My Little Pony—Friendship Is Magic: Friends Across Equestria

K-Gr 4—Bronies and pegasisters are in for a treat with this latest DVD, which features five more episodes of the hit animated children's TV show about the magical land of Equestria and six of its inhabitants. There's no explicitly educational content here, but most of the episodes are laced with positive messages about coping with interpersonal drama. "Amending Fences" sees protagonist Twilight Sparkle struggling as she realizes that her thoughtless behavior has had damaging effects on an old friend, while in "Made in Manehattan," Applejack and Rarity help a town learn the value of community. In "Make New Friends but Keep Discord," Discord battles jealousy when his friend Fluttershy invites someone else to the Grand Galloping Gala, but he eventually discovers the importance of balancing friendships; Applejack encourages a friend to assert herself in "The Mane Attraction." Viewers will also appreciate the 100th episode, "Slice of Life," a clever Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead type of romp that focuses on the activities of the minor characters while the protagonists fight a monster. A fun sing-along rounds out the disc. The flash-style animation is high quality, the writing strong, and the voice acting excellent. While there are underlying lessons, the show never veers into the cloying or saccharine. Many adults may find themselves enjoying it (clever jokes or character names, such as a costume designer pony called Coco Pommel, will particularly appeal).