Jim Henson's Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs Under the Sea

Produced by the Jim Henson Company, this compilation from the CGI-animated PBS Kids-aired science/natural history series includes eight episodes starring a dinosaur family. Comprised of winged parents, kids Tiny, Shiny, and Don, and odd species out son Buddy (an adopted T.rex whose egg was somehow hatched with the others), the Pteranodon family takes day trips on the magical titular train, visiting new creatures and different epochs using a warp-speed-like time tunnel. In “Elmer Elasmosaurus,” the gang meets the titular plesiosaur, who is more than 50% neck. Elmer returns in “Elmer Visits the Desert,” which takes the crew to the Jurassic period, while “Carla Cretoxyrhina” introduces a lonely shark girl who doesn't have many friends due to her sharp teeth (and gigantic scary dad), and “The Old Spinosaurus and the Sea” features a cretaceous creature that helps Buddy learn how to fish (his flying family can dive and scoop fish out of the water). Serving up four more episodes—including “The Amazing Michelinoceras Brothers” and “Shiny's Sea Shells”—this fact-filled, song-sprinkled collection is sure to be popular. DVD extras include an interactive game, coloring pages, and a dinosaur reference guide. Recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)