My kids start school tomorrow – two of the three – and my Kindergartner starts next week. I can’t believe that three of my four kids will be in school this year! To get them excited and to let my toddler have a taste of what they will be experiencing we love watching the PBS KIDS back to school movies! There are two new ones that just came out – Caillou Goes Back to School and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Daniel Goes to School. Both of these are great movies that have helped, especially my kindergartner, feel a little more prepared and what to expect.
This bundle features two items – the DVD “Caillou Goes Back to School,” which includes 12 stories, and an illustrated bonus book about riding the school bus. “CAILLOU GOES BACK TO SCHOOL DVD + BOOK” offers two fun-filled ways to interact with Caillou and get kids into the back-to-school mindset. CAILLOU airs weekdays on PBS KIDS (check local listings) and is produced by DHX Media.
The stories included on the DVD are listed below.
“Caillou the Librarian”
Caillou is excited about showing Rosie the ropes when they visit the library. During storytime Caillou imagines he’s in the story, riding on a dolphin. Later he and Rosie argue over a book and accidentally tear it. He doesn’t want to tell the librarian, but finally musters up the courage to do so. The librarian turns out to be very nice and he helps her fix the book. And Rosie gets her very own library card!
“Caillou the Bookworm”
Returning home from the library Caillou is very eager to sit down and enjoy his pirate book. Unfortunately it’s a very busy day and he’s having trouble finding a quiet place to look at his book. Caillou finally finds the perfect place – in his closet! By the light of his flashlight he finally gets to enjoy his book and pretends he’s the pirate in the story digging up a buried treasure.
“Caillou the Storyteller”
It’s a rainy day at playschool and the children can’t go outside. Caillou makes up a funny story about a superhero who makes the rain stop – it’s Super Caillou! He tells the story to Jeffrey and Jason, and Miss Martin suggests he make his own storybook. She writes the story down and Caillou draws the pictures. By the time Mommy comes to pick him up, Caillou has his very own book to show her!
“Magnet Madness”
Caillou is playing with the fridge magnets and learns lots of things about them. About what they stick to and what they don’t stick to – such as Gilbert! He even imagines himself as a human magnet superhero. In the end Caillou is able to apply what he’s learned and uses a magnet to help Daddy retrieve a metal peg from behind the workbench.
“Caillou the Dinosaur Hunter”
The whole family goes on a trip to the natural history museum to look at the dinosaurs. Caillou is really enjoying himself looking at the skeletons and learning about the different kinds of dinosaurs. When he momentarily loses the others he knows enough to stay put until Mommy comes back and finds him. And when he realizes he’s left Rexy somewhere he learns about the lost and found, and retraces his steps until he finds his dinosaur friend.
“Caillou the Astronaut”
Caillou wants to play with both his friends Clementine and Xavier in the playschool playground. Unfortunately Clementine wants to play bears and Xavier wants to play astronauts, and a little argument ensues. At story time Miss Martin tells them more about spaceships and astronauts and Caillou imagines he’s zooming around the galaxy exploring stars and planets. Back outside Caillou makes up a new astronaut and bear game so everyone can play together.
“Caillou Goes Shopping”
Caillou’s crayons are all worn down or broken, so Mommy suggests a trip to the store for some new ones. Caillou helps Mommy remember what she needs to buy – he remembers the list of items by making a little song out of them. When they’re done they run into Sarah, and Caillou helps her find all her back to school supplies.
“Caillou Goes Apple Picking”
Caillou’s playschool is on a special field trip to an apple orchard. The children really enjoy learning about apples and picking them too. Caillou imagines himself picking the biggest apple in the whole world. Afterwards they enjoy some fresh apple juice. By the time they get back on the bus to go home, Caillou and his friends are all ready for a little nap!
“Caillou’s Halloween Costume”
Halloween is coming and it’s time to pick out a costume to wear. Soon Rosie has three costumes she wants to wear, but Caillou still hasn’t decided on what he wants to be. And time is running out! Finally a piece of blue fake fur gives him a great idea – he’ll be a blue monster! His parents help him fashion an odd but effective monster costume out of bits and pieces they find around the house. When Leo and Clementine arrive they agree that Caillou is a very scary-looking monster indeed!
“Caillou’s Present”
Mommy’s having a bad day – first she can’t find her car keys, then she and Caillou have to shovel the car out, and then the car won’t start! At playschool Caillou decides to make her a present to cheer her up. His first two attempts don’t turn out but he perseveres and makes her a picture of a sun – to melt all the snow!
“Caillou the Chef”
Jeffrey and Jason are coming over for dinner – it’s a make-your-own pizza party! Caillou feels he is an expert at this and starts to show them how to do it. When the twins both opt for less-than-traditional ingredients Caillou is upset that they’re doing it all wrong. In the end, however, their pizzas turn out just fine and Caillou learns that everyone has their own unique way of doing things.
“Caillou the Painter”
Caillou’s got a brand new painting shirt and decides to paint something for Grandma. He has a little trouble deciding what to paint. He wants to use all his colors and paint all his favorite shapes. Mommy tells him that paintings don’t have to be about something and he proceeds to make his own abstract painting! Meanwhile Rosie and Daddy are pressing a flower for Grandma. When Grandma arrives she is thrilled with her very artistic gifts.
Learn more about CAILLOU on pbskids.org
Get the DVD on Amazon and most retailers
The DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD new DVD, “DANIEL GOES TO SCHOOL,” lets young fans join Daniel Tiger and his friends as they head to school, where they discover that learning and using your imagination is grr-ific fun!
“DANIEL GOES TO SCHOOL” includes fun-filled tales that will get kids excited about school and learning. In select stories featured on the DVD, Daniel receives a new classroom job, O the Owl tries to use all the blocks at school to build the TALLEST tower in the world, Daniel and his classmates choose a new class pet, and the children learn about traffic signs from Prince Tuesday. Some of the important lessons kids will learn from the adventures on “DANIEL GOES TO SCHOOL” include: everyone’s job is important and we all help in different ways, and, if you’re not successful at first, keep trying, and you’ll get better!
The “DANIEL GOES TO SCHOOL” DVD includes the following stories:
“A Trip to the Crayon Factory”
Daniel Tiger, Miss Elaina, and Katerina Kittycat take a fun trip to the factory to see how crayons are made but, O the Owl can’t come because he’s sick. At the factory, the kids watch the crayons being made, and Daniel looks and listens closely. Daniel has an idea to take pictures at the factory and give them to O at the end of the day, so that O can learn about crayons too!
“Be a Vegetable Taster!”
Teacher Harriet introduces Daniel and his friends to the school’s vegetable garden and convinces them to pick out some healthy veggies for their snack. They explore the garden, picking and trying different vegetables…with mixed results!
“Line Leader Daniel”
The children are getting new classroom jobs at school. Daniel really wants to be line leader! When he doesn’t get the job he wanted, Daniel is disappointed. Soon he learns that all of the jobs are necessary to keep the classroom running smoothly.
“Problem Solver Daniel”
Daniel and Miss Elaina are playing with the blocks at school but they each want to build something different. They call Teacher Harriet over to help fix the problem, but she tells them to work out a solution without her. They do, and feel proud that they can figure things out all by themselves.
“The Class Votes”
At school, Daniel and his classmates get to choose their new class pet! Teacher Harriet explains that they can either get a bunny or a turtle. The kids learn what it means to “vote” and that sometimes it doesn’t always turn out your way. Luckily, ALL of the kids find something to love about their new pet, “Snowball”!
“O Builds a Tower”
In the block corner at school, O the Owl is determined to use all of the blocks to build the tallest tower in the world. After many failed attempts, he is frustrated, but Teacher Harriet and O’s friends encourage him to try once again.
“Play Pretend”
Teacher Harriet shows the children a big cardboard box and asks them what they think it could be. Daniel and Miss Elaina have fun pretending the box is a space ship and a jungle boat, but O the Owl just sees a big cardboard box. With a little help from his friends, O discovers how much fun it is to pretend!
“Safety Patrol”
Today at school, the children are learning about traffic signs. Prince Tuesday comes for a special visit, wearing his crossing guard uniform. He takes the class on a walk through the Neighborhood and they practice their safety rules all along the way.
The first original show from The Fred Rogers Company since the iconic MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD, DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD stars 4-year-old Daniel Tiger, son of the original program’s Daniel Striped Tiger, who invites young viewers into his world, giving them a kid’s-eye view of his life. DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, which debuted in September 2012, airs daily on PBS KIDS (check local listings). Angela C. Santomero of Out of the Blue Enterprises, Kevin Morrison of The Fred Rogers Company, and Vince Commisso of 9 Story Entertainment are the program’s executive producers.
Learn more about DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD on pbskids.org
Get the DVD on Amazon and most retailers
We received pre-screening copies of these DVD’s in order to tell you how great they are. Our opinions are 100% our own.
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