Little Bill: What I Did at School [VHS]
Nick Jr. television'sLittle Billdelivers all that  viewers have come to expect from a Bill Cosby production: engaging  story lines, intact family values, familiar predicaments, and the  delicate balance of wit and wisdom. Whether he's at home or school,  Little Bill's world is predictable, safe, and secure, and preschoolers  will be drawn into it, lingering long enough to gain some valuable  coping skills for their own world.What I Did at Schoolcontains four 12-minute episodes exploring  the everyday issues of the classroom, such as the thrill of being snack  helper and resolving the dilemma of which friend gets the first snack;  or the satisfaction of earning a gold star sticker for exemplary  behavior. In one episode, Little Bill's best friend calls him a copycat  when he chooses the same fire engine to ride. Not sure what this means  (but fairly certain it is not a compliment), Little Bill seeks out the  advice of his great-grandmother to sort things out. In another story,  picture day presents the problem of what to wear for the class photo.  His older brother, Bobby, gets to select his own clothes, so why can't  Little Bill wear his favorite summer shorts in the middle of winter?  And kids will identify with stage fright that haunts Little Bill during  his first-ever school play. A lead part with all those parents  watching--thankfully, Miss Murray teaches him a trick for blowing the  jitters away. This gap-toothed 5-year-old is no saint, but his earnest  enthusiasm and sunny disposition will endear him to young audiences.  Kudos, too, for a program that portrays parents and teachers as wise  and loving authority figures, worthy of respect. (Ages 2 to 6 years  old)--Lynn Gibson