Snapatoonies, Episode 1: Counting Kids

PreS—In this episode, Nathan, the narrator, starts with zero and counts to ten using his friends to keep track of each number. The concept of zero can be tricky for young children, so Nathan explains that "zero is used for counting nothing, when there is nothing to count." As a warm-up exercise, Nathan counts from zero to ten twice, but the numbers appear on the screen in random order in a disorganized cloud. Beginning counters would probably benefit more from seeing the numbers listed in numerical order. As Nathan goes from zero to ten, each number is discussed through a rhyme, which is great for phonological awareness. Though the opening credits feature computer animated children riding a train, the children in the episode, though diverse, are animated in a totally different, scribbled style. This inconsistency is confusing, and the constant presence of the computer animated kids riding their train in the corner of the screen can be distracting. One good feature of this episode is the "quiz" at the end which asks children to identify the numbers in random order. While this production makes counting simple for very young children, it is very slow and not entertaining. Some children will quickly become bored.—Jenny Ventling, Dayton Metro Library, OH