Handy Manny

I remember when this show first premiered on Playhouse Disney (now called Disney Junior) in 2006. At the time, and also a little bit now, I found it to be one of the most charming cartoons ever. A lot of people have compared it to Bob the Builder and have said that this is a rip off. Not only do I disagree with that statement, but I personally think that this is better than Bob the Builder. Handy Manny teaches preschoolers how to be honest, you should include others, everyone is different, and to ask for help if you really need it. Bob the Builder taught friendship and teamwork. Well, that's all fine and good but the lessons Handy Manny teaches seem much more fleshed out. On top of that, the characters of Handy Manny are much more three dimensional than the characters of Bob the Builder. Their personality traits are present and some of them start out a certain way and then go through a story arc that changes them. Bob the Builder was boring compared to the colorful and three dimensional world of Handy Manny.

Handy Manny is definitely a cute show, and one that isn't too annoying for parents to watch along with their kids. (Although the parallels to Bob the Builder are obvious). My kids - 6, 4 and 2 - love it. Manny and the tools each have their own personalities and work together to solve problems and help their neighbors. And the projects are ones that kids can relate to - fixing a slat on a baby crib, fixing a latch on a bunny cage. The songs (which are repeated in every episode) are catchy and my older kids have been singing them repeatedly. One issue I have with with Manny is that, since he only has a limited number of tools, he sometimes uses them incorrectly - such as using pliers instead of a wrench to remove a bolt or using a flat blade screwdriver instead of a wood chisel to make a channel in a piece of wood (although he did wear safety goggles which was good). I've tried to explain to my kids that while it's great Manny does cool stuff and helps his neighbors, using the wrong tool for the wrong job can be dangerous. If wish Disney would give him a few extra tools or limit his jobs to the ones he can do with the tools he has. That said, it still has many good points and kids will love this show.

My husband, my 4 year old, my 2 year old, and me...We all love it! Our boys are into repairing things, but we didn't like how Bob the Builder often whined....since we don't like reinforcing something they do enough naturally without cartoon characters reinforcing it. :) Manny has a great attitude. We love that Mr. Lowpart's cat has a comb- over as well. :) So funny! Manny is humble, genuinely interested in others (more than just another repair job), has a positive attitude and great work ethic. His tools have such fun names and the music is catchy. We're all singing the songs around the house these days. My two year old gets up and dances when the song comes on. My 4 yr old talks about Manny and his tools and some of the other characters throughout the day. We were in the van last week and he was talking about Mr. Lowpart and his cat. I couldn't remember the cat's name, but my son reminded me that it's Fluffy. :) Great show that we all look forward to when we can tune in! :) ...Coming back to add that we recently noticed a theme in the shows. Every tool is useful...just for different jobs. It teaches turn taking...sometimes it's someone else's turn to help with a job, but we're all working together. Love this! Also my 4 yr old has learned to distinguish whether "Felipe" or "Turner" is needed just by looking at screws. :) He is constantly wanting to work with my husband now on projects around the house. LOVES going to the hardware store now. :)

Manny is a repairman with a toolbox full of talking tools, all of which are cleverly named: for example, the measuring tape is Stretch, the hammer is Pat. Together Manny and his tools take on a variety of jobs, which always require thinking through possible ways of getting them done. In one episode, they're trying to help a lady get a new oven into her house, but it's too big for the door, so they have to try to find some other way to get it into the house.

Manny is a Latino, and speaks a mixture of English and Spanish, as do some of the other characters on the show; only one of his tools has a Latino accent -- Felipe, the phillips screwdriver. When other characters greet them, they typically say, "Hola, Manny. Hello, Tools."

My 4-year-old daughter loves this show. She enjoys learning what the different tools are and what they do.

If you want your kids to learn basic spanish, don't show them Dora, show them this. I used to watch both Handy Manny and Dora when i was little and i watched a lot more Dora but i learned more from Handy Manny in less than 10 episodes. The characters in this are fascinating , i didn't dislike one character and most of all its a great educational show that teaches kids Basic Spanish, or basically what Dora wanted to be