Lily's Driftwood Bay

This is my one-year-old son's favorite show, and I can understand why. It is in fact the only TV-program he is willing to sit still for five minutes and watch. Even as an adult, I can enjoy it (and let's face it: a lot of children's shows are not enjoyable, they are incredibly boring and a gruesome pain to have to endure). I think part of the appeal is that each episode is well written. Part of the beginnings and part of the endings are always similar, taking place in the "real" world. Similar enough for recognition, but not close enough for repetition. Then, the main events takes place in a world of the main character's imagination, using the same locations and same colorful characters. All in all, each episode is something new, but still very familiar. Small children seem to enjoy that a lot. Further it is visually pleasing, the animations have a very distinctive style, and the music fits the visual style and the story very well. I get the impression that the creators of this show really enjoy what they are doing.

This hilarious animated series is very educational and cute. Lily has a great heart and sets a good example for children who watch this. Lily is helpful, positive and caring to everyone no matter what. These shows teach really important morals about positivity, telling the truth and making sure you stay safe.

The episodes start when Lily finds some sort of weird treasure washed up on the beach. She goes to find out what it really is and what its true purpose is on Driftwood Bay, her imaginary island. She meets up with her friends on the island and some of them ask for her help. She tries to solve their problems and realizes that the tool she needs is one that she got on the shore. She realizes its purpose and learns a characteristic such as, grit, honesty, trust, forgiveness and being fair.

Orlagh O'Keefe voices Lily as a sweet, young and naïve girl. She sounds innocent and ready learn everything she can. Salty Dog (Peter Mullan) really does sound like an old, rusty dog who has been out on the sea for a while, but speaks English. Salty Dog sounds very old, but looks very young, which I find somewhat confusing.

The animation has a lot more details than most animated TV shows do. For example, they show each of the strands in the hair, their faces look very life like, especially in the way the mouths move. This animation is made with a lot of quality which I appreciate.

There are lots of messages in these shows. Lily models being positive, caring, helpful, staying safe and being truthful. She is a great role model for kids and this DVD about her adventures allow her to teach multiple morals in just one episode. Mainly the show educates kids about having good character and following the golden rule - be kind to others if you want them to be kind to you. Lily is kind to others, so she has a lot of good friends that stick by her side.

Reviewed by Jolleen M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic.