Video of the Week: The Wheels on the Bus Video: Mango & Papaya's Animal Adventure.
RSSFrom SLJ September 2004
Kirsten Martindale, formerly Menomonie (WI) Public Library -- School Library Journal, 09/13/2004
videocassette or DVD. color. 33 min. Armstrong Moving Pictures. 2004. ISBN 0-9746944-1-X. video: $14.99, DVD: $16.99.
PreS-K-This lively, colorful production for young children does an excellent job of teaching and entertaining. Papaya and Mango, a toucan and a monkey, join with Argon the Dragon (voiced by The Who's Roger Daltrey) to take their viewers on a bus trip to a zoo, an aquarium, and a farm. Using the song "The Wheels on the Bus" throughout the video, children, adults, and puppets of all ages sing their way to different destinations. The bus theme provides an excellent segue between the themes. Many varied topics are covered (fueling the bus gives way to a song about nutrition and keeping our bodies running). The puppets and people interact against a computer-generated background. Each location visited includes live-action footage of the animals represented along with visual labels. Winner of the 2004 Parents Choice Silver Honor Award, this production will be popular with young viewers and their caretakers. An essential purchase for libraries serving young children.
