Shamu & You: Exploring The World Of Mammals

The first volume in a four-part series on Mammals, Fish, Reptiles, and Birds, Shamu & You: Exploring the World of Mammals offers a brief introduction to general mammal characteristics followed by a potpourri of "spotlights" and "fascinating facts" on or about particular mammals. Shamu, Sea World's famous killer whale, doesn't appear to have much of a role--at least in the first volume (except for the advertisement in the accompanying booklet for an $18 discount at Sea World). The nature photography is nice, and some of the segments are actually rather clever (especially the one on mammal names: "gaggle of geese," "pod of whales," "pride of lions," etc.) Although the program suggests an audience range of 4-12, this is really suitable for younger kids. The activity-filled booklet is, thankfully, not referred to in the program or on the box; the lively songs and animation will hold young viewers attention; and the program is recorded in standard play mode (many Video Treasures programs are recorded in extended play modes). An inexpensive choice for children's video collections, the Shamu & You series is recommended. (Available from most distributors.)