'Dinosaur Train: Dinosaurs Are Different'
(DVD / G / 2015 / PBS)
Overview: Dinosaur Train embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains while sparking an interest in life science, natural history, and paleontology.
DVD Verdict: The basic premise of this, for the kids, of course, us that friendly dinosaurs climb aboard a train to visit different times throughout the prehistoric age, learning about dinosaurs and having fun adventures.
And it has to be said, why were Trains and Dinosaurs never put together before?! I mean, Dinosaur Train completely changes how kids learn about dinosaurs. Finally, all the mistakes I was taught as a kid are repaired! Dinosaurs use tails for balance, have proper names, sometimes are tiny, have feathers, fly, are birds, swim, hunt, etc.
Mix in some really well done music and clear, quality animation, and you've got a great show. Best of all is a moment after each episode with a real paleontologist who clears up fact from fiction and even gives great details about what was learned in the cartoon - finally, a TV show is using standard teaching methods like reinforcement and repetition without boring us to death.
On this new collection from Dinosaur Train we join Buddy, Tiny, Shiny and Don as they discover cool features and adaptations that make every dinosaur species different. This motley crew of eager explorers will uncover the 'how' and 'why' of features such as feathers, specialized teeth and large frills by asking questions and proposing their own theories - ideas they can test. The Pteranodons learn that everyone is unique, even the dinosaurs within their own family.
Thank you, Dinosaur Train! You've created a show on a great subject that I can learn something new from right along with the kids! Well done! This is a Widescreen Presentation (1.85:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs.
www.PBSkids.org