Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Crazy good for your kid to learn how to deal with frustration, October 11, 2008
Until now, if you were, say, a 1st-generation Chinese parent who wanted their 2nd-generation, fully-immersed kid to watch Chinese DVDs targeted at English-speaking kids, you had to suffer through a few noble but failed attempts: Bao Bei the Panda is a notable example, Jade goes to Kindergarten is a little better.
This is great for Chinese language, though not for the vocabulary, but mostly because they use crazy-hard words like "Xue" and other tongue-rolling Chinese sounds and my kid picked it up spontaneously. Of course, we thought she was swearing at first, but turns out she was saying the word for shoe (or more appropriately, the word for slippers/sandals).
Anyhow, that's not the best part of these videos, which is a refreshing surprise. While Dora, Diego, and Blue all teach your kid to basically follow a three-part mystery, and prepare them for a lifetime of watching CSI or Law & Order, Kai Lan and her friends teach them much more valuable lessons.
What seems like Chinese Dora is not that at all -- it's really geared at teaching how to deal with tough situations for kids, like when it's raining, or if they're angry about something, etc. The only other children's series I've seen come close to this is Thomas the Tank Engine (where the trains often wind up embarassed at their behavior when frustrated) and Sesame Street (where it often takes a human being to point out to Elmo or Zoe that they're being unreasonable. Again). But Kai Lan convinces her friends to calm down, find things to do when it's raining, etc. (Notably, some episodes are better examples than others; I went to iTunes to grab the episodes not on this DVD).
If you're debating whether or not to get this DVD, just get it. There's so much to be said for it, and very little to be said against it. It stands up to repeated viewings (because Chinese is so difficult to learn to American ears), and the stories are actually emotionally educational. At first blush, it's a wannabe Dora. But after you watch it a few times -- and if your kid has two eyes and two ears, they will force you to watch it more than a few times -- you'll realize that Kai Lan has created a super special place of her own in the pantheon of kids' TV programming.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great show for preschoolers, September 3, 2008
This Nick Jr show is great. My son likes it as much as Dora. Each episode is interactive (I think even more than other shows, like Dora)--Kai-Lan gets viewers involved with things like helping her count or pick out certain colors or shapes. A few physical movements (reaching for things, etc) are promoted too. But the primary plus is how it focuses on social and emotional development--one episode has a theme of managing anger, another of helping out your friends, etc. And the song that is interwoven throughout the episodes (the words change for each episode, but the tune is the same) is quite catchy. And I have learned a few Mandarin words!
Episodes:
Dragonboat Festival -- Rintoo gets angry when he loses a dragonboat race. Kai-lan helps him calm down so they can all meet Mr. Dragon at the end of the festival.
Beach Day -- On a trip to the beach, Tolee gets mad when the waves knock over his sand castle, so the others help him calm down and together they build a better castle.
Twirly Whirly Flyers -- While playing near an ant city with Twirly Whirly flowers, Tolee accidentally break the ants' bridge. Kai-lan and her friends help the ants repair it.
Everybody's Hat Parade -- Kai-lan and friends make hats and prepare for a special parade, but Rintoo is upset when Hoho copies his design, and Kai-lan must find a way to calm him so the parade can go on.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
My Daughter's Favorite Show, September 4, 2008
I think it's cute, and my daughter actually interacts with it. She really can't get enough of it. It endorses emotional intelligence while teaching some Mandarin words. I keep hearing my daughter saying "dig" or "Thank you" or "push" in Mandarin. Kai-Lan is always careful to stop and figure out why her friends act the way they do and takes the time to help them to solve their problems. I love it because she loves it, and I think they are doing a great job. I wish they'd make some toys, though.
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