposely filmed w/ this feature in mind. Regardless, however, let me just say that I have NEVER seen footage of this kind before and every single episode is a gem. You will see things you've never seen before, unbelievable vistas that will give you a lump in your throat, and be introduced to species that are almost too incredible to be real. The shot above is just an example of the type of footage the show endeavored to capture...yes, that's a great white shark jumping entirely free of the waves to catch a bird as it attemped to dive for food. Each episode deals w/ a different terrain of our planet from deserts, to oceans, to mountains. My seven year old son watched the 'Deep Ocean' episode yesterday and literally remained open mouthed for the majority of the all-to-short 45 minute segment.
Though the creators of the show boast relentlessly about the 5 years it took to create the series, the state of the art technology used to capture such quality footage, and the years of research involved, those of us who know better cannot help but be even more drawn to our Grand Creator , Jehovah God, who is the REAL artist behind all these miracles. You just can't look at the desert landscapes, polar vistas, or fantastic creatures without offering a silent prayer.
Another little recommendation: A few years ago I chanced upon this wonderful book at the library called 'Edwurd Fudwupper Fibbed Big' by Berkely Breathed. I remember being drawn to the artwork and also the fact that Berkley Breathed was the author since I had grown up surrounded by 'Bloom County' memorabilia (my dad was a big fan of the comic strip) and I had an abiding love for Berkley's illustrations and his creations, 'Bill the Cat', and 'Opus the Penguin'. The other day at Barnes and Noble, I ran across the book again and I'm SO happy I bought it. The story is absolutely timeless, written in rhyming language very similar to Dr Seuss (and every bit as clever) and the story (about how lies grow and grow) not only teaches a lesson but also touches a soft spot if you are a bit older. The artwork is fantastic, alternating Breathed's (pronounced bree-thed) unique sketchy illustrative style w/ some of his sock-you-in-the-jaw brilliant paintings that take up two full pages. I strongly recommend you check this one out for your littluns...they will love it and you will want to keep it for yourself!
2 comments:
Planet Earth is wonderful. We watched last night. I thought about you and was thinking that you were probably watching too. I'm hoping we haven't missed any episodes. The part with the Penguins was my favorite. They are amazing creatures. Heath used to give a talk that had a part in it about animals being instinctivly wise. He talked quite a bit about the Emperor Penguin, it was really cool to actually see how Jehovah made them instinctivly wise in this episode last night. And wow the Aurora Borealis they were showing! I have seen the Northen Lights one time when we were in Alaska. They weren't quite that good on that trip but still amazing. It was the most breath taking thing I've ever experienced. Heath has been up there and there have been all different colors dancing across the sky and he could even hear them crackling. I wonder if your friend Bookyeti ever sees them in Canada.
If you enjoyed the bit about the Emperor Penguin, you have to see the documentary from a couple of years ago w/ Morgan Freeman narrating called March of the Penguins. It's really fantastic.
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