Sing Along With the Backyardigans This Christmas

We haven't gotten Nickelodeon at my house for years, so I haven't kept up with its current crop of kids' shows, but one rainy morning last year I was babysitting, and I was introduced to the charming quintet known as the Backyardigans. These cheerful CGI creatures, voiced by children, love to spend their days together. Though they never venture much beyond their backyards, their imaginations are vivid enough that each day they can embark on a fantastic journey.

The friends' upbeat personalities, animal forms and fondness for pretending and singing remind me of Muppet Babies, which I watched regularly when I was a youngster. The characters include Pablo, a blue penguin; Tyrone, an orange moose; Tasha, a yellow hippo; Austin, a purple kangaroo; and Uniqua, a pink something-or-other.

In Jingle Bell Christmas, a mid-sized board book, each of the characters has a two-page spread in which to sing, to the tune of Jingle Bells, about the fact that he or she is rushing off to meet the other Backyardigans with a hidden present in tow. On the final two-page spread, all the characters are together, and they sing in unison, or at least that's how I imagine it.

Of course, we're not actually hearing the singing; there isn't any included recording or a button to press so kids can hear the tune. But the fact that the text is written to go along with the kid-friendly Christmas carol makes it extra-fun, since children can sing the words rather than just reading them.

The book is written by Catharine Lukas and illustrated by The Artifact Group. It's very short, but there's still a story to it, as it involves each of the friends heading off to the pre-arranged meeting place, and it's fun to look at the pictures and see the differences in clothing and gift wrap and surrounding scenery. Making things even more fun is the fact that the pages are embellished with foil, making each illustration shiny and sparkly. Also included are a number of flaps on each page - 20 in all - so kids won't see all there is to see at one glance.

In the end, the happy friends exchange their presents, which all turn out to be hats of some variety, in front of a large Christmas tree. There's such a jubilant tone to this book, with all the bright colors and wide smiles and the spirit of generosity that permeates the stiff pages. "Oh, what fun it is to give a gift on Christmas Day!" goes the refrain. This jingly, joyful book great way to demonstrate to toddlers that it is better to give than to receive.