Tot TV Watch

During the month of March, Noggin will feature new literacy-based programming to support its “Get Ready to Read” national literacy campaign. The network will be running five new episodes of Pinky Dinky Doo, plus new “Story Time” and PSA segments featuring Isaiah Washington and Cedric the Entertainer. The PSA segments, which begin airing on March 5th, will each direct viewers to www.noggin.com/read, where they can click to generate free books to those in need through Noggin’s partnership with First Book.

Noggin.com will also add several new reading games and activities on March 2nd. The site will feature the Pinky Dinky Doo “Great Big Fancy Word” game, a new Moose and Zee doodlepad activity, a 64 Zoo Lane storymaker, and a “Blue’s Clues Gold Challenge” game. In addition, they will add several new printables including “The Tortoise and the Hare” story.

The premiere week schedule for Pinky Dinky Doo is as follows:

Monday, March 26 (3:00 p.m., ET)
- “Tyler Dinky Doo and the Legend of Twigfoot” - Tyler doesn’t want to bathe because he won’t wash off his temporary tattoo. Pinky tells a story about how Tyler got so dirty playing in Smackdab Park, that when a walnut fell in his hair, a tree sprouted up, potatoes grew from his ears and mushrooms popped up on his feet. When Tyler finally agrees to a bath, he can’t fit back into the apartment because the tree on his head is too big. Podcast of “Tyler Dinky Doo and the Legend of Twigfoot” (3/26)
- “Pinky and the Big Rainy Day” - It’s raining and Tyler is disappointed that his outdoor concert is cancelled, so Pinky tells him a tale about a day in Great Big City when it literally rained cats and dogs. Before long, Pinky’s street is swarming with meowing and barking animals. It gets so loud that everybody in the neighborhood has to cover their ears until the cats start meowing in harmony to a song that comes on the radio. Podcast of “Pinky and the Big Rainy Day” (3/30)

Tuesday, March 27 (3:00 p.m., ET)
- “Pinky Dinky Doo and the Pizza Artist” - Tyler is drawing a picture of Mommy, but has trouble getting her face just right. Pinky tells him how she accompanied Monsieur Guinea Pig to the museum to hang his painting and they met Pappy Pepperoni, who asked Guinea Pig to paint his portrait. When Monsieur Guinea Pig has trouble getting Pappy’s face just right, Pinky has Pappy hold a pizza in front of his face.
- “Pinky Dinky Doo and the Party Animals” - Tyler can’t sleep because he left his stuffed elephant at school, so Pinky tells him a story about how she woke up in the middle of the night to stuffed animal party in her living room. Sir Pedro the penguin explains that the party is for Kingsley, the dinosaur. When Kingsley gets stuck at the toy store and can’t make it to his own party, Pinky has to think big.

Wednesday, March 28 (3:00 p.m., ET)
- “Tyler’s Tall O’Meter” - Tyler wants to be bigger, so tells him a story of about measuring herself on her Tall O’ Meter. When the device said she hadn’t grown, she decides to be gargantuan and sets the machine to “super-speedy,” growing so tall that she’s high in the sky and can’t fit ack inside her bedroom. Pinky asks for a little help from her little brother to get back down to her regular “dinky” size.
- “Pinky Dinky Doo and the Cloud People” - As Tyler hides from noisy thunder, Pinky tells him a story to make him feel safe. Pinky and Mr. Guinea Pig watch clouds at the park when they hear loud booming thunder. Pinky uses her peddle-powered storm-chasing airplane to investigate, and discovers the thunder is a brother and sister cloud fighting over who will carry the rain.

Thursday, March 29 (3:00 p.m., ET)
- “Tyler Dinky Doo’s Sporting News” - Tyler isn’t happy about being on the soccer team, so Pinky tells a story about Great Big Soccer City, where everyone, except Pinky, loves soccer. Pinky just wants to play her tuba, but after much prodding, attempts and kicks the ball in the wrong goal! Pinky puts on such a rousing tuba performance from the sidelines,that her friends decide to join her and rest during every game.
- “Dragon Needs a Sippy Cup” - Tyler is upset he has to use a cup with a lid, so Pinky tells him a tale to make him feel better. Pinky and Mr. Guinea Pig visit King Spillsalot so they can help him figure out why his castle keeps shaking. They check the castle’s cellar and discover a purple dragon who has been spilling his drinks, too. Every time the dragon spills, he stomps up and down, shaking the castle.

Friday, March 30 (3:00 p.m., ET)
- “Tyler Dinky Doo and the Pirate Crew” - Tyler doesn’t want to clean his messy room, and Pinky tells him a tale to inspire him. Pinky and Tyler are picked up by a floating pirate ship and brought to the chronically messy Pirate King to clean his ship. Tyler isn’t happy, but steps up to the job when a strong wind blows the sails away and nobody can find the extra set in all of the mess.
- “Pinky Dinky Doo and the Missing Dinosaurs” - Tyler can’t sleep when he hears noises, so Pinky tells him a story to calm his fears. Pinky, Tyler, and Mr. Guinea Pig come upon the Museum of Really Old Stuff and hear strange noises. They soon find that the museum’s dinosaurs have disappeared. The group locates the creatures playing rock music behind the museum, since they cannot practice inside the building.

Noggin, Get Ready to Read, Pinky Dinky Doo, PSA, Story Time, Isaiah Washington, Cedric the Entertainer, First Book

Rumor has it that Jack’s Big Music Show will be going out on the road in the near future. AWA Touring Services has a web page set up that says Jack’s Big Music Show Live! will be coming in 2007.

I don’t have any confirmation that this is actually happening, but I have contacted the touring company for more information and will be sure to share anything I find out.

Jack’s Big Music Show, AWA Touring Services, Jack’s Big Music Show Live!

Jack’s Big Music Show is quite a phenomenon among the toddler crowd these days, but unlike other popular kids’ shows, there seems to be a lack of available Jack’s merchandise. A stroll down the aisles of your local Wal-Mart or Target will turn up a nice variety of Dora, Diego, Backyardigans, or SpongeBob toys but you won’t see anything with Jack, Mary, or Mel on it. A quick online search shows that many other parents out there are just as distraught as I am about this.

Modern Day Dad reported back in January of 2006 that there would be merchandise on sale before the next big holiday season, but that season has now come and gone. A compilation cd of songs from the first season was released on September 26th, 2006 but that is all that has been seen thus far. As a parent, I’m desperately hoping for some figurines or plush toys of Jack, Mary, and Mel and a Season One dvd series in the near future.

I have also been looking for some Jack’s Big Music Show apparel because my son is much easier to dress when he likes what I’m trying to put on him. Last week as I was browsing the Noggin.com web site, I came across a fun craft idea posted on the Jack’s Big Music Show page. They have provided instructions and two images to use to make your own Jack’s Big Music Show t-shirts. All you have to do is print the images (using an inkjet printer) onto iron-on transfer paper and then iron them on a t-shirt. I was so excited that I ran out the next day and purchased my supplies. My son is a little young to help so I made them myself but he can’t wait to wear them.

Here’s a picture of the finished product:

I’m sure the iron-ons would also work for sweatshirts and other items. I have quite a lot of transfer paper left and I am just imagining all of the possibilities.

Jack’s Big Music Show, merchandise, Noggin, t-shirt, iron-on

Based on the popular picture book series by author Lucy Cousins, Maisy is a show about a young mouse who loves to explore the world. During her daily adventures, Maisy Mouse learns all about growing up. Whether on an imaginary adventure or doing everyday things like taking a bath, Maisy and her animal friends are always embarking on new discoveries.

One of the interesting features of the television show is that the characters do not speak. Instead the action is narrated by a male voice. The characters, voiced by The Umbilical Brothers (Shane Dundas and David Collins), do make various babbling noises and may speak single words from time to time.

Maisy helps viewers comprehend story structure and promotes early literacy through appreciation of language. Maisy and her friends model creative problem solving with optimism while encouraging viewers to consider and understand the importance of values such as friendship, honesty and social interaction.

While I haven’t watched a lot of Maisy, what I have seen of the show gives me nothing to complain about. It is simple, upbeat, and actually keeps my son’s attention. Some of the interstitials that have aired on Noggin have cute songs in them that tend to stick in my head all day.

Developed by Nickelodeon, Maisy currently airs twice a day on Noggin.

Maisy, Lucy Cousins, mouse, Nickelodeon, Noggin, Umbilical Brothers, Shane Dundas, David Collins, The Upside Down Show

February is Black History Month and Nickelodeon is celebrating with a line-up of short clips featuring African American traditions and history. Throughout February Nickelodeon will air vignettes of kids from across the country, including Nickelodeon’s own Lil’ J.J., sharing their personal stories about family, friends and traditions.

Nick Jr. and Noggin will air three new 30-second videos featuring hand-clap rhymes by kids and illustrations that profile great figures in African American history. Featured are Dr. George Washington Carver, August Wilson, and Mae C. Johnson.

To go along with the TV shorts, NickJr.com is offering printable trading cards featuring notable African Americans, as well as Black History Month themed coloring pages, a suggested reading list, and tips to help parents teach diversity.

Black History Month, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Noggin, diversity, George Washington Carver, August Wilson, Mae C. Johnson, African American

A couple of days ago I walked into the living room just in time to hear my son yell out “Oobi!” along with the TV. Since it isn’t one of the shows he normally watches it caught me a little off guard.

So what exactly is Oobi? Oobi is a show on Noggin based on bare-hand puppets (with eyes and accessories). “Oobi” is a curious four-year-old who explores the world around him with the help of his little sister Uma, his best friend Kako, and his grandfather, Grampu.

Oobi introduces simple concepts that occur in a child’s every day life. The show explores the wonder and amazement that most children experience when they discover something new. As Oobi and his friends play, they help preschoolers build vocabulary, concepts and skills from mathematics, early literacy and logical thinking. During the breaks between each episode, the characters have interactions with real toddlers based on the theme of the show.

As with most shows there are both good and bad aspects of the show. My one big gripe about the show is the speech that is used throughout it. All of the characters on the show, including Grampu, speak in simple phrases-often leaving words out-rather than using full sentences. While it does keep things simple for the preschool aged viewers that it is aimed at, it does not model proper speech patterns. Parents of autistic children, however, find the show refreshing as they find it easier to communicate with their children in simple sentences like those used on the show.

While I don’t keep it in frequent rotation, I do allow my son to watch it occasionally because he really does seem to enjoy it. I, on the other hand, have to find some other kind of distraction while it is on.

Oobi, Noggin, preschooler, speech, autism, Uma, Kako, Grampu

Remember when I wrote about Steve Burns having a video on Jack’s Big Music Show? Well, the time has almost arrived. Along with The Laurie Berkner Band’s song “Sneaks”, the Steve Burns and Steven Drozd video, “Hog the Ground,” will air on the February 2nd episode, Ground Hog Day. This episode may also be of special interest to parents because Jon Stewart from The Daily Show will be guest starring.

I have been pretty impressed with the new season so far. If nothing else, it has been really nice to hear some new songs. This episode looks like it will be a fun one for kids and will also teach them a little about the tradition of Ground Hog Day. If your kids won’t be home to watch, it is definitely one to set the TiVo or DVR for.

Jack’s Big Music Show, Noggin, Steve Burns, Blue’s Clues, Steven Drozd, Flaming Lips, Laurie Berkner, Jon Stewart, Daily Show, Hog the Ground, Ground Hog Day

Do you ever have trouble coming up with a bedtime story for your kids? Well you aren’t the only one. Pinky Dinky Doo creator Jim Jinkins had the same problem. One night when his kids asked him for a bedtime story he froze up and then an idea finally came to him. The story he told that night became the very first Pinky Dinky Doo story. His series of bedtime stories about Pinky eventually became the popular animated series Pinky Dinky Doo.

Pinky Dinky Doo is a seven-year-old girl with a big imagination. She loves to make up stories and through her storytelling she generally comes up with some kind of wacky solution to a problem that is presented in the show. Pinky lives in Great Big City with her parents, her 4-year-old brother Tyler, and her pet guinea pig.

The show’s main educational focus is on fostering early literacy skills which they accomplish in several different ways. Each episode guides the viewer through the basics of narrative stories - character, dialogue, plot, details, main idea and sequence of events. After each story, Pinky invites the viewer to participate in an interactive game where they are encouraged to test their listening skills and recall the details of the story. Each episode also introduces a new big word, which is repeated several times throughout the show and preceded by a trumpet fanfare, helping to increase vocabulary.

Pinky Dinky Doo airs on both Noggin and CBC. Check your local listings for times.

Pinky Dinky Doo, Jim Jinkins, Noggin, CBC

A recent New York Post article speculates whether David Collins and Shane Dundas will return with a second Season of The Upside Down Show. Based on the quotes in the article it sounds like the show may be done, but I certainly hope not. I have a feeling there will be more than a few angry toddlers around if there is not second season.

It sounds like David and Shane are trying to figure out where their careers are headed and whether they want to focus on kids or adults. Dundas is quoted in the article saying, “We’re really not kid’s entertainers and the last thing I want is to be boxed into any particular area. There are enough Wiggles out there.”

Nickelodeon executives state that a final decision will be made in February regarding the show.

The Upside Down Show, Noggin, Nickelodeon, Shane Dundas, David Collins

Just popping in to remind you that the new season of Jack’s Big Music Show starts today. Two new episodes will air each weekend throughout the new season.

As I’ve mentioned before, Jack’s Big Music Show is about to start their second season on January 6th (which cannot get here soon enough in my opinion). There is a great line-up of new music videos and clubhouse visitors slated for this season.

During Noggin’s Warm and Fuzzy Holiday Party, they showed a few sneak peeks of the new season. During one of those sneak peeks, I had the pleasure of viewing the new Steve Burns (formerly of Blue’s Clues fame) and Steven Drozd (The Flaming Lips) video that will air on the series. I have to admit it was a bit of a shock at first to see Steve with a bald head and in such a different atmosphere, but once I got over that I figured out the song was pretty good. I prefer my kid’s music to be rockin’ and this certainly was. I’m actually anxious to see it again.

Other artists that will appear this season are Lisa Loeb, AudraRox, Nuttin’ But Stringz, Angelique Kidjo, Justin Roberts, Music for Aardvarks, Anne Harris, Rebekah Jordan, The Quiet Two, Dirty Sock Funtime Band, Comic Book Heroes, Leon Thomas, The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, J. Walter Hawkes, The Mighty Weaklings, Andrew Bird, Tyler Bunch and Libyah Pugh. There will also be clubhouse visits from Jon Stewart and Cheryl Hines.

Jack’s Big Music Show, Noggin, Steve Burns, Steven Drozd

The Christmas craziness if finally coming to an end at my house and hopefully I’ll get back to some regular posting here now. The holidays are enjoyable but always busy no matter how much relaxation time I attempt to schedule in. I did manage to find a few minutes here and there to sit with my son and enjoy some of the holiday specials that have been running.

Blue’s Clues has a wonderful holiday special entitled, “Blue’s Big Holiday”. In it the Blue’s Clues characters are creating patches for a memory quilt. They also learn about various holiday traditions from their friends along the way. I was particularly impressed with how they handled the explanations of other holidays and traditions. I don’t remember even hearing of some of these until I was in high school. We have seen this episode many times now and I haven’t tired of it yet.

In “Franklin’s Magic Christmas” Franklin, Harriet, and the rest of the family are traveling to spend Christmas at Faraway Farm where Mrs. Turtle grew up. Franklin grows increasingly frustrated with Harriet for always getting in the middle of things and then spilling the surprise that he and his grandmother have been secretly working on. When his grandfather gets hurt, Franklin takes it upon himself to find help and ends up needing a Christmas miracle to rescue him and Harriet. I really enjoyed the sibling dynamics portrayed in this episode even though Harriet does “baby talk” which is a big pet peeve of mine.

Dora the Explorer celebrates the holiday by bringing “A Present For Santa”. Dora and Boots venture to the North Pole to deliver a present for Santa on Christmas Eve. After traveling over snowy mountain and across and icy river, they finally reach Santa. The episode centers around the spirit of giving and even teaches Swiper a good lesson in the end.

There were many more holiday specials that I didn’t get a chance to watch. What did you and your child watch this holiday season? Is there anything I missed but should have seen?

Dora the Explorer, Blue’s Clues, Franklin, holidays, Noggin

Why, make them walk the plank, of course! That’s how it goes in the Backyardigans version anyway. Apparently I have seen the “Pirate Treasure” episode a few too many times because I caught myself singing about scurvy pirates at work today.

In this episode Uniqua and Austin are pirates who sail away to find a buried treasure. What they don’t know is that Pablo and Tyrone are searching for the same treasure. Pablo and Tyrone have half of the map for the buried treasure and Uniqua and Austin have the other half. When the two pirate ships meet up on the sea it is determined that someone must “walk the plank”. Eventually they put the two halves of the map together and go in search of the “X” that marks the treasure. Following the letters of the alphabet, they finally encounter the X and dig for the buried treasure. The episode ends with the group heading back for snacks at Uniqua’s house.

Backyardigans, Pirate Treasure, pirates, Nick Jr., Noggin

A few minutes into The Wonder Pets, you can hear them singing a catchy little tune that always gets stuck in my head:

Wonder Pets! Wonder Pets! We’re on our way,
To help a baby [featured animal], and save the day.
We’re not too big,
And we’re not too tough,
But when we work together we’ve got the right stuff!
Goooooooo Wonder Pets! Yaaaaaaayyyyyyy!

Every preschooler out there knows who The Wonder Pets are, but something about them just leaves me skeptical. Each episode of The Wonder Pets features three superhero friends: Linny the Guinea Pig, Turtle Tuck, and Ming-Ming Duckling. The three classroom pets work together to solve problems and help another animal in trouble. Almost all of the dialogue is in song and it is uniquely animated using photo-puppetry, which allows animators to manipulate photos of real animals to create the characters.

I applaud the teamwork theme because I think it’s a great life lesson, but this show still just rubs me the wrong way. I think my biggest gripe is the fact that Ming-Ming, the duck character, talks with a bit of a speech impairment. “R” sounds are pronounced as “W” sounds. Even though this is very common in toddlers, I don’t see why the creators of a show targeted to children who are learning speech would purposely give this as an example. The last thing I want to do is encourage my child to pronounce words incorrectly.

While I have not yet completely banned the show from my TV, The Wonder Pets are certainly not in the regular rotation. I can appreciate it for what it is, but there is definitely room for improvement.

Wonder Pets, Noggin, Nick Jr., preschool, toddler

I found yet another use for the TV tonight. Haircuts. When I couldn’t get my son to sit still long enough to cut his hair I plopped him in front of the TV and put on an episode of Noggin’s new show, The Upside Down Show. If I was thinking I would have put it on the “Barbershop” episode where Shane visits the very hairy room. While I admit this show annoys me at times (generally after watching 2 or 3 episodes with no break), it entertains my son like no other. I was amazed the first time I saw him pull himself up into the recliner and sit still for the entire 20 minutes the show was on.

Shane and David, played by Shane Dundas and David Collins, are not only goofy, they are pretty entertaining while they teach things such as relational concepts, problem solving, and new vocabulary. They encourage the viewer to push buttons on their imaginary remote control to control the characters on the screen. There are some really fun buttons on there that cause some pretty humorous reactions. For instance, the imaginary remote has buttons to fast forward, rewind, pause, turn things upside down, make them humongous or minute, rotate, and many others functions.

In each episode Shane and David are searching for a certain place, such as the barbershop or the art museum. After a series of wrong turns and mishaps they end up at their final destination where they always experience something “for the very first time”.