Tickety Toc: Chime Time Adventures

PreS—The concept of six-year-old twins who live in a clock and have adventures in the 59 minutes before the hour, when they must be present to announce the time with trumpet and drum, is original and imaginative. Pupperty, the puppy train, transports Tommy and Tallulah from the clock in the shop where they perform their duties to Tickety Town and back, often in just the nick of time. In Tickety Town, the pair engage with a cast of amusing, stylized computer-generated characters. The characters and scenery in this Nick Jr. series are colorful and fanciful, if not extraordinary. The expressive soundtrack is noteworthy; there are many clever, humorous sounds for the actions of the characters, and the accompanying music is jaunty and aptly reflects the situations. The characters never get into very challenging dilemmas, and the lessons are understated, sometimes to the point of being unnoticeable. Among the six episodes are "Painting Time" (in which Tommy and Talullah enter an art contest, come to believe bigger is better, and create a very large painting), "Bath Time"(in which the friends try to convince Pupperty that taking a bath is fun), and "Photo Time," where all the characters are challenged to remain clean, complete their chores, and have a group photo taken before the twins must greet the new hour.—Constance Dickerson, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, OH