Tiny Trouble

K-Gr 4—Chris and Martin Kratt are no strangers to creating entertaining, educational children's programs. After a live-action introduction by the brothers, the Kratts are transformed into cartoon characters whose goal is to study native wildlife, while two female characters, Aviva, the inventor, and her assistant, Koki, work in the laboratory to assist the brothers. There's a gadget to shrink the Kratts so they can relate on the level of the species they encounter, and Aviva creates "suits" that the brothers wear so they can use an animal's super powers to solve problems. So, the termite suit allows the wearer to emit a foul smelling odor to repel predators and has large pinchers to fight. In "Termites vs. Tongues," Aviva and Koki spill grass scent on themselves then accidentally get shrunk. When they are kidnapped by termites of the African savannah, the brothers have to rescue them before they become victims of sticky-tongued predators. In the second adventure, "Bugs or Monkeys," the brothers disagree on whether to study bugs or monkeys, and are saved by having monkey powers when pursued by a leopard. There's plenty of action and humor throughout, but the best thing about these exciting adventures is that viewers will effortlessly absorb the seamlessly presented wildlife facts. Kids will likely enjoy extending these stories in their play.—Constance Dickerson, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, OH