It's a Big Big World: Investigate Your World

Aired on PBS Kids, this compilation includes four episodes from the fanciful puppet and CGI series It's a Big Big World, revolving around a variety of animal friends living in, on, or near the World Tree situated in a tropical rainforest. “Not Found Here” finds main character Snook the sloth helping marmoset siblings Smooch and Winslow locate a lost friend through scientific analysis and deductive reasoning (“where isn't he?”) and visiting their creature pals for clues. The episodes “King of the Trees” and “Burdette Queen Ant” both deal with megalomaniacal World Tree residents, as opportunist fish Ick believes that the glut of rain will leave him at the top of the power chain, and pushy bird Burdette makes a bid to be queen based on what she sees in a nearby ant colony. Lastly, “Who Moved My Sunflower?” explores the animals' various responses to a heat wave. Featuring numerous songs and “Did You Know?” animal facts segments, It's a Big Big World is an energetic and colorful series that encourages thinking. Recommended. [Note: also newly available in the series is The Sky Above.] Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)