Littlest Pet Shop: Pet Tales

PreS-Gr 2—This animated, Internet-based program contains five episodes featuring Anna Twombly, owner of the Littlest Pet Shop, and Blythe Baxter, the teenager who works with her. The store does not sell pets. Instead, it's a daycare for any kind of pet, including Minka, a pink monkey; Pepper, a gray skunk; Penny, a blue panda; Zoe, a purple Cavalier King Charles spaniel; Vinnie, a green gecko; Russell, an orange hedgehog; and Sunil, a turquoise mongoose. Blythe has an unusual ability: she can speak with all the pets, unlike other humans. In episode one, the various animals tell stories about themselves. In other segments, a famous wildlife zoologist visits her friend Anna at the pet shop, and it turns out that she's terrified of pandas. Next, the pet shop staff babysits two koalas who hate each other; the animals make a "racecar" for a goldfish, but when he gets lost down a sewer, they have to go rescue him. The last tale features a peacock with serious allergies. The cartoon artwork is very sweet, with all of the characters, human and animal, possessing very large eyes. The animated movements are smooth, not stilted, and the theme song is an appealing pop tune.