Sagwa

Sagwa is a Chinese Siamese cat. Yes, that’s a little confusing – but her breed is Siamese and she lives in China, so hence, she’s Chinese. She has an older brother named Dongwa, a younger sister named Sheegwa, and they live with their parents in the palace of the magistrate, the man in charge of their country village. They have a cook to prepare them whatever delicacies they fancy (would that make their meal a Fancy Feast? I’m sorry, I really am) These are some very pampered pussies. There’s a reason for this, whoever – they aren’t just ordinary cats. … Continue reading →

Jimmy Neutron

“Jimmy Neutron” is a definite favorite at our house. Appearing daily on Nickelodeon, the show is a combination of science, boyhood pranks, and just a little bit of rude humor. While the show is geared toward your seven-and-older set, we watch it as a family, from our two-year-old up to my husband (I won’t tell you how old he is. He wouldn’t appreciate it.) Jimmy is a boy genius. His head has grown a bit large, to hold his incredible brain, and he even has a laboratory in his backyard. Most of his inventions work, too, but not always without … Continue reading →

Bob the Builder

Can he fix it? Yes, he can! “Bob the Builder” is a wildly popular children’s television show. First appearing on Nickelodeon, and now a regular on PBS, “Bob” is a claymation creation about a building yard and the owner (who would be Bob) his helper, Wendy, and all the machines they use every day. Each of these machines is alive and has a personality all their own. Scoop is a yellow digger truck with a scoop on the front. He’s the first truck Bob ever bought back in the day, and they’ve constructed a lot together over the years. Scoop … Continue reading →

Children’s Television Shows to Promote Exercise?

Way back in the Dark Ages (by that, I mean, before electricity) children worked out on the farms with their fathers. They hoed and weeded, milked cows, carried hay bales, and got scads of exercise. They ate fresh produce, meat and eggs, nothing came out of a box, and they were trim. When television and computers came along, advertisers spent quite a bit of money calling attention to themselves until every home had at least one television and then at least one computer. Children began spending more and more time inside with their noses glued to screens, and they began … Continue reading →

The Wiggles Say Goodbye to Greg

I read it in the local paper this morning — Greg Page is leaving The Wiggles. I know that I was just saying a couple of weeks ago how much more my daughter appreciates The Wiggles after not watching them for a while, and now they are losing their lead singer. What a sad day for children’s entertainment — and Australia. There is more information available on The Wiggles site. Apparently, ever since his double hernia surgery last December, Greg has been battling all kinds of health problems. The one in particular that will keep him from performing any longer … Continue reading →

ABC Family Network Redeems Itself

Since my Halloween rant was thrust upon ABC Family, I felt that I owed it to them to write about the specials that they are showing in light of the holiday season. This time of year brings on ABC Family’s “25 Days of Christmas.” Beginning December 1, ABC Family will run Christmas classics, original holiday movies, and movie favorites through Christmas Day. “25 Days of Christmas” kicks off Friday, December 1 at 7:00p.m. with “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland.” In this holiday animated classic, Frosty is supposed to get married, but Jack Frost has other plans. December 2 starts a Harry Potter … Continue reading →

Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story

It is so rare for me to find anything critical to say about “Anne of Green Gables.” My adoration for everything Anne and for L.M. Montgomery exceeds all mortal comprehension. I am very sorry to say, though, that when they made “Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story,” they messed up big time. The chronology of the movie is completely wrong. When World War I (called The Great War at the time) began, Anne was a mother. She had children who were old enough to go fight in the war. I will write more about this when I review “Rilla … Continue reading →

Zoboomafoo

For those of you who don’t know, there is a PBS Kids show called “Zoboomafoo.” Zoboo — as he is affectionately called by the Kratt brothers, Martin and Chris — is a lemur who loves sharing his knowledge about different animals. In every episode, your child can learn a lot of information about another animal. I have only watched this show a couple of times, but my daughter loves it. The funny thing about this show is the way that Zoboomafoo is portrayed. In the beginning when Chris and Martin call to him, you see a real lemur jumping from … Continue reading →

Play with Me Sesame

Of course we are all familiar with the children’s classic television show “Sesame Street.” However, are you aware that there is some extension of that show that the NOGGIN network presents? It’s true! It is called “Play with Me Sesame” and stars Bert, Ernie, Prairie Dawn, and Grover. Yes, other “Sesame Street” characters do appear, but the four mentioned are really the hosts. This show encourages its preschool audience to get involved. Along with games and activities, segments from the original “Sesame Street” episodes are featured. The same basic goals of “Sesame Street” apply to this spin-off, but they are … Continue reading →

Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends

Of all of the children’s programming available on cable television, there is one that I find particularly intriguing. “Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Friends” is a show about a family of bugs and, I just found out, is based on a series of books by David Kirk. The show stars Miss Spider and her mate Holley. They are mother and father to several bugs, many of whom are adopted, and they take their parenting very seriously. Miss Spider (Flora) makes sure that all of the vegetarian meals that she prepares for her family are very healthy. She was raised by a … Continue reading →