Zoboomafoo - Play Day at Animal Junction [VHS]
The Kratt brothers show us how playtime is also teaching time in the animal world in this second release from their popular PBS show,Zoboomafoo. They introduce us to Toothbrush the Elephant, and he's just the first in a parade of animals, which includes monkeys, horses, kittens, and a few more exotic types. Chris and Martin, in typical fashion, are quick to illustrate to preschoolers the most interesting traits of the animals. Monkeys, they explain, seem to be playing when they pound an object around. But then the Kratts show us (with video footage of monkeys in the wild) that that is how they find their food, pounding bark from trees to get the insects crawling around underneath. Combining live-action, claymation, animation, puppetry, and the Kratts' exuberant energy, this 50-minute video should be a favorite with the animal lover at your house.--Doug Thomas