PBS Wild Krats Rainforest Rescue DVD Review

We received a copy of Wild Krats to preview!

When I was a kid, we didn’t have cable. Cartoons were pretty much limited to whatever was on on Saturday mornings, and the weekday kids’ shows on PBS. I watched a lot of Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers Neighborhood when I was young, and for as long as I’ve been a mom (going on 14 years now!) I’ve been a connoisseur of PBS cartoons and shows for kids. Back when my oldest was young, I was also teaching preschool, and the show “Zoboomafoo” was very popular among my students. I showed it to Shane, and he quickly became a fan of the Kratt Brothers, their leaping lemur pal, and all of the awesome animals they featured on their show. As a parent and a preschool teacher, I’m particular about shows like that. I want them to be factual and educational, but not preachy or boring. They have to be at their level, but not in a patronizing way. The Kratt Brothers seem to really get that, and the kids found them to be funny and entertaining, but would come into class, full of accurate, scientific information about all sorts of animals! Impressive!

More recently, Chris and Martin, The Kratt Brothers, have a new show on PBS, “Wild Kratts”. True to form, this show features the brothers and their adventures with animals, and is packed full of fun and facts. But this time, it’s animated! Cartoon Chris and Martin are still wildlife explorers that teach kids about animals, but they do it by actually adopting their “creature powers” with special suits that simulate the unique traits of the animals they are studying (and usually helping out). The show is delightful – and that says a lot, coming from the mom who has to watch it from the kitchen while making dinner. And my kids like it, too!

Several episodes of Wild Kratts are available on DVD. Most recently, PBS released “Rainforest Rescue”, which features two episodes. In “Rainforest Stew”, kids are introduced to many creatures that call the rainforest their home, and the relationships between them all. In “Shadow: The Black Jaguar”, we learn about these impressive wild cats, and the importance of their special coloring.

This most recent DVD joins others already available, including “Lost at Sea” and “Jungle Animals”, is priced at $9.99 and runs 50 minutes.