PBS Folktales Site

Reviewed By Diana McCown

Website Review For PBS Folktales Site http://www.pbs.org/willa/pages/page2.html

Overview: The PBS folktales site is a website dedicated to providing some educational background to a program, Willa: An American Snow White, which was aired on PBS. The movie, Willa, is the eleventh film in a series of classic Brother Grimm folk tales in American settings.

Scope: The scope of this site is very limited to information and materials that can provide educational or informational background to the show, Willa. The site contains general information about folk tales and their definition, origin, and methods of study. In addition, an 1898 version of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and a poem of the same title by Anne Sexton are available. Also, information about the Grimm Brothers and their books is provided, and an article debating the affects of the violent nature of the Grimm Brothers' tales can be read. Finally, the site contains a guide for gathering personal family folklore and instructions for teachers on how to present and use the guide.

Objectivity: Although all the material is related to a particular program, the information provided in the site is fairly objective. The site does contain an article that debates the effects of violence in fairy tales.

Currency: The copyright of the PBS site in general is from 1995-2002. No specific dates were provided for the site containing information about the folk tales; however, all the links were current and viable.

Accuracy: The information contained in the site appears to be very accurate and free of errors.

Authority: This website is produced by the Public Broadcasting System (PBS), which lends a great deal of credibility and authority to the site.

Format: The site is easy to read with a yellow background. Photos and illustrations are provided throughout the website, and all the connections are quick. The site is easy to maneuver.

Denise Enriquez SLIS 5440     

 http://www.pbs.org/willa/pages/page2.html

 Features articles about folktales including the Grimm

brothers, a version ?Snow White?as well as a poem, the

nature of folktales and why they are studied, and a

commentary by the author of Mary Poppins about violence

in them. The page offers advice about collecting your

own family stories too.

Each linked page has bookmarks to allow the user to move

quickly to the interesting parts. Related links are

given occasionally for example the Snow White contains

the statement: ?Snow White is one of the best known

"wonder" tales in the Grimm collection and an entire web

site at Rutgers University is devoted to it.? Other

links are given at the end of the article and these are

worth your time.  PBS is national organization known for

its dedication to educational pursuits. Its reputation

lends me to believe they have done their research and

the page supports that. The give their sources and

display the information beautifully with no confusing

graphics or indicators to get it the way. The download

can be sluggish depending on the graphics on the page

but these delays are very minor.

There is not a plethora of information here but what it

does have is interesting. Use it as an additional

supportive resource not a main one. The links from each

page are invaluable.