J has loved penguins since the first time she saw the penguin exhibit at the aquarium. Therefore, we were thrilled to receive a review copy of New to the Zoo. We started watching the episodes a few at a time. J loved them all. However, she had her favorites.
The New to the Zoo episodes introduce new characters to the series. You'll meet Frankie the Pigeon, Salvio the boa, Jiggles the red squirrel and Max the cat. Max the cat was J's favorite.
J was glued to the TV during Max's episode, Cat's Cradle. The penguins have to enlist the help of many animals in the zoo to help Max escape from an evil animal control officer that is trying to take him to the pound. As she watched she would exclaim, "penguins", "a kangaroo", "a cat". She loved seeing all of the zoo animals. I think she was a little afraid that the man would catch Max. Luckily, Max fares just fine.
J's other favorite episode was Out of the Groove. Julien and the baboons at the zoo are both wanting the crowds to watch their dancing. Julien skunk bombs the baboons because they are getting too much attention. Therefore, they steal Julian's "groove". J loved the music and the dancing animals.
The episodes are short,which is nice. We were able to watch a couple of episodes a day, without spending hours in front of the TV. However, because there are 8 episodes on the DVD, she can watch more as she gets older. The total running time is 88 minutes.
This series seems geared toward grade school children. J may have been a little young to get some of the story lines, but it didn't stop her from wanting to watch. The colors are very vibrant and the animation is excellent. I found myself enjoying the episodes every bit as much as J. It was a nice change for me as there were some jokes thrown in for the adults. Parents and children alike will enjoy watching these crazy penguins.
The new DVDs were released on Tuesday, August 10th. Both are available at major retailers.
Disclosure: I received a free DVD to review. The opinions expressed are my own. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this review.