LISTINGS KIDS
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LISTINGS
BOOK REVIEW ".” THE wnv BOOKS
(Darling Kindersley £4. 99).
Described as lile-saving handbooks ior parents constantly being asked ‘why’ by inquisitive children (usually at precisely the wrong moment), this new series at books by no means has all the answers, but it does go some way towards lending oil questions about many oi the things adults take (or granted. Entitled Why Does Lightning Strike?, Why be Sunllowers Face The Sun?, Why Are Zebras Black And White? and Why Do We laugh?, the books look at the weather, nature, colour and the human body. llniortunately, this last title doesn’t help with those tricky ‘where do I come irom?’ queries, but it does provide answers (or some oi the more obscure enquiries such as ‘why am I ticklish?’ and ‘why do I lose my baby teeth?’ Most responses come irom a purely medical perspective, leaving parents to plug in the potentially enormous gaps leit by ‘why do people have diiierent coloured skin?’ or ‘why do I have to go to bed?’. The Zebras book is a vibrant least irom beginning to end, with some oi nature’s most
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'.ll(' /t'lit.ts l)I;tt I\ and white?
glorious colours displayed alongside answers to mysteries such as ‘why is the sea blue, when water has no colour?’ and ‘why is my jumper red, when sheep are white?’ Packed lull oi bright photographs and pictures, all the books are clear and easy to read, it a bit on the short side, leaving many questions still unanswered. Youngsters might lind words such as diaphragm, epidermis and keratin hard to cope with, but then that’s where
you come in . . . (Kelly McMenamin)
LISTINGS
Events are listed by city, then alphabetically by activity. Kids listings compiled by Kelly McMenamIn
Outdoors EEEEMIIIIIII
Activities And Fun
I Super Stan’s Mini Zoo Sat 7/Sun 8 Sept. Il.30am—4.30pm. Kelburn Castle and Country Centre. Fairlie. 0l475 568685. Admission to centre £4 (£2.50). Not sure whether it's Stan or the zoo that‘s supposed to be super. but either way here's a chance for little hands to stroke a snake. cuddle a rabbit. hold a tarantula and generally manhandle a whole host of other small furry creatures. with Stan on hand to answer all your questions.
I The Wild Bunch Sat 7 Sept. IOam—noon. Pollok Country Park. Info: 632 9299. 00 along and explore the magical world of mushrooms with The Wild Bunch. a nature club for children over eight (membership £l.50). Front Fairy Rings to Giant Puffballs. there's nothing these people don't know about fungi.
I Camo Kids Sat 7 Sept. l0.l5am-noon. The Lodge. Glennifer Braes Country Park. Glenfield Road. Paisley. Info: 840 3794. Join the Swallow Club. a group of 8— I 2-year-olds who take to the woods with chief 'Speedy Swallow' and the countryside rangers to recover the Sacred Bean.
I The linn llipper Club Sat 14 Sept.
10am. The Mansion House. l.inn Park. 637 ll47. Puffball. Shaggy lnkcap. Stinkhorn. Wood Woolly Foot -- no they're not characters from a Tolkein novel. but types of IllllSIlI'tXHlI. and if you're over eight years old you can join the Linn Dipper Club on their ’Fungal Foray' and find ottt why they've got suclt bizarre names.
Theatre
I Percy Piecrust’s Magic Show Sun 15 Sept. 2pm/3pm/4pm. Kelburn Castle arid Country Centre. Fairlie. ()l-l75 568685. Admission to centre £4 (£2.50). What a name. what a show. Prepare yourself for an hour of magic tricks. l'un attd games. and presumably some explanation for this merry man’s name.
Indoors ramm—
Theatre
I The Man And The Mountain Sat 7 Sept. l lam. Cottier Theatre. 935 Hyndland Road. 357 3868. £2.50 (£l.50). See photo caption.
I Grandpa’s llulet llay Sat 7 Sept. 2pm. Scottish Mask & Puppet Centre. 8-l0 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 339 ()l85. £3 (£2). Black Box Puppet Theatre present this visually dynamic play for 3-7-year-olds. about an old man and his grandson who try to spend a peaceful day in the garden. but things don‘t quite turn out as planned . . .
I The Whizz Kids Sat l4 Sept. I lam. Cottier Theatre. 935 IIyndland Road. 357 3868. £2.50 (£I.50). The Whiu Kids return with a brand new show and equally new line-up of all-singing. all-dancing funsters. The storyline is apparently ‘Top Secret'. but what we ('(lll tell you is that it's full of original songs. audience participation and lots of laughter.
I Creyiriars’ Bobby Sal I4 Sept. 2pm. Scottish Mask & Puppet Centre. 8— l0 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 339 (il85. £3 (£2). Ages J—atlults. Whistlestop Puppets use puppetry. storytelling and live music to recount the legendary tale of the Iidinburgh policeman attd his loyal wee canine chum.
Film
I The Secret Of lloan lnish Sat 14 Sept. lpm. Glasgow Film Theatre. l2 Rose Street. 332 8l28. See Film Index.
I Saturday Kids Club Sat 7 Sept. l0atn—l2.30pm. £ l .50. Virgin Cinetna. The Forge. Parkltead. 556-1282. This week‘s film: '12th Starr. See Filtn Index. I Saturday Kids Club Sat 14 Sept. l0am—l2.30pm. £l.50. Virgin Cittetna. The Forge. l’arkhead. 550 4282. This week's Iilni: Spy l/tml. See Film Index.
Activities And Fun
I Quickies F0! Kids Royal Museum of Scotland. 2 Chambers Street. 225 753-1.
Free ten-minute talks for kids at 2.30pm on Sat 7 Sept (‘The Fislt Graveyard’ ). attd Sat l4 Sept ('The Camel' ). Plus special free tours of the museum's vast collection of anitnals on Stiti 8 and I5 at 3pm.
I Children’s Art And Craft Class Fri 20 Sept—I5 Nov. £28. Exhibition Hall. Royal Botanic Garden. lnverleith Row. 552
7 H! ext 480. The return of this popular eight-week course with Demetra Browning and Ruth Sinclair. who already have a great selection of exciting ideas lined tip for this term. Places are limited. so book early.
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Theatre
I The Princess Pirate Sat l4 Sept. 2pm. Greenock Arts Guild Theatre. Campbell Street. Greenock. ()l-i75 723038. £2.50. This colourful tale featuring both puppets and actors from the Edinburgh Puppet Company. follows a day ill the life of a lively nine-year-old girl whose imagination gets her into all sorts of action-packed adventures. Join her on the high seas. as she searches for her kidnapped baby brother. or ‘shipmate' as she prefers to call hint.
Film
I Muppet Treasure Island Sun 8 Sept. 2.30pm. MacRobert Arts Centre. University of Stirling. 0l78() 46(08 l. £ | .50. See Film Index.
I THE MAll Allll TllE MllllllTlllll Sat 7 Sept, 11am. Cottier Theatre, 935 IIyndland lload, 357 3868. £2.50 (£1.50). Oh dear, looks like someone’s been at the sherry. Chris Craig oi llullaballoo Children’s Theatre may be ilat out at the moment, but tltings are about to change. This charming tale for H-year-oIds tells oi an old man who lived his whole lile on the ilatlands, only to receive a tiny seed in the post which grew into an enormous mountain in his back garden. llow there’s something that doesn’t happen every day - especially not at the moment with all the postal strikes.
The List 6- l9 Sept I996 31