Wonder Pets!

The Wonder Pets consist of Linny, Tuck, and Ming-Ming, a guinea pig, turtle, and duckling respectively, who lead a double life as classroom pets and animal rescuers after school gets out. I have to disagree with the negative reviewers who's main criticisms seem to be that it's not educational and Ming-Ming's speech impediment. Unfortunately, this isn't the first time I've had to defend a children's show and I doubt it will be the last. With regards to the second complaint, Ming-Ming talks like that not because it's supposed to be "cute" but because the voice actress has a speech impediment. Besides, many preschoolers don't speak properly so it's relatable to them. Also, what exactly do you mean when you say "educational", because it depends on if you mean academically educational (letters, shapes, etc) or morally educational (things like friendship). If you mean the former, TV doesn't have to be a learning experience. If a show is educational that's nice but I seriously doubt that the inventors of television held a convention and said "and it must be educational". Also, I'd argue that it is educational in that sense because it teaches about various animals. If you mean the latter, then I'd say it certainly is. It discusses teamwork, sharing, problem solving, looking out for each other, and the importance of asking for help (there's even an episode about potty-training). Plus, how can you resist this show? The Wonder Pets themselves are so cute and adorable and the animals they help are also very sweet. I also really enjoy the songs like "what's gonna work, teamwork", which kind of reminds me of Bob the Builder (in a good way). Unlike some people, I also like the way Ming-Ming says "this is sewious". One of the greatest kiddie shows out there and one that everyone should see at some point. Even a friend of mine, who's my age, likes it and sometimes we even watch it together.

Ah, the Wonder Pets.

As a full-time nanny and former preschool teacher, I live in a world of Doodlebops, Wiggles, and perhaps most annoying, Barney. With the recent onslaught of painful preschool educational programming, I have found myself wondering if there are any shows left that can hold my charge's attention without driving me bonkers.

Luckily, the Wonder Pets have sailed into Nick Jr. to save the day. Here is a show that teaches valuable lessons about teamwork, sharing, the importance of asking for help, potty training, problem solving... and of course, friendship. My charge is just turning two, and she absolutely adores it. More importantly, she seems to understand the messages. Just the other day we were discussing what teamwork means, and later were picking up towels. As she picked towels up off of the floor, she exclaimed, "It's teamwork!" The songs are really well written, with music that is often very specific to the area they are visiting. I also love how the classroom is always decorated with whatever the episode's theme is. The kids who do the voices are so adorable, you can't help but smile whenever they talk or sing.

Best of all, the kid and I can snuggle on the couch and laugh our heads off together. It's nice to watch something we can both enjoy and bond over, instead of her watching something I am trying to tune out with a magazine.

Goooooooo, Wonder Pets! Yay!

When I was younger, I was picky about what I liked, in not just food, but entertainment, and I only watched 3 shows, blues clues, Dora, and wonder pets, and I can whole heartedly tell you that this show both was the least patronizing, it was entertaining, and the animals not just being fully animated and using actual animals blew my mind, and this show holds up to this day!

I too watch this with my 4 year old. We have fun singing together. The tunes are very catchy. It also teaches to help each other & teamwork. There is also an episode that teaches sharing which most children this age need. There are many times he is humming or singing the theme song when he's playing. He loves this & so will your child. They even give your child some time to think about what they should do... kind of like Dora & Blue's Clues. He doesn't mind watching the episodes over and over. He has almost all of them memorized & they just started!!! I do hope they come up with new episodes & continue being a hit. Like one other review, they teach you to do the right thing first instead of doing the wrong thing and fixing it. This is a quality show to let them watch! It tends to catch my 9 month old's attention too!

I watched a lot of Wonder Pets on Nick Jr and Noggin when I was little, and I still enjoy it to this day and watch it once in a while. I have Linny, Tuck, and Ming Ming plush toys with big heads, big eyes, and small bodies, as well as bobble-headed action figures of all three main characters that came with vehicles and smaller animal figures; Linny has a rowboat and a penguin, Tuck has an airplane and a bluebird, and Ming Ming has a van and a cat.

The animation is very realistic without being hideous or creepy, unlike Dirtgirlworld. I find the characters, especially Ming Ming, to be quite cute, and they resemble real animals to some extent. The only big difference in their design is that the Wonder Pets wear hats and capes, while real animals typically do not.

I heard that Dirtgirlworld is a cartoon that combines animated characters with real-life video footage, but I don't remember where I heard that. The characters' faces are real people's faces edited to look cartoonish, similar to the style of Annoying Orange, which gives them a creepy appearance. Fortunately, I cannot say the same about the characters in Wonder Pets.

I don't know what the art style consists of, but it seems to me that it could be a) CGI, b) animated and edited photos of real animals, or c) paper mâché. Overall, it's a great example of realistic animation done right!

The songs are one of the best aspects of the show, besides the animation. I particularly enjoy the "Phone is ringing" and "What's gonna work? Teamwork" portions of the theme song. These segments often pop into my head when I hear a phone ringing or do a task that requires teamwork, and I consider them the national anthems of these complications. I'm considering changing my cellphone ringtone to the "Phone is ringing" part soon. Interestingly, a few kids in my high school class would sometimes sing the "What's gonna work? Teamwork" part during a partner or group activity.

For many years, I believed that the theme song ("Wonder Pets, Wonder Pets, we're on our way to help a friend and save the day. We're not too big, and we're not too tough, but when we work together, we've got the right stuff. Go Wonder Pets, yay!"), "The Phone is Ringing," "There's an Animal in Trouble," "Linny, Tuck, and Ming Ming Too," and "What's Gonna Work? Teamwork" were five different songs. However, when I listened to the full, album version of the theme song on YouTube earlier this year, I discovered that they are all different segments of the same song.

The segment that opens each episode and is sung by the Wonder Pets when they are on their way to rescue other animals gave me a better understanding of the importance of teamwork (more about that in a little bit). I don't know what else to say about the songs; I'm not the best at analyzing music but not the worst either.

The show effectively tackles the benefits of teamwork. Despite the Wonder Pets' small size, they demonstrate that working together allows them to achieve seemingly impossible tasks; thanks to standing on each other's shoulders, grabbing each other's hands, having different abilities, and using what they learned in the classroom, they can reach high destinations and items that are so high, stop a light hot air balloon from flying by making it heavier, and the list goes on. This helped me realize that collaboration can lead to success, no matter how big or small we might feel. The various scenarios they face illustrate key lessons about seeking help and problem-solving as a group. The theme song says that even if you're not the biggest or strongest, teamwork allows you to tackle challenges and accomplish great things. Watching the characters support each other has deepened my appreciation for community and cooperation in my own life.

This is one of many Nick Jr shows with a formula that repeats episode after episode, but unlike most of the other ones, there's always a twist at the end. The Wonder Pets always celebrate their missions succeeding by eating celery, but they don't always enjoy it in the same way. Sometimes they eat it with peanut butter, other times by itself, or with any other condiment that comes to mind. Just because a show has a predictable formula or never has any twists doesn't mean it sucks, but the twists give the show more originality; otherwise, we'd have too much of a good thing.

There is one thing I don't like about the show. The Wonder Pets sing every 5 seconds (not really, but it sure feels like it). While there are other Nick Jr shows with characters who sing about almost everything they do, the Wonder Pets' singing habits feel particularly exaggerated. That's why I give the show an 8/10. I still appreciate the songs and am not trying to say that the characters shouldn't sing at all. I would enjoy the show more if they toned down their singing habits.

For those of you who don't know, a Wonder Pets reboot will be coming out soon, and Linny, Tuck, and Ming Ming will be replaced with a snake, a bunny, and a different guinea pig for some odd reason. I'm not excited about it, and I won't be watching it unless I hear good things about it. I assume that none of the characters from the original series will return. If that's true, I'm guessing that it will have very little to do with the source material or nothing at all, making it feel more like a standalone show. As Ming Ming would say, "This is sewious!"

Why bother making a reboot if the original main trio won't return? Is a guinea pig, a turtle, and a duck rescuing other animals in distress an outdated concept? I don't think so. Last year, I decided not to watch any more reboots that come out or ones I've never seen, except for ones I hear good things about or look good in the trailers. I'm keeping that promise, and you should do the same if you're tired of "botched reboots" too.

I feel sorry for the kids out there who have seen the awful reboots and not the source materials because they don't know what they're missing. However, there's a possibility that the first episode may be about the original Wonder Pets teaching the new ones how to do their job, similar to the first Blue's Clues and You episode, where Steve and Joe teach Josh how to play Blue's Clues. Who knows?

In conclusion, Wonder Pets holds a special place in my heart as a show that beautifully balances entertainment and valuable lessons about teamwork and cooperation. Its charming characters, memorable songs, and creative animation continue to resonate with me even years later. While I do have some critiques regarding the frequency of the songs, the overall message of collaboration and problem-solving shines through. Ultimately, Wonder Pets remains a delightful reminder of the importance of working together to overcome challenges, making it a cherished part of my childhood.