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Wiggles: Pop Go the Wiggles, The
My 2-year-old daughter can't get enough of the Wiggles. Seriously. Or, to put it another way, her parents reached their fill of the Wiggles long ago, probably around the 70th time I caught myself singing along to "Wave Your Arms Like Henry."
Still, kids know what they like, and there is something to be said for children's programming that is gentle, buoyant and even a bit educational. Pop Go the Wiggles, the latest DVD offering from Australia's Anthony, Jeff, Murray and Sam (the newest Wiggle), zeroes in on more than 30 traditional nursery rhymes.
For parents with embarrassing gaps in their knowledge of nursery rhymes -- so what exactly happened to that old man who's snoring while it's raining and pouring? -- Pop Go the Wiggles can be a real help. The group covers the waterfront, performing such standards as "Little Miss Muffet," "Skip to My Lou," "Mary Had a Little Lamb," "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," "London Bridge Is Falling Down," "Jack and Jill," "English Country Garden," Pat-a-Cake," "The Farmer in the Dell," Little-Bo-Peep" and "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush."
Occasionally, the Wiggles' Aussie versions differ slightly from how Americans might know the song. Hence, "Itsy Bitsy Spider" becomes "Insy Winsy Spider." Don't worry, though, the spider still winds up OK.
The production is bright, cheerful and cheesy, with the Wiggles typically donning costumes and performing in front of green-screen backgrounds. Hangers-on such as Captain Feathersword and Dorothy the Dinosaur turn up for obligatory appearances. In a few skits, Feathersword (Paul Paddick) is inadvertently creepy, covered in vaguely primitive and ritualistic facial makeup meant to approximate the look of a turtle and spider.
Clocking in at nearly 57 minutes, Pop Go the Wiggles can be a bit exhausting. But the ditties are time-honored standards and Wiggles fans know what to expect. This is perky, harmless music certain to captivate the youngest viewers.
The DVDThe Video:
The picture, in 1.66:1 aspect ratio, boasts the same bright, flat quality of the Wiggles' television program.
The Audio:The Dolby Digital 2.0 gets the job done. It's not showy, but you'll have no trouble clearly hearing every "hickory dickory" and every "dock." Subtitles are available in English for the hearing-impaired, and there is a "sing along with the Wiggles" function, as well.
Extras:A bonus episode from Dorothy the Dinosaur TV series (7:01) gives viewers a taste of the program, which airs in Australia. Two fairies who are friends with Dorothy stop by for Irish dancing and a snack of rose petal. Which begs the question: Is flower-eating really a good thing to push on a children's TV show?
Dorothy Says, "It's Time to Sleep" (4:11) is another vignette from her TV series. Here, the diminutive dinosaur goes through a nightly routine that includes tooth-brushing and bedtime stories. This T-Rex is one seriously anal-retentive creature of habit.
Also included is a photo gallery and an E-Storybook - Little Miss Muffet Joins the Wiggles in Concert.
Final Thoughts:The Fab Four of children's music delivers more than 30 nursery rhymes. What's advertised is what you get in Pop Go the Wiggles, and that will be enough to charm most kiddos. At least that was the experience of my 2-year-old daughter, who danced and giggled her way through many of the rhymes.
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