Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Lots More Learning Fun! (Scholastic Video Collection)

Rating:
Summary: Okay, you have to buy this one!
Review: That said, this video is just darling. I love it when the parents come and pick up the alphabet kids that fall out of the tree - they have bandages, etc., and even a "black-eyed "p." That's just too funny in my book, no pun intended. I didn't realize that three other stories were included and they're just as great. Our particular favorite was the caterpillar and the polliwog. It's just really cute for kids to watch and see how different animals and bugs change as they grow up. Trashy Town was cute, seeing how Mr. Gilley picks up all the trash in the town and at the end of the day, gets to take a bath. Rosie takes a walk is pretty cute too - all the colors are really nice. Plus, she foils the fox that is chasing her all the time without even noticing. This isn't a very long video but it is worth watching. My little one didn't move throughout the whole thing. My only complaint is that I wish they could have put all the credits at the end of the last video. They put them after each story which makes it a little long for little ones to sit through. Otherwise, a great video!

Rating:
Summary: Good material, bad production
Review: The best thing about this video is that it makes you appreciate the production quality of other animated programs, like Veggie Tales or Richard Scarry's "Best Ever" series. My 2 year old daughter loves the book "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" and I thought this video would be a great addition to her collection. She likes it ok, but the problem is that I have to leave the room whenever it comes on. I am not easily irritated at children's fare, but the poor woman who sings the Chicka Boom story (I hope she never reads this) has an abrasive, pitchy voice that is pushed to the limit on this song, making it quite grating to listen to. In addition, the animation on the "Trashy Town" story, though similar to the book, is repetitive and cheaply done. Finally, both my daughter and I find "Rosie's Walk" very dull. She usually gets up and leaves. "The Caterpillar and the Polliwog" is the only redeeming one of the bunch. While clearly not expensive to produce, it is sweet, happy, and pleasant to watch and listen to. Unfortunately, it is a brief highlight in a 25 minute video. My advice? Buy the books instead.

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: This dvd wasn't what I was expecting. I was expecting it to be more like the cassette that came with our book but it wasn't. I read this book and played the tape with my daughter when she was little and it calmed her down so I thought the dvd would be a nice addition but the way they sang it was totally different. She had no interest in it. The other stories are old in production also. Wish it would have been better.

Rating:
Summary: Had to get our own!
Review: We rented this video from the library while on vacation and had to go back every two days to renew it five times. Finally, I bought our own. Even more than the great stories, my daughter, who is almost four, loves the music. I still can't get the Trashy Town song out of my head - and I don't mind!

Rating:
Summary: This is a family favorite!
Review: We've had this video for over a year and it is definitely the most played by my 3 year old son, and our 6 year old daughter has only recently grown out of it being her favorite as well. We love these songs and half the time I can't get Chicka Chicka Boom Boom or Trashy Town out of my head for hours. I'm writing this review in large part because of the comment from one of the other reviewers saying that the singer had an abrasive voice on Chicka Chicka Boom Boom...I absolutely disagree! I guess everyone has their own tastes. We love it and since I'm thinking about it now, I'm going to have trouble getting it out of my head again and I don't mind a bit.

Rating:
Summary: The most adorable video out there!
Review: What a fun collection of cute stories! "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" has little kid letters (lower case letters) climbing up a coconut tree and then falling out of it & getting hurt (of course, the upper-case adults come to their rescue!) is such a fun way for kids to learn the alphabet! I actually had this particular story on auto-repeat for the longest time. The song is cute and the story fun & sweet. My 3-year old daughter also loves "The Foolish Frog" which is about a man who makes up a song about a show-off frog who in the end, literally blows himself up with pride. This story, like "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom," is fun & has a catchy tune), "Trashy Town" which is about two mice who go along for a ride in a trashman's truck for the day and narrate his activities is also a fun story. There are a few other stories on this DVD which my daughter could watch & listen to all day if we let her. If you have a toddler, this is a must-have video!

Even though it's been mentioned a couple times in other reviews already, I'll mention it again: the songs on this DVD won't grate on your nerves so it's grown-up-friendly.