My sons have been fond of learning about animals for as long as I can remember, but what is interesting is now they want to learn the specifics about animals. Lots & Lots of Animal Stories for Kids DVDs from Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc. has done a phenomenal job of answering these specific questions, while also keeping it fun for them.

The set of five DVDs includes learning about bears, whales, birdies, froggies and donkeys. Each DVD is about 30 minutes long and introduces your child to a fun and energetic host named Miss Danni Donkey. Miss Danni Donkey has an adventure in each DVD with her fellow kid helpers, who range in age from about four years old to about ten years old. I thought this was a great idea because it gave such a broad range for children. I think preschool aged children through elementary would enjoy these DVDs.

The DVDs include a mix of animation and live action that help children learn about the animal’s geographic region and environment, what they eat, and how they interact. This is done through the use of stories, singing, and dancing while the kid helpers ask questions or Miss Danni Donkey asks a question, and an animated animal answers it. My sons are six and eight years old, and they had such a good time listening to the stories, and also singing along and dancing along with the kid helpers in the DVD.

Lots & Lots of Animal Stories for Kids also did a wonderful job of teaching about friendship and relationships. There are so many shows on television today that teach disrespect towards others. It was refreshing to be able to put in a DVD that taught wholesome, family and friend core values that reinforce what is taught at home.

My sons got to laugh along with silly characters, but also were learning at the same time. They were able to remember facts they learned on the DVDs days later. Both my boys enjoyed the songs and dances, and also continued those throughout the week after watching the DVDs.

I think this would make an amazing gift for any child who loves animals. It would also be a good supplement to learning about a specific animal group. It is family friendly and entertaining, and something you can enjoy watching with your child again and again. My family and I really enjoyed learning new facts about the animals, and we now have some amazing DVDs to add to our family DVD collection.

-Product review by Kelly LaFollette, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, February, 2018

Another Reviewer Perspective:

Lots & Lots of Animal Stories for Kids - Vol 1 Bears

Lots & Lots of Animal Stories for Kids - Vol 2 Whales

Lots & Lots of Animal Stories for Kids - Vol 3 Birdies

Lots & Lots of Animal Stories for Kids - Vol 4 Froggies

Lots & Lots of Animal Stories for Kids - Vol 5 Donkeys

Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc.

http://www.marshallpublishinginc.com

Finding something productive for toddlers and pre-preschoolers to do in a homeschool family can be quite a task. Wanting to stay along the educational lines can make this task more daunting. However, the DVD series called Lots & Lots of Animal Stories for Kids by Marshall Publishing & Promotions, Inc. provides a creative, fun, and interactive solution for young kids during their homeschooling day!

As a mom of 6 children, there is a point in our day I have scheduled for the youngest kids to watch 30-minutes of an educational film. Lots & Lots of Animal Stories for Kids offers five DVDs including Vol 1 Bears, Vol 2 Whales, Vol 3 Birdies, Vol 4 Froggies, and Vol 5 Donkeys that my youngest two boys especially got to enjoy throughout our school weeks. However, I found my older kids enthusiastically recalling the songs and dances found in these videos throughout their day as well.

In these DVDs, Danni the Donkey, who is a young female teacher dressed up as a donkey, is the head of a classroom of kids. In their colorful school room, we’re dropping in just in time for animal story time. The kids in the classroom all grab pillows and get comfortable on the floor as Danni leads them on “a magical journey” to learn about animals.

In several of these Lots & Lots of Animal Stories for Kids DVDs, we are led by an animal friend throughout the different regions that that particular animal inhabits; in the other DVDs we follow the story of one specific animal through its life learning about it and other creatures it encounters along the way. The children listening are educated about the animals’ history, their habitats, diet, migration habits, different species, the sounds these animals make and so much more. The animals speak in different accents and expose the children to a wide variety of culture from around the world.

Throughout the videos, the class or the cartoon character break off into dance and song as a humorous way to establish what has been talked about. This breaks up the “seriousness” of learning and makes the videos extremely engaging, not losing the attention of even the most fidgety viewer. These songs also cover a wide variety of genres including cumbia, hip hop, lullaby, country, choirs, square dancing, swing, surf, oriental, tai chi, opera, reggae, gospel, jazz, and Greek to name a few.

Our favorite of the five DVDs was Vol 1 Bears. where Clyde the Bear takes the class on a journey all around the world exploring different types of bears and their habitats. We love the songs and dances in this video with our favorite being the “California Bear” and the “Sumo Bear”. This DVD is the most asked for in our house of the five.

Our least favorite was Vol 3 Birdies since it took the route of following the story of a bird losing his song and trying to find it rather then the route of being an educational tool for me to use to teach my children about birds. There was educational elements to this Volume, however, the majority of it seemed to be more like something I would find on Disney as strictly entertainment instead of something I would use as a homeschooling tool. This video seemed to focus on teaching more moral and character lessons then it did actual facts about birds.

There was one technical problem I wanted to point out in my review. In the beginning of Vol 2 Whales, there is a sound delay that is distracting and obvious in the first minute or so of the film. Danni the Donkey’s mouth moves at a different pace then her voice is heard. This quickly corrects itself after the primary minute or so of the film.

Another point that I would like to make known is that the resounding theme throughout these videos includes taking care of the environment, how “adaptation” has occurred in several animal species, and children are encouraged to “follow their hearts” when they are unsure what to do in life. As being a homeschooling Christian mom, I find it important to make one aware that these lessons are being taught in these videos in case one has an issue with them.

There are many other lessons taught throughout these DVDs such as cooperating with others, working hard at a task at hand, never giving up or losing hope, always finding something to be thankful for and more that are general good lessons were edifying as well.

On one last note, the character Danni the Donkey did seem a bit over the top at points in her composure and character. She is wearing quite a bit of make-up and, in an attempt to be cute, how she carries herself seemed often flirtatious at times. This disturbed my husband as he glimpsed at the film here and there, so I thought it worth mentioning. However, the kids didn’t seem to mind or notice much.

Overall, my family enjoys Lots & Lots of Animal Stories and we plan on continuing to incorporate them into our daily routine.

- Product review by Cassie Deputie, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, February, 2018