Back to School: DVD Review: Super Why! Around the World Adventure

One of the programs the Lil Princess (8) never missed when she was a preschooler is Super Why! This is an animated series featuring Whyatt and his friends, who live in Storybrook Village--a magical world hidden behind the bookshelves in a children's library. Whyatt, along with his friends, Red Riding Hood, Pig, the Princess, and Whyatt's canine companion, become the Super Readers and work together to solve problems.

The Super Why!: Around the World Adventure DVD includes three adventures for kids ages 3 to 6. The title episode finds the Super Readers searching for the location of a girl they met through their classroom computer. In "Nalia and the Magic Map," the Super Readers explore ancient Eygpt to find the meaning behind the symbols on a treasure map. The third episode, "Jasper's Cowboy Wish," shows the Super Readers helping Pig learn what cowboys do.

There are so many wonderful things to say about this DVD. First, you have the element of imagination as Whyatt and his friends transform from mere mortals into their super hero personas. They fly into books to look for the answers to the questions that will solve their problems. In addition, the show is interactive, with the characters addressing the audience and taking your child on the adventure with them. Your child will enjoy singing along and solving problems alongside the Super Readers, while learning important skills like identifying letters, spelling, and reading comprehension. As a writer, I love how Super Why! can change the story with his power to read. That helps kids realize the power of words.

Each episode opens with a summary of what the viewer will learn, so parents can see what will be focused on and supplement their child's learning. Extra features include fun song videos, four PC games, and coloring pages.

Super Why!: Around the World Adventure DVD is a great way to get your kids ready to read!

Format: Animated, Color, NTSC

Language: English

Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1

Number of discs: 1

Rated: NR (Not Rated)

Studio: Pbs (Direct)

DVD Release Date: June 19, 2012

Approx. 90 minutes

I received a free copy of this DVD from the publicist in exchange for my honest opinion. I received no monetary compensation of any kind for this review.

You've Got Mail Monday

It's Monday, so that means another peek inside my mailbox. After returning from vacation, we had a boatload of mail. Thankfully there wasn't as much to sift through last week. I think our mail carrier is on vacation, because the mail is coming later than usual, and one day we didn't get any mail at all--which rarely happens.

A new Justice® catalog arrived. The girls try to beat each other to the table when that one comes in. The Lil Diva (10) and the Lil Princess (8) have already given me a list of things they want for back to school. Hard to believe school starts up again in month.

Another great catalog that came in was Pottery Barn Kids. We're eyeing their Larkin Bedroom Collection for the Lil Princess. Her bed belonged to her father and her dresser was the one I bought when I was pregnant for John Boy (okay, not the best nickname, but I had to call him something). Our son is now 25, so I'm impressed that the dresser is still usable. Our girl is definitely due for an upgrade. We bought the Lil Diva bedroom furniture from Bob's Discount Furniture a couple of years ago. She's tough on things, so I didn't want to spend a lot of money. It's holding up well, and she's been happy with it, so it was a good purchase.

The American Girl® doll catalog also showed up. We had a group of girls over yesterday and they all played in the bonus room with their American Girl dolls. It's cute to watch them. I think Santa is supposed to bring McKenna this year.

Our Fed-Ex® driver dropped off a package that contained a scanner and software from the National Consumer Panel. I used to participate in this program years ago, when the technology wasn't as advanced as it is now. After reviewing the contents: scanner, charge base, USB cable, and software, I've decided it isn't for me. What you are supposed to do is scan your purchases. In addition, you can complete surveys using the scanner's keyboard. You earn points for rewards.

I must have forgotten how time consuming a project it is. Though you scan barcodes, there is still a lot of manual entry: store name, if you used coupons, if you used a rewards card, and the most time consuming--price and quantity. Granted, the scanner will use the data you input to remember your favorite stores, but I buy over $200 worth of groceries a week. I pay attention to prices while in the store, but once I get home I just want to put it all away. If I need to hold onto my receipt and find a price to match up each product I purchase, it will take me an hour or more to get all the groceries put away. It's a shame, because I really wanted to do this.

That's it for You've Got Mail Monday. Look for my reviews of WordGirl: The Rise of Miss Power and Super Why: Around the World Adventure coming this week.

Coming Soon: Reviews of PBS KIDS™ WordGirl and Super WHY DVDs

Last week, two PBS KIDS™ DVDs arrived:  Super Why: Around the World Adventure and WordGirl: The Rise of Miss Power.  In addition to the television show episodes featured on each DVD, there are also special features like interactive games, music videos, and coloring pages.

Look for my review of these two DVDs coming soon!