Splash and Bubbles: One Big Ocean

Created by the Jim Henson Company, this computer-animated PBS Kids-aired series centers on a mixed group of ocean creatures who share adventures and learn about the interdependence of life beneath the waves. Friends Splash, Bubbles, Ripple, and Dunk generally stay close to home, but when they meet a young sea turtle named Scoot, the group decides to escort him to a faraway coral reef in the four-episode tale "One Big Ocean." Here, Splash and friends not only discover the vastness of the ocean but also learn about its unified environment. Along the way, they help clean a reef with a fish that does that job naturally, and they travel along with a pod of whales. The message that ocean life is not some random collection of living things but rather a whole ecosystem requiring care and deserving respect comes through loud and clear for young viewers in this bright and appealing show. Also including the episodes "The Greatest Treasure of All" and "Kelp Forest Keepers" (in which our fishy heroes help rejuvenate kelp growth), this is recommended. Aud: K, P. (T. Keogh)