Hurray for Little Guys

"Dave and the Giant Pickle" is a great tool for any parent who wants to teach his or her kid such values as humor, courage, faith, trust, and self-esteem.

Little Dave, played by Junior Asparagus, manages to show faith in God and a belief in himself despite being picked on by both his brothers and dad. He's told that he's only a little guy and can't do "big things." The music is almost as softly heart-breaking as the sheep who keep falling down. David watches his brothers go off to fight the Philistines and asks, "Why can't little guys do big things too?"

Later, King Saul tries to get David to look more like him and piles up the armor and swords. In a catchy little tune he sings, "You'll probably do much better if you try to look like ME." After stumbling out in ill-fitting armor, Dave insists that he'll be better off being "plain old me." And he is.

I'm also fond of Dave's persistence. Everyone tells him that he can't do it, that he is too small to fight the giant and that the giant is too big. I know the quickest way to motivate me is to tell me that something can't be done. Dave is also stubborn, but with better motives than I usually show. He sings, "He's big, but God's bigger. And when I look at it, that's when I figure, with God's help, I know that I can do big things too."

My two-year-old loves the video--dances to it every time, and hopefully he'll grow up learning that no matter what his size and no matter how "plain" he might feel, he can still be a hero.

Wonderful animation, catchy music, and lots of laughs are all wrapped into a video that ends way too soon.

Oh, and the attention to detail is hilarious--watch the sheep tails wiggle when Dave sings "They go, I twiddle."