It's a Big Big World

My 17 month old daughter just loves this show. As soon as she hears the first few notes of the opening song a smile from ear to ear appears. From that point on she's a happy little girl. The music makes her dance. The best shows for her are the ones in which they really focus on the music as she is still too young to follow a storyline. The great part about the show is that my husband and I can actually sit with her and watch this program without going insane.(What's with Boobah, anyway?) I hear tell that adults are watching this show even without their kids being around. In our family even Grandma and Grandpa are hooked. This show is great fun!

My daughter and I loved this show when she was young. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but the songs are catchy and meaningful. The puppetry is masterful and creates characters with distinct personalities. The shows also teach important concepts in a way that appeals to young children. The conflicts on the show are generally mild. Characters disagree, but they manage to work it out. The "adult" characters are there to advise the less-mature characters while encouraging them to reason for themselves. Older children and many adults may not appreciate the relatively quiet and at times slow pace of the show. However, young children really benefit from a slow pace and repetition -- even to a point that can annoy adults. I recently showed parts of the show to my 3-year-old niece on YouTube, and she was mesmerized.

The only problem was that the songs themselves were too short. When I finally found a way to download it, she wanted to listen to "Touch the Sky" (the song at the end of the show) over and over!

Honestly, I love this show! I'll tell you why: It's one of the best children's shows on today. My five year old son is in love with it (has been for several years), and I am, too, because it's witty,fun and wonderful.

The puppetry is amazingly done and the movement is fluid and seamless. The set (digital and otherwise) is entirely charming. The songs are so catchy that I often find myself singing along, and even humming them as I work or clean. And the praise doesn't stop there.

It doesn't condescend to children (which I appreciate for two reasons. One, it doesn't drive me bonkers to see it on, and Two, I remember being that young. And even then, I found that sort of thing insulting. My son seems to feel the same way.) Also, no one on the show has a horribly annoying voice *cough* *Barney* *cough*, everyone brings something special to the table.

And it has a great list of messages. Equality, friendship, cleaning up, caring for natural resources, listening, problem solving and scientific inquiry, all in a way that's exciting (but not frustrating or over-complicated) to children, and still enjoyable for adults. And they have bits of audience participation here and there, but respectfully done.

The sloth (the star of the show) is a bit like a surfer/philosopher, and he's a nurturing soul. My favorite character of the lot, easily.

I think it's a great show with a lot to teach and entertain young and old, alike!

I didn't realize that this show is brand-new, as my baby girl is also brand-new (two months old and we just started watching). It's a Big Big World is a wonderful peek into the lives of animals of the rainforest. The main character is a sloth, but colorful monkeys, a fish, birds, a frog, an anteater, a wise tortoise and others also make appearances. I'm partial to Snook the Sloth, a gentle, easygoing role model with a Zenlike charm. My daughter is captivated by the energetic pair of monkeys. The puppetry and animation on this show is visually appealing, with its bright colors for her and realistic details for me. Social values seem to be a common theme, such as tolerance, balance, and living as part of the "spirit of the tree". Along with Jakers!, another favorite, we'll be watching this show for a long time!

Excellent show - the animation and puppeteering is fantastic and high quality. The story lines are all very friendly and positive. They pace is not the hyperkinetic, seizure inducing frentic, change scenes three times a second style that dominates too much programming for kids. Our daughter absolutely loves this show, and smiles and babbles happy noises when she hears the theme song. She has a total crush on Snook the Sloth and smiles when he is on screen. She especially loves the closing song.

The themes the show covers are all good, learning friendly concepts - science, math, self-discovery, getting along, confronting fear and doubt sensibly, and growing. The animals are mostly youngsters with some adults, like Snook and Madge the turtle, to guide and mentor the young animals.

One small criticism - Bob. What is up with Bob? He has his "moments." He's the Woody Allen of the World Tree. Bob ought be voted off the island. Also, Snook is indeed a stoner, but a lovable one.

Hey PBS - how about a DVD?