WordWorld: Birthday Party!

Developed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education, this five-story compilation, from the Emmy-winning PBS Kids series featuring rudimentary computer animation, is built around the running theme of birthday fun. An unseen narrator tells viewers about the denizens of WordWorld, a colorful realm populated by mostly anthropomorphic animals and items, often comprised of the letters forming their names. “Happy Birthday, Dog” finds the titular pup a bit discouraged when he has to remind his friends of his special day—not realizing, of course, that the gang are all working on a surprise party organized by Bear. A standout segment has rude chef Pig eating the cake earmarked for a birthday celebration, but he is fortunately redeemed by using his recipe book to create a new concoction with letters. The occasionally unmannerly portly swine is also featured in “Pig's Present,” spying on his nephews as they assemble letters to make him a birthday gift, and “The Rainbow Birthday Cake,” in which he helps Duck to develop a cool cake with very fancy frosting. Also including “Bit By Bit” and “Bugs to the Rescue!”, this budget-priced program is recommended. Aud: K, P. (J. Williams-Wood)