Post by Automaton on May 31, 2021 21:49:48 GMT
Just had yet another one of those "wait, I've read about this before" moments whilst browsing r/tipofmytongue; the kind of revelation which generally sends me down the lost media rabbit hole.
This time, the media in question is a film aimed at American school children. Here's the most recent post about it:
https://www.reddit.com/r/tipofmytongue/comments/npc8r1/tomtfilm2010s_im_looking_for_a_film_maybe_a_psa/
Before getting on to the other posts I found, I'd like to state that I don't think Scholastic has anything to do with this (for reasons that will be apparent later).
Anyway, this post rang a few bells for me since I regularly trawl that sub for PSA and commercial-related requests. Here's another user's post from over a year ago:
The most informative is a post from six months ago:
Good stuff. I did a search for "If Books Could Talk" which turned up the following WorldCat listing: www.worldcat.org/title/if-books-could-talk/oclc/123907070
This seems like a very good match. "If Books Could Talk" was a VHS issued in 1980. Though this tape is unavailable, WorldCat shows four libraries in the United States which hold copies in an alternate format. Three of these libraries appear tied to education institutions, so I'm not sure what that could mean for public access (or lack thereof). In addition to the libraries listed, we also know from the Reddit posts that it was shown within the last two decades at schools in New Jersey and California.
The 1980 version of this film appears to have been published by Visual Sense Corp. of Needham, Massachusetts. It is a ten minute film aimed at a preschool to primary grades audience. However, the WorldCat page also includes a piece of additional information which is also very interesting:
Yeah, what? I can't find any information about this previous edition with a cursory search, but admittedly I need to do a bit more digging on that front.
The more detailed listing gives CRM/McGraw-Hill Films as the studio behind them. According to Wikipedia, McGraw-Hill acquired CRM in 1975 and sold the company in 1987. If we're talking about a film from the sixties here, it's likely that the CRM credit refers only to the 1980 revision/release. CRM still seem to produce educational films, albeit more tailored to the corporate and office audience. A few retro shorts are featured on their YouTube channel.
Just to muddle things a bit more, there is also a second WorldCat page listing the publisher as Bound to Stay Bound Books of Jacksonville, Illinois. They have both a website (needs a bit more poking around just to be certain, but it's unlikely to be on there) and a YouTube channel (sadly nothing of interest).
Evidently this was still being shown to elementary students in the 2000s, and potentially as late as 2010. A handful of libraries still seem to possess a copy, but WorldCat suggests these are actual film reels as opposed to a DVD or digital format.
Either way, I'd love to see "If Books Could Talk". This isn't the only school-focused educational film I'm currently involved in a hunt for, but if that one's anything to go by then it's not easy to acquire something intended squarely as a teaching resource... even when the details are quite easily available.
This time, the media in question is a film aimed at American school children. Here's the most recent post about it:
https://www.reddit.com/r/tipofmytongue/comments/npc8r1/tomtfilm2010s_im_looking_for_a_film_maybe_a_psa/
- I saw it multiple times in elementary school around 1st to 3rd grade
- It was always played in our library
- It was about book safety and how to take care of a library book
- A kid (or kids) found an old book that could talk
- The talking book disturbed me
- From what I remember, the book looked almost fleshy
- This film might be by scholastic as that's the company that my district would get a lot of their stuff from
- It was always played in our library
- It was about book safety and how to take care of a library book
- A kid (or kids) found an old book that could talk
- The talking book disturbed me
- From what I remember, the book looked almost fleshy
- This film might be by scholastic as that's the company that my district would get a lot of their stuff from
Before getting on to the other posts I found, I'd like to state that I don't think Scholastic has anything to do with this (for reasons that will be apparent later).
Anyway, this post rang a few bells for me since I regularly trawl that sub for PSA and commercial-related requests. Here's another user's post from over a year ago:
For the last two years or so I’ll remember about and try to find this old video on how to take care of library books that I saw in elementary almost yearly from kindergarten to like 3rd or 4th grade. That would’ve been around 2005-2010 in California. But it was about some book talking to a group of kids about how they take care of books. I remember one kid tells a story about how he left his book on a table and his dog got to it and ripped it up. I think two other kids shared some story about books which ultimately served as like warnings to be responsible. But what really burned this in my memory was the talking book. It was this creepy, red and almost clay looking puppet. I think it had a slightly raspy voice. I distinctly remember hearing the book say the name Charlie repeatedly but I don’t remember if that was the name of the book or one of the children. If anyone else remembers this or can find it I’d appreciate it. I just wanna be certain it exist.
The most informative is a post from six months ago:
In first grade library class, we watched this PSA video about taking care of your books. The video had this really creepy talking book with a face, it was a puppet with eyes and a moving mouth. I remember the book being red but I'm not sure, it could've also been purple or blue. Anyways, the kid who borrowed this book took very poor care of it. The scene I remember the most was when he left it outside in the rain and it got badly damaged. I think there was also a scene where it got ripped up by a dog.
This video scared me so much as a kid. I've searched this subreddit and saw a lot of other people who watched this in school too, but we have yet to find any videos or even photos of it. The only thing I've found is that it's most likely called "If Books Could Talk". If anyone can find more info on this it'd be greatly appreciated! I feel like I'm gonna go crazy if I don't find this video. Also let me know if you've seen it too!
Oh and some extra info: At the time I went to a school in Cape May, NJ, and it was about 2008.
This video scared me so much as a kid. I've searched this subreddit and saw a lot of other people who watched this in school too, but we have yet to find any videos or even photos of it. The only thing I've found is that it's most likely called "If Books Could Talk". If anyone can find more info on this it'd be greatly appreciated! I feel like I'm gonna go crazy if I don't find this video. Also let me know if you've seen it too!
Oh and some extra info: At the time I went to a school in Cape May, NJ, and it was about 2008.
Good stuff. I did a search for "If Books Could Talk" which turned up the following WorldCat listing: www.worldcat.org/title/if-books-could-talk/oclc/123907070
A story about Johnny and his special friend, a book. Shows young children how to properly care for books and illustrates the following rules for book care: handle books carefully, use a bookmark, keep books in a safe place, let the librarians mend books, protect books from food and pencil marks, guard books from the weather, and return books on time.
This seems like a very good match. "If Books Could Talk" was a VHS issued in 1980. Though this tape is unavailable, WorldCat shows four libraries in the United States which hold copies in an alternate format. Three of these libraries appear tied to education institutions, so I'm not sure what that could mean for public access (or lack thereof). In addition to the libraries listed, we also know from the Reddit posts that it was shown within the last two decades at schools in New Jersey and California.
The 1980 version of this film appears to have been published by Visual Sense Corp. of Needham, Massachusetts. It is a ten minute film aimed at a preschool to primary grades audience. However, the WorldCat page also includes a piece of additional information which is also very interesting:
Revised edition of: The Magic book. 1963.
The more detailed listing gives CRM/McGraw-Hill Films as the studio behind them. According to Wikipedia, McGraw-Hill acquired CRM in 1975 and sold the company in 1987. If we're talking about a film from the sixties here, it's likely that the CRM credit refers only to the 1980 revision/release. CRM still seem to produce educational films, albeit more tailored to the corporate and office audience. A few retro shorts are featured on their YouTube channel.
Just to muddle things a bit more, there is also a second WorldCat page listing the publisher as Bound to Stay Bound Books of Jacksonville, Illinois. They have both a website (needs a bit more poking around just to be certain, but it's unlikely to be on there) and a YouTube channel (sadly nothing of interest).
Evidently this was still being shown to elementary students in the 2000s, and potentially as late as 2010. A handful of libraries still seem to possess a copy, but WorldCat suggests these are actual film reels as opposed to a DVD or digital format.
Either way, I'd love to see "If Books Could Talk". This isn't the only school-focused educational film I'm currently involved in a hunt for, but if that one's anything to go by then it's not easy to acquire something intended squarely as a teaching resource... even when the details are quite easily available.
