 | Blue's Clues - Blue's Big Band
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $2.94 EXCELLENT: For months our favorite TV show on DVD - four thumbs up! Creates a simplified universe featuring a boyish-looking host (Steve, later Joe), his yapping puppy Blue & their animated friends.
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 | Kipper - Playtime
Buy new: $8.49 / Used from: $4.44 EXCELLENT: This animated British children's show is a relaxing change of pace, with a smooth jazz score, minimalist drawing, laid-back characters, leisurely storylines & soothing UK accents.
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 | Oswald - On-the-Go Oswald
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $2.25 EXCELLENT: An animated show with a quirky, laid-back feel. An octopus leads a friendly & bizarre cast of characters. Set in New York City-meets-Candyland. Disc has 8 full episodes/100 minutes.
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 | Mister Rogers' Neighborhood - A Day at the Circus
Buy new: $12.49 / Used from: $7.99 EXCELLENT: This deliberate, slow-and-easy classic is incredibly thoughtful and creative - a surprise hit in 2005. To date only 6 of the 1000+ episodes are out on DVD.
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 | The Backyardigans - It's Great To Be A Ghost
Buy new: $11.99 / Used from: $7.62 EXCELLENT: Original musical theater for toddlers, with creative singing, dancing, and musical arrangements, all presented in stunning 3-D animation. Intelligent, clever & fun. See pirate episode 1st!
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 | Bob the Builder - Can We Fix It?
Buy new: $9.98 / Used from: $1.20 VERY GOOD: This BBC children's show featuring "stop-motion claymation" animation has been voiced over for US audiences. "Constructive" and enjoyable, with plenty of great, engaging characters.
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 | Little Bear - Little Bear's Band
Buy new: $13.49 / Used from: $8.95 VERY GOOD: Another calm, slow-paced show full of charm and imagination. Based on the books series illustrated by Maurice Sendak and written by Else Holmelund Minarik.
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 | Dragon Tales - Whenever I'm Afraid
Buy new: $8.49 / Used from: $3.39 GOOD: It may take a few episodes to appreciate Dragon Tales, which was jointly developed by the folks at Sesame Street and Sony Pictures. Like all Top 10 shows listed here, we recommend entire series.
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 | Clifford - Clifford Saves the Day/Clifford's Fluffiest Friend Cleo
Buy new: $13.49 / Used from: $1.25 GOOD: Clifford's adventures with his friends on the Nantucket-style island are engaging and somewhat educational (in terms of learning to live and play together).
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 | Jojo's Circus - Take a Bow
Buy new: $14.99 / Used from: $3.58 OK: This Disney series crosses the claymation look of Bob the Builder with the writing style of Blue's Clues & the clown theme of Big Comfy Couch. Imitative yet still has a special charm of its own.
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 | Sesame Street - The Best of Elmo
Buy new: $9.49 / Used from: $6.88 NOT YET OUT ON DVD: General episodes of "Sesame Street" do not appear to be available on DVD.
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 | Kipper - Fun In The Sun
Buy new: $6.49 / Used from: $4.75 Kipper is probably the best kids' show that you've never heard of before. Filled with many small moments of quiet beauty. Intelligent, fun, subtle, and playful. Ten DVDs retail for under $10/each!
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 | Blue's Clues - Shapes And Colors
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $2.99 Blue's Clues DVDs - together with a "tablet-style" DVD player that attaches to the passenger-seat headrest in the car - completely transformed the backseat car-riding experience (now it's fun!).
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 | Coby TFDVD-7705 7-Inch Portable Tablet DVD Player
This is the inexpensive, low-end tablet DVD player used in our car. The DVD player comes with a remote control, cigarette lighter plug-in adapter, and speakers - all important for car use.
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 | Blue's Clues - Bluestock
Buy new: $7.49 / Used from: $4.66 Blue's Clues has a well-defined, open-ended structure (3 clues, notebook, mailtime, thinking chair, recurring songs) where new themes are explored within an established framework. Fun and creative.
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 | Blue's Clues - Classic Clues
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $4.01 Blue's Clues DVDs provide a full 100 minutes of content, much more than the typical 35 or 45 minutes on other children's DVDs. This is an intelligent show that often "winks" at adult viewers.
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 | Blue's Clues - Blue's Big Musical Movie
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $3.82 "Blue's Clues" knows how to have fun without taking itself too seriously, without indulging in tired cliches, & without grating on adult viewers. A bonus featurette introduces the show's staff of 80.
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 | Blue's Clues - Blue Takes You to School
Buy new: $6.99 / Used from: $2.99 With nearly all Blue's Clues DVDs, "Play All" option only plays 2 episodes with Joe. Go to "Bonus Episodes" on "Episode Selection" menu to get 2 more full shows with Steve.
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 | Blue's Clues - Blue Talks
Buy new: $8.99 / Used from: $2.17 Note of caution: "Blue's Clues" is NOT the same as "Blue's Room." The latter series features Blue as a talking dog puppet and is completely different - father and son cannot recommend "Blue's Room."
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 | Bob the Builder - Pets in a Pickle
Buy new: $6.49 / Used from: $0.95 It's fun for adults to hunt for the UK references - coats of arms, European road signs, etc. "Bob the Builder" is apparently also the #1 preschool show in Germany, Japan, and Australia.
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 | Dragon Tales - Believe in Yourself
Buy new: $8.49 / Used from: $3.43 One of the more subtle aspects of Dragon Tales (& Oswald) is the way it introduces classical music - the musical score is entirely performed by a "concert band" with full brass and woodwinds sections.
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 | Clifford's Really Big Movie
Buy used from: $2.20 An excellent 74-minute episode of "Clifford" - the show works well as an animated feature-length film. Uses more sophisticated animation, so characters look different (but sound similar) to TV show.
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 | Oswald - Welcome to Big City
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $1.96 One of the more subtle aspects of Oswald (& Dragon Tales) is the way it introduces classical music - the musical score is entirely performed by a "concert band" with full brass and woodwinds sections.
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 | Barney - Come on Over to Barney's House
Buy new: $8.49 / Used from: $3.48 SHOWS THAT DIDN'T WORK FOR US: Barney, Dora the Explorer, Little People, Max and Ruby, Connie The Cow.
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 | Bear in the Big Blue House: Party Time With Bear
Buy new: $13.49 / Used from: $4.20 Another Disney series that borrows heavily from other shows. Essentially puts Big Bird in a Brown Bear suit, gives him his own house, and surrounds him with a supporting cast of Muppets.
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