The Wonder Pets Save the Reindeer By Working Together

A couple years ago, I was watching TV with my cousin when a show came on Nickelodeon that I hadn’t encountered before. Called Wonder Pets, it featured a trio of irresistible young animals who went about rescuing other young animals. The spirit of cooperation and the prevalence of music on the show make it similar to The Backyardigans, another show for the pre-elementary set that features several cuddly animal protagonists. Based on what I’ve seen of them, both programs seem to be of high quality and have positive messages, so I was happy to snuggle down for a few minutes with their respective Christmas books.

The Backyardigans’ Jingle Bell Christmas is a cute little tale set to the tune of Jingle Bells. Wonder Pets! Save the Reindeer!, adapted from Chris Nee’s teleplay by Tone Thyne and illustrated by Michael Scanton, is a bit more involved, more driven by the rhyming narrative than the illustrations, though the pictures are delightful, albeit, in the spirit of the show, a tad trippy. While the starring characters are photographically generated, the backgrounds and props are animated, resulting in an odd mixed-media creation. But the animals are adorable, and the wintry landscapes are lovely, so the mixture isn’t too odd to be enjoyed.

The trio of heroes are 5-year-old Linny the guinea pig, the ringleader; sensitive 4-year-old Tuck the red-eared slider terrapin and 3-year-old Ming-Ming the duckling, who, much like me at that age, is full of bravado and could use some serious speech therapy. Throughout this book, all three of them wear Santa hats, and their house is bedecked with hand-made decorations. They also travel around in a snazzy Christmas Flyboat. But the most festive element of the book is the little reindeer who becomes trapped on an icy pond. What can these tiny critters do to help?

I recently read Reindeer Christmas, another book that involves a reindeer in distress being aided by altruistic youths. That book is more literary and is aimed at an older audience. This one is short and sweet, a nice little tale for toddlers to cozy up to. It encourages teamwork and problem-solving, and fans of the show and their parents should be satisfied with this holiday adventure with the guinea pig, the turtle and the duck.

Hey, It's Franklin!

I've seen "Franklin" several times on Nick Jr., and it is one of the better cartoons intended especially for young children. Though the characters are different, it seems to go hand in hand with "Little Bear". This time the main character is a turtle, not a bear -- although his best friend is a bear. Along with his parents and friends, Franklin learns an important lesson in each episode: fire safety, patience, perseverance, doing things by yourself...Each story is 10-15 minutes long and has a nice mix of fun and education, the lesson always being tightly integrated into the story. The bright background and bouncy music, not to mention the adorable characters, make this an ideal show for youngsters in their preschool years. One odd thing: Why is Franklin's name Franklin when all of his friends bear the name of their species - Bear, Otter, Beaver, Snail, Mrs. Muskrat, etc.? Oh, well. I guess that just makes him all the more special.