
Dinosaur King is basically a cross between Pokemon and all of the cool 3D dinosaur programs from the History Channel. It marries the manga style with very cool CGI-rendered dinosaur battles, which is sure to captivate budding archaeologists. It also has one of the most ridiculously catchy theme songs in contemporary kids' tv, replete with guitar solos and hip hoppity breaking it down wordiness. "These fossils are colossal," indeed. While the product tie-ins are barely veiled (video games, card games, etc.), I love that it is not unbearable for me to sit through and that Roo tells everyone she sees about Parasaurolophus and Triceratops.
Another excellent DVD that's been in heavy rotation chez Roo is Jane and the Dragon, which we won at Seven Dogs and a Baby (Thanks, Angela & Connor!). This DVD comprised the first five episodes of a New Zealand TV series that is newly hitting our shores and is based on a series of books by Martin Baynton. The protagonist is Jane, a girl who wants to be a knight, not just another lady-in-waiting at her medieval castle. She sets off to slay a dragon but ends up befriending him instead and is allowed to become a knight apprentice.

Jane and the Dragon is a rare treat- the plot centers on a tween girl who is neither boy-crazy nor label-obsessed. The dialogue is witty but not particularly snarky and the characters are very relatable. Roo really likes Jane's independent spirit and I think she is a great role model for little girls who don't want to wait around to be saved like most princesses. And, of course, it has a catchy theme song, too. I like it when Roo sings "hey now, hey now now" just like we were at a renaissance fair…
Jasper likes both of these shows a lot, too, although he actually says "dino" when Dinosaur King is on. He really likes the battles. Typical boy!
What could happen to anyone, Naomi?
ReplyDeleteAre you okay? lol
curious here as well :)
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