Animation
Star Wars: Maul – Shadow Lord
‘Maul – Shadow Lord’ is darker than previous animated Star Wars fare. It’s still clean, but it may be best suited for older viewers.
When there’s a problem, the wombats say…
Work! It! Out!
That’s the motto for grandmother wombat Super and her grandbabies, Sadie, Malik and Zeke.
This same motto is echoed throughout all of Treeborhood as each resident takes pride in working together to solve any problem, big or small, that comes their way.
I’ve never heard a parent say, I really don’t want my kids to learn how to work together and get along.
Because that would be crazy.
What if a show could help teach your kids to cooperate and solve problems in a kind, loving, occasionally sing-song-y manner? Those are just a few of the goals of PBS’s Work It Out Wombats.
This TV-Y series for preschoolers features cute, furry, colorful wombats, along with other creatures, who live together in Treborhood–a big treehouse with swirly slides and funky passageways.
In Treeborhood, the main characters here are three preschool and elementary-aged wombats named Sadie, Malik and Zeke, who are constantly asking how they can help solve issues by working together while thinking outside the box.
The show focuses on teaching young viewers how to be thankful, kind, generous, patient and helpful, all while solving problems using computational thinking and teamwork.
Sounds like a grand slam. And in a lot of ways it is. There’s no crude jokes or rude language.
The only issue I found was that of a lesbian couple, Leiko and Duffy, who are characters that, while they don’t take center stage, are occasionally featured in each 20-minute episode.
Zeke, Malik and Sadie solve a fog problem during Treeborhood’s Harvest Day; Zeke and his taste-tester Louisa pair together to make the best stew for Harvest Day.
Zeke, Malik and Sadie learn to be kind to one another and to ask insightful questions to solve problems. The residents of Treeborhood play a game during Harvest Day where they tell their fellow friends about those things for which they’re thankful.
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
‘Maul – Shadow Lord’ is darker than previous animated Star Wars fare. It’s still clean, but it may be best suited for older viewers.
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