New DVDs from The Backyardigans and Blue's Room

A new DVD from the popular Nick Jr. show The Backyardigans is now available. The Backyardigans: Movers and Shakers features four musical episodes: "Movers of Arabia", featuring surf music; "Cops and Robots," featuring jug band music; "Sinbad Sails Alone," featuring mambo music; and "Best Clowns in Town," featuring silly sounding music.

The Backyardigans is one of the most unique children's shows ever produced. Each episode introduces kids to a new genre of music, and the CG animated characters dance using choreography that fits that musical style. The music and dancing is woven into imaginative storylines that start out as an imaginary adventure. As the adventure begins, the characters' backyard play area transforms into an exciting new scene, but the Backyardigans always end up back in their own backyards at the end of the adventure when it's time for a snack.

In my favorite adventure from the new DVD, Uniqua is a beautiful siren, and Tasha plays Medusa. In this story, though, Medusa is the one who gets turned into a statue!

• The Backyardigans TV Show Review
• More Backyardigans DVDs

Also available on DVD this week is Blue's Room: Shape Detectives. The DVD features two episodes of the new spin-off show Blue's Room, where Blue is a talking puppet, and two episodes of Blue's Clues. The shows featured on the DVD are educational for preschoolers and heavily focus on early math concepts. In "Shape Detectives," for example, Blue and Sprinkles have to locate a series of shapes that are missing from a picture. The different episodes also focus on concepts such as numbers and weight.

• Review of Blue's Room
• Review of Blue's Clues

(Photos © Nick Jr.)