Thursday, November 7, 2013

DVD Review: PBS Kids®: Arthur Stands Up to Bullying


From PBS Kids® comes another series of great Arthur™ adventures. This DVD, which is available for purchase from the ShopPBS website and other online retailers, includes four episodes, plus a computer-based component where kids can find themed activities and coloring pages. Based upon the best-selling children's books by Marc Brown, this long-running television series was an important part of my son's and daughters' childhoods.

In "The Last Tough Customer," Binky decides it's time for the group to change their image because it's not good being a bully anymore. The other guys are in, but Molly is having nothing to do with it. When Molly sees some poor behavior from her little brother, James, she wonders if it's time to put the past behind her.

Hoping to improve his chances of beating his opponent, Los Dedos, Brain starts a chess club at school. In "Brain's Chess Mess," he soon discovers most of the kids aren't really interested in learning the ins and outs of playing, but he also finds Rattles to be a great mentor.

In "So Funny I Forgot to Laugh," Sue Ellen gets her feelings hurt when Arthur teases her about her new sweater. Though she asks him to stop, Arthur says she's just overreacting. When he's forced to to write a letter of apology to Sue Ellen, it ends up doing more harm than good. Arthur can't believe his friends think he's being a bully.

"The Best Day Ever" finds Arthur and his friends reminiscing about their "best days." Arthur doesn't seem to have one, but soon learns a lot about himself and his friends.

Arthur Stands Up to Bullying is a great way to teach your kids about friendship and standing up to bullies. This can lead parents into discussions with their children about how two people can see an event differently and how important it is to consider other people's feelings. After "The Last Tough Customer" and "So Funny I Forgot to Laugh," the show visits real classrooms where students talk about bullying and standing up for themselves.

Highly recommended.


Format: Animated, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Language: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
Number of discs: 1
Rated: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Pbs (Direct)
DVD Release Date: July 16, 2013
Run Time: 60 minutes

I received a free copy of this DVD. This review contains my honest opinion, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

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