My First Day

The first day of school can be a very scary experience for a child, with its whole new world of strange children, strange adults, and strange places and activities. In an effort to show anxious pre-schoolers what a typical kindergarten day is like, My First Day follows animatronic Buddy Bear on his first day of school (with real human classmates)--singing, playing, painting and engaging in other fun activities. Cheerful and upbeat, featuring cute original tunes and lots of smiles, this is a positive overview of the good things to look forward to in school (less exciting aspects, such as how to stand in line, walking quietly through corridors, or dealing with a busy lunchroom, are--perhaps understandably--not discussed). However, the program still earns two demerits: one, for failing to include a multicultural group of children in the class (c'mon, this was taped in California) and two, for excessive footage of Daddy Bear's red '65 Mustang convertible, which was hardly necessary to the plot and received way too much air time. Otherwise, this is recommended. Aud: K, P. (R. Reagan)