04x02 - Alistair in Outer Space

[bunniefuu]

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

♪ Butterfly in the sky ♪

♪ I can go twice as high ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can go anywhere ♪

♪ Friends to know ♪

♪ And ways to grow ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ I can be anything ♪

♪ Take a look ♪

♪ It's in a book ♪

♪ A reading rainbow ♪

♪ Reading rainbow ♪

Welcome to washington, d.c.,

Home of the white house,
the capitol,

And this building,
our country's library,

The library of congress.

In here, there are books
on everything

From dinosaurs to galaxies.

But that's not all.
It's full of treasures.

Today we're going
on a treasure hunt.

When it started


The library of congress
was a small place

Where people in government
kept their books.

Now it's the world's
biggest library.

It has science-fiction films,
antique books,

Even maps made of seashells
and driftwood.

Every day, hundreds of people
use the library.

To make sure
everyone gets their chance,

You don't check
anything out.

You look at it here.

Today we're being treated
to a behind-the-scenes look

At some treasures kept
at the library of congress.

In some ways,

This library is like
the one in your hometown.

You can look up books
in the card catalogue

Or on a computer.

You still fill out
a call slip.

But how you get books here
is a different story.

Thanks.

When you ask for a book
in this library,

You know
it'll do some traveling.

If you think this book
took a trip,

See what happens
to the boy inside.

The book is
alistair in outer space.

It all begins

When alistair grittle
sets out for the library.

Alistair grittle
was a sensible boy.

Every day he made a list
of the things he had to do.

Then he made a list
of the things

He didn't have to do.

He was always on time
for school.

The school clock was set
by alistair's watch.

Alistair took especially
good care of library books.

He washed his hands
before he read them

So that he would not
smudge the pages.

He always returned them
to the library on time.

One day when alistair
was returning his books

To the library,

Something unusual
happened.

He was picked up
by a spaceship

And whisked off
into space.

Two creatures
who called themselves goots

Were flying the spaceship.

They were from a planet
known as gootula.

They were very friendly.

The goots liked alistair
very much

And wanted
to take him home with them.

Alistair thanked the goots

But he didn't want
to go to gootula.

"My library books
are due back today," he said.

"The librarian
will be expecting me."

The goots pretended
not to hear alistair

And continued on their way.

After a very short time,

They landed on a planet
they thought was gootula.

Then they realized
that it was not gootula.

It was trollabob.

"We must have made
a wrong turn,"

Said the goots.

The goots
were very sorry.

Back on the spaceship,

There was nothing
for alistair to do

But read
his library books again.

But when he looked for a place
to wash his hands,

He opened the wrong door.

The next thing alistair knew,

He was in outer space.

"Now I will never get my books
back to the library," he said.

The goots soon noticed
that alistair was missing,

And they turned
their ship around.

When they found alistair,

He was showing
the trollabobbles

His library card.

The trollabobbles wanted
to take alistair to trollabob,

But he explained
that he had just been there.

So the trollabobbles gave
alistair back to the goots.

The goots continued
to search for gootula,

But they could not
find it anywhere.

Alistair
looked at his watch.

It was getting late.

He was going to have to pay
a library fine.

Alistair could not look
for gootula any longer.

He insisted that
the goots take him home.

This time the goots agreed.

They had never seen alistair
quite so upset.

Alistair did not think
that the goots would be able

To find earth,

So he decided
to fly the spaceship.

It was not very long
before alistair spotted earth

In the viewer.

Then alistair let
the goots take over

While he gathered up
his books.

He was very much relieved

When they finally landed
on earth.

Although it was late,
he was certain

There would still be time
to get to the library...

Now that he was home.

Home?

If alistair and the goots
had had a map,

They might not have landed
at the north pole.

Here in the geography room,

There are maps,
globes, and charts

To help you find your way
almost anywhere.

And here's d*ck stephenson,

A guy who knows
his way around a map.

Why did people
begin making maps?

People have always
wanted to know

Where they are.

Maps are sometimes
drawn in the sand

Or painted
on the walls of caves.

They even drew them
in clay.

This is a clay tablet
made about 4,000 years ago.

What are
the little figures?

Cuneiform.
It's picture writing.

This represents
a parcel of land.

Are there special materials
for making a map?

No. A map can be
drawn or painted

On any kind of material--

Cloth, paper.

As a matter of fact,
we have a map here

That is an eskimo map,

Which is actually
sealskin.

These are pieces of driftwood
sewn onto the sealskin

By this eskimo.

It represents an area
just off the coast of greenland.

These are islands.

They have sailed this area
for hundreds of years.

Therefore they could make
a very accurate map.

However, if you're dealing
with a much larger area,

The whole world
for instance,

Your map may be
in the form of a globe.

This is a bett's
portable globe.

You can collapse it.
You can carry it.

You don't have to worry
about breaking it.

Globes sometimes
are very tiny.

Here's a one-inch globe.

Is it less accurate

Than a globe


No. It just doesn't have
as much information.

The larger globe
holds more information.

We've talked about maps
being drawn on paper,

But they're also drawn
on cloth.

Oh, really?

This is a cloth map
made during world w*r ii.

They used it on rubber rafts
in case you were shipwrecked.

Getting this wet
wouldn't hurt the map.

What if I was in space
and got moonwrecked?

What would I use?

We have a moon globe.

Here's one right here.

This is what
the moon really looks like?

Yes. This shows
both the near side

And the far side
of the moon.

This is accurate
because we've been
to the moon.

Yes. They've flown
around the moon
and photographed it.

Such accurate
representation
of the moon

Is very recent,
isn't it?

Yes.

Where could we go to see
older representations?

The best place
is the film library.

Let me draw you a map.

Great idea.

Right there at the "x".

When you're ready,
hit that button.

This is where
our nation keeps a copy

Of almost every film
that's made,

Even classics like this one
about a trip to the moon.

It's one of the first
science-fiction films,

And it's almost


What a great film!

Uh...

Uh, kathy!

How do I rewind this?

I'll take it,
levar.

There's so much to discover
in libraries.

One of the best discoveries
is librarians.

They know where everything is
and how to find it.

They're always willing
to lend a helping hand.

Excuse me.

I'd like to get...

I have one.

My brother here needs
a library card.

Have you ever
had one?

No!

A new library card.

You'll have to speak
to mr. Conan.

Conan?

Yes.

Conan the librarian.

You are the librarian?

So I am,
and so shall I be.

What manner of quest
brings you to this,

My kingdom?

A library card?

The card?

The card of library?

Ah ha!

First, you must be shown
worthy of the card.

Follow.

You must prove your devotion
to the ancient texts.

For it is said,

"Books are written
to be read."

Reveal the name of the last one
you've studied.

It's been vacation,
so I haven't read--

What?

Charlotte's web.

Why do you seek possession
of the sacred card?

I was hoping
you'd tell me.

A wise answer.

We must begin with the quests
and adventures of the ages.

The writings of the sage,
robert louis stevenson--

Kidnapped,

Treasure island,

Sagas of pirates
and wild beasts.

The work of the lady
madeleine l'engle,

A wrinkle in time.

Have you courage
for this, boy?

I think so.

But I fear
for your strength.

What if you're called
bookworm or such?

You would crumble!

You are but
a mere boy.

No, conan, no.

I can handle it.

I'm small, but I'm tough.

I am beginning
to see.

Come with me.

Prepare to receive the gift
of the sacred card.

Your name?

Jerome clark.

Heed well these words,
jerome.

The sacred card of library
is about to become yours.

Trust not in men
nor in beasts,

But only in this.

May it serve you well.

May it unlock to you
the kingdom of books.

Learn their power,
tremble before their wisdom,

And never
bring them back overdue.

I will.

I mean, I won't.

You may trust in me,
conan.

Prepare to choose
your books.

Are you finally
finished?

You took long enough.

Cease, sister.
You speak now

To the possessor
of the sacred card.

Before you,
behold these, my first books.

Your card.

Good stories last forever,

But the books
they're written in don't.

Books need to be
taken care of

And treated with love.

When a library of congress book
needs repair,

It getsspecial treatment.

It goes to the cleaners
and comes home good as new.

[Tom albro]
this is an early american
music book.

One of the first steps
in repairing a book

Is washing it in water.

The dirt comes out
around the leaf.

A leaf is a page.

Many leaves
make up a book.

Hi. I'm tom albro,

Head of the rare book
conservation section

Of the library of congress.

We fix and repair books.

Barbara.

Hi, tom.

Barbara's mending the leaf

From a book
that's torn its edge.

Could you tell us
what you're doing?

I'm checking the fit
of the tear.

I can see that it will
join up very nicely.


In position,

I'll take
one of these strips

That I've torn from
this japanese tissue,

And I'll paste it out
very slowly

And then position it
along this torn edge.

It will give a nice,
finished look,

And the mend will seem
to disappear

Into the paper.

Once we fix the pages,
we sew them together again.

The books are made up
of sections,

A series of folded pages.

Pam is sewing
each section together again.

If the thread's
too thick,

The back of the book
would be thicker

Than the front
of the book.

The frame is
a sewing frame.

It's a machine
that's been in use

For about 1,800 years

And has largely
remained unchanged.

It's one of the best methods
for sewing a book by hand.

This is vegetable-tanned
goat skin.

We've selected this skin
for the book cover.

It's very nice
to work with.

One of bookbinding's
most satisfying aspects

Is covering a book
in full leather.

The next step is to take
a piece of wet cotton

And to very lightly apply it
to the skin.

If you don't wet it,

It would be very difficult

To shape it
the way you want to.

I then apply the paste
to the leather

So it saturates the skin.

If you don't,
the leather might not stick.

Now we carefully
position the book

On the skin.

Then we bring
the other side over,

And we begin
to mold the leather

Right over the bands
that you saw us sewing

On the sewing frame.

The next process
we'll go to

Is gold tooling.

We're going to put a title
in the book's spine.

Glen, will you tell us
what's involved?

First, I press very hard
with a hot tool

Into the leather

To make a sharp impression.

I have to do this
for each letter.

This is gold leaf.

It's pounded very thin.

It's thinner than paper.

This gold, being so thin,
wants to fly everywhere

And will stick to anything.

It's important
to have a steady hand,

Keeping the tools
very straight

So that the letters
are not tilted.

I take this rubber eraser--
it's a special gold rubber--

And wipe off the gold.

And we have
a finished book.

A lot of effort
goes into repairing books

At the library of congress.

Caring for these books
is up to you.

Believe it or not,
this is a book.

But so is this.

Big or little,
it doesn't matter.

It's what's inside
that counts.

If you liked
alistair in outer space,

Here are other books
to try on for size.

Don't take my word for it.

My name
is claude white.

I just read an interesting
and informative book

Called maps and globes.

If you like to travel
to exciting places,

This book would be
a big help.

I learned that maps
have their own language.

You can learn about latitude
and longitude

And the ocean's depths.

The pictures
are very colorful.

Did you know there were
more mountains and volcanoes

Under the water
than on land?

If you get lost a lot,

Then catch the bookmobile
and check out maps and globes.

My name is jay scott.

Are you interested
in space travel and aliens?

If you are,
you'll love this book,

Commander toad in space.

Commander toad
is bright and brave.

He has a very unusual crew.

The characters in the story
remind me

Of all the space movies
I've seen.

Do any of these names
sound familiar?

Mr. Hop,
the deep thinker,

And jake skyjumper.

The ship star warts' mission
is to go

Where no spaceship
has ever gone before,

To bring some of earth
to the unknown galaxies.

Commander toad is not
just one book,

But a series of books.

You can read them all.
I will.

My name
is molly mandlin.

Did you know
there's a place

Right in your neighborhood
that's filled with treasures?

It's the library.

Learn about it
in check it out!

Some treasures
you can find are books.

There are different kinds
of books in the library--

Fiction or nonfiction,
stories and adventures,

Science and history books,
and even biographies.

You can borrow toys and puzzles
from the library.

You can find computers
in the library,

But you can't borrow them.

Libraries are great places

Because you can have fun
and learn, too.

Go to your library
and check it out.

No matter where you go
in the library of congress,

You'll always find
something new.

That's true of any library.

The one in your hometown
is full of treasures

Waiting to be discovered
by you.

If you have a library card,
then use it.

If you don't, then get one.

It's what
every explorer needs.

We'll see you next time.

Today's reading rainbow books
are

Alistair in outer space

By marilyn sadler,

Illustrated by roger bollen,

Published by prentice-hall, inc.

Maps and globes

By jack knowlton,

Illustrated by harriett barton,

Published by thomas y. Crowell.

Commander toad series
by jane yolen,

Illustrated by bruce degen,

Published by
coward-mccann, inc.

Check it out!
The book about libraries

By gail gibbons,

Published by
harcourt brace jovanovich.