Zeus

• Margaret Rutherford
• Bob McFadden
• Bradley Bolke

Bent on enslaving an entire land of nursery-rhyme characters (to mine diamonds!), the dastardly Count Warptwist sneers and chortles his crooked way through The Wacky World of Mother Goose. According to Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass (famed creators of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), such can be expected when Mother Goose leaves King Cole in charge while she visits her ailing sister. Contorted as it sounds, the premise allows Rankin and Bass to concoct possible backstories on literary curiosities like Little Jack Horner, Peter Pumpkin-eater's wife, and the dish who ran away with the spoon. It also means an eclectic soundtrack, frequent eyebrow-raising lyrics not meant for the preschool set, and an occasional nursery rhyme belted out by a resounding, Ray Conniff-esque chorus.