Pinky Dinky Doo - TV-Y
TV Rating: TV-Y
Network: Noggin Cast: Heather Dilly, Justin Riordan
Genre: Educational
Available on: 
DVD
Common Sense Note
Parents should know that this engaging educational series encourages children to use their imagination and make up stories of their own. It's also designed to enhance literacy skills through the use and definition of "big" words, as well as sharpen listening skills through short quizzes that review the details of Pinky's stories.
Families can discuss each episode and what children learned from it. What problem was Pinky trying to solve, and how did her silly story help? What else did you learn from the episode? Another discussion topic could be storytelling. If you were to make up a story, what would it be about? Who would the characters be? Where would it take place?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Larisa Wiseman
Noggin's charming animated series PINKY DINKY DOO, based on the popular book series by Jim Jinkins (the man behind Doug and JoJo's Circus), centers on an imaginative 7-year-old girl named Pinky who lives in Great Big City with her father and mother, her little brother Tyler, and her beloved pet Mr. Guinea Pig. Pinky loves to make up outrageous, funny stories -- stories about salami shoes, outer space fluffy buns, cloud people, and other crazy things -- to help solve real-world problems or make Tyler feel better when he's upset or frustrated.
Before Pinky begins telling a new story, she, Tyler, and Mr. Guinea Pig head to the "story box" (a big cardboard box with a door), where they all sit while Pinky's tall tale unfolds. In each imaginary scenario, Pinky must solve a dilemma by "thinking big" -- at which point her brain swells and swells until she suddenly gets a brilliant idea and saves the day. At the end of each story, the trio plays a series of games (some of which review the details of Pinky's tale) on their cheese sandwich game toy, inviting viewers to play along.
Preschoolers are sure to be captivated and inspired by this pink-haired heroine who weaves fantastic tales and comes up with zany but effective solutions to everyday problems. Musical snippets and catchy ditties (such as the recurring "Yesarooni-Positooni," which Pinky, Tyler, and Mr. Guinea Pig sing and dance to) are sprinkled throughout each episode, mostly when Pinky's getting ready to tell a story, use her brain, or play games on the cheese sandwich toy. The animation is simple, colorful, and imaginative, combining photography with pictures that look as if they were drawn and colored in (rather skillfully) by a child.
From each episode's presentation of a new word -- which either Pinky or Tyler defines and then precedes with a trumpet fanfare each time it's used -- to the involvement of the adorable Mr. Guinea Pig in each story, Pinky Dinky Doo is enlightening as well as silly, funny, and entertaining.
Sesame Street and Jack's Big Music Show are two other excellent programs that teach preschoolers and encourage them to be creative -- all while making them laugh.
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