He’s a guy to talks to a kangaroo, and is always ready to learn about something new. At least, that’s what the Baja Men say while they’re performing the theme song for Stanley, a show about a six-year-old boy who loves animals. With his pet goldfish Dennis to act as an amazingly intelligent guide to the Animal Kingdom, he is ready to learn and grow.
His prize possession is a scrapbook with pictures of animals and facts that his grandmother made for him. It’s called the Great Big Book of Everything, but don’t say that too loudly, or Harry (the dog) and Elsie (the cat) will jump out and sing a song about it, tailored to the topic of the show. Let’s see – if they were here now, what would they sing?
It’s the Great Big Book of Everything,
With everything inside.
To see the world around us,
This book’s a perfect guide.
You can learn about a frog
While reading Tristi Pinkston’s blog!
But I digress.
In each episode, Stanley wants to learn more about an animal. He pulls out his book and finds the entry for that animal, and then he magically goes into the book to see the animal close-up. (Supposedly this all takes place in his imagination, but I think it really happens. I’ve learned not to discount the power of a child’s imagination.) While visiting with the animal, he learns something that will help him in his own life, and he returns from the book ready to incorporate that knowledge.
I really enjoy this program. I find myself learning right along with my children, and it too is a show we can incorporate into our homeschool. We will pull out our crayons and draw pictures about the animals Stanley met that day and discuss where the animal lives and what they like to eat. Give it a try and see what you think.
Tristi’s Score: 9 for Education, 9 for Entertainment, and the Parent Annoyance Factor is 1 (with a 50% variable for if you do or do not like the Great Big Book of Everything song.)