A select committee of the American Library Association has chosen BREAD COMES TO LIFE to be included in it’s list of top programming for children.

Lily Tomlin's memorable delivery of the poetic script ("squash it, squeeze, slam it, toss it") and George Winston's bouncy piano, guitar, and harmonica music grace this entertainingly informative "story of bread from a grain of wheat to a loaf to eat." The toe-tapping pace supports footage of amiable children celebrating bread in all forms. When the baker pulls a loaf of bread out of the oven, viewers' senses are totally engaged. Helpful time-lapse footage and some imaginative animation enhance the plant growing, dough rising, bread-baking sequences. Final footage shows a four-year-old youngster mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough, and baking the "rootin' tootin' ball of gluten." Puppies, birds and even cows are also spied savoring the staff of life. A not-to-be-missed title from film maker George Levenson, the creator of Pumpkin Circle (1997) and Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (1991) - Reviewed by Nancy McCray, BOOKLIST, November 1, 2003

Here are some comments about BREAD COMES TO LIFE from K-3 educators, librarians and media specialists:

"Moves quickly. Wonderful rhythm"		"Fun, Inspiring" "Engaging"
"Clever, fun language" "Wholistic approach to the curriculum" "A wonderful circle ... shows the entire process"	"Wonderful message about the connectedness of life and the wonder of it all" "Humorous and informative" "Now anyone can make bread!"
"Imaginative, playful, comprehensive"	"Hits so many educational standards"	"Beautiful words and pictures"
		"Thorough, calm, artistic" "Great for kids to see the whole process" "Rhyme is appealing to children and helps vocabulary building" "Great humor and visuals"

BREAD COMES TO LIFE: A Garden of Wheat and a Loaf to Eat.
22 minutes, color, with teacher’s guide. K-6 ISBN 1-879368-03-X

The way in which wheat becomes bread is explored in this charming production. Animation, time-lapse photography, and live-action footage depict the lifecycle of wheat from planting to sprouting, harvesting, threshing, and grinding into flour. Viewers see how flour is mixed with yeast and other ingredients to become bread. Without speaking, a white-gloved baker shows all the activities connected with baking a loaf of bread while the narrator describes the action in poetic verse. Though the rhymes are sometimes forced, actress Lily Tomlim provides effortless narration. She is superbly accompanied by musician George Winston, performing original music on piano, guitar, and harmonica. The last segment of the video features bread-making in large-scale operations, and shows several different types of bread being made. This video could be utilized as an enhancement for a number of curriculum topics, and teachers looking for a video on the topic will appreciate this engaging production.
— Shauna Yusko, King County Library System, Bellevue, WA. November. 2003