Adventures from the Book of Virtues (1996)
Growing up can be confusing! When Zach and Annie face difficulties in their lives, they go to special place called Plato’s Peak. There, Plato—a talking buffalo!—and his friends are always willing to lend a helping hand.
Seasons & Episode
Embarrassed that his history project -- a reproduction of a relic that his father brought back from a trip to Egypt -- is too lame, Zach tells his class that the relic is real. When his teacher asks permission to display the ancient relic in the History Fair, Zach’s “harmless” embellishment is in danger of becoming a major school-wide deception. Concerned that this would harm Zach’s integrity, Plato tells a wise and well-known tale about a boy whose lies get the better of him.
Annie decides to build an electric motor from scratch for her science, but when the task turns out to be harder than she expected, she is prepared to give up. That is, until Plato tells her the story the Wright Brothers who worked tirelessly to make their dream of human flight a reality.
When Zach feels threatened by a new athlete on his track team, a potential friendship is thwarted. It takes the story of the friendship between Robin Hood and Little John, to make Zach realize that a good friendship can be born out of healthy competition.
Zach promises to drop off his father’s film at the lab before going on a hike with Annie, but decides to do the hike first. When he and Annie get stranded on a steep trail, Sock goes for a rope while Ari tells a story to boast Zach’s courage. They get off the trail safely, but Zach doesn’t make it to the lab before it closes. Now he must have the courage to tell his father of his mistake.
During a trail bike race with her friend, Zach, Annie is left in the dirt and becomes discouraged. She rests up at Plato’s Peak, just enough time to hear the story of The Tortoise and the Hare, which teaches her a valuable perseverance lesson: Slow and steady wins the race.
Annie promises to pay Zach fifteen dollars to paint her mother’s fence. But when the task takes him one hour rather than the entire day, Annie refuses to pay him the full amount. That is, until she hears a story that shows the consequences of not keeping your promises.
Annie volunteers to take care of her aunt and uncle’s garden while they are away on vacation. But when playing with her friends proves to be too tempting, the garden goes to seed, prompting a story from Plato about the importance of responsibility.
Zach’s obsession with a new video game, rather than his scouting manual, leaves him embarrassingly unprepared during a troop camping trip, prompting a story from Plato about the need for self-discipline.
Zach is excited about the launch of a new cable network called The Kids Movie Channel. Although he promises his parents that his movie watching won’t interfere with his studies and chores, Zach overdoes it, causing concern ... and a story up at Plato’s Peak about the importance of moderation.
Annie’s snowboarding bravado gets the best of her when she dares a group of fellow snowboarders to board down Deadfall Bluff. Concerned, Zach tries to talk her out of it -- it’s too dangerous! -- but it’s a story about humility that does the trick.
When Annie receives a postcard from a friend who moved to New York City, Annie becomes glum and wishes she lived in an exciting place. But a funny, enlightening story helps Annie feel gratitude for her life in Spring Valley.
When Annie is elected president of the Drama Club, her desire to make a profit blinds her to the true meaning of Christmas. Her growing selfishness triggers a series of dreams where Annie is Scrooge in Victorian London!
After she wakes up she learns the true meaning of the Christmas spirit.
