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 place to place to try and get into Animal Junction. It looks a little like a clubhouse. This is where they go to meet all kinds of animals. Once Zoboo is inside the house, he is a puppet. I like the combination of effects — I just hope that the next time my daughter sees a lemur at the zoo that she doesn’t expect it to talk back to her.
Even though Zoboomafoo (who is played by a lemur named Jovian) is a Sifaka Lemur from Madagascar, Zoboo tells tales about an imaginary world called Zobooland. He is also usually the one on the show to give the information about the animals. So much information is given about whichever animal is the animal of the day. From where it lives and how its family lives together to what it eats and how it gets its food, your child will learn something new every episode. With live-action and various forms of animation, including claymation, the information is presented in ways that are sure to catch your preschooler’s attention. The best part is that many of the animal facts are also described in ways that relate to the human world.
Watching “Zoboomafoo” is a wonderful way for your child to learn about different kinds of animals. It may also encourage your child to develop an interest in studying animals. You never know where that may lead later in life. Who knows? Maybe it will influence a career choice for your child. In any case, “Zoboomafoo” is definitely an educational show that is fun to watch with your child.
“Zoboomafoo” can be seen on PBS Kids and PBS Kids Sprout in syndication. For more information, please visit PBSKids.org or PBSParents.org.