VIDEO ROSE

The talented Kim Hicks cannot save this thin story of a young girl obsessed with watching videos. When the VCR breaks, it's the end of the world for her until a mysterious man zaps the machine and gives her special powers to rewind and fast-forward her life. Hicks uses a high-pitched whine to narrate Rose, which is fitting for a young girl who helps her mother only to gain something in return. Younger children may find Rose's use of magic to enjoy candy again and again amusing, but most listeners will wonder when she will derail from her one-track mind. Even special powers fail to teach her a lesson, and the story ends with her returning to the video store. Hicks does an admirable job lending each character a different voice, especially when she inflects exasperation as each loses patience with the misbehaving girl. M.M.O. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 02]