Wimzie's House: You're Special

A top-rated children's show currently airing on PBS, Wimzie's House features puppet characters who are funky little monsters. Wimzie, Jonas, Loulou, Horace (he has the coolest hair) and Wimzie's little brother, Bo, hang out in a daycare situation at Wimzie's house, overseen by Wimzie's 150-year-old grandmother, Yaya. Wimzie's parents, Graziella (bird) and Rousso (dragon), come and go. The winning features of this series are the puppeteering and the writing, which constantly touches on issues relevant to five-year-olds. In You're Special, for instance, there are two episodes, "Be Yourself" and "The Boys Against The Girls," both of which deal with issues of self-worth and identity in an effective and creative manner. All the characters have very distinct and consistent personalities, the stories are quite coherent for kindergarten-aged kids and the production values are first-rate. In an interesting twist, Sony Wonder plans to include one previously aired story and one never-before-seen story on each video. A second title, Wimzie's House: It's Magic Time, is also available. Enthusiastically recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: K, P. (P. Van Vleck)