Caillou: Caillou's Garden Adventures

PreS—Caillou, which airs on PBS Kids, is a brightly colored animated series that teaches life lessons through the adventures and experiences of a four-year-old boy. In six seven—to—eight-minute episodes and two three-minute shorts on this spring-themed DVD, Caillou learns about taking care of the environment and the joys of spending time in nature. Part of the show's appeal is that it manages to avoid being overly cloying despite touching on potentially heavy-handed messages. A kindly, omniscient narrator occasionally helps better explain story lines, plot points, and passages of time. Bonus features include a special message to parents about benefits of preschoolers watching Caillou, printable coloring pages, and activities for when viewing the DVD on a computer. Charming and gentle, this is a solid addition to preschool collections everywhere.—Jennifer Verbrugge, State Library Services, Roseville, MN