Bindi: The Jungle Girl (Discovery Kids)

Following in her wildlife-warrior dad's footsteps, dynamic tween Bindi Irwin welcomes viewers to her soaring, two-story treehouse to meet and learn about some of her favorite animals in BINDI: THE JUNGLE GIRL. From her lofty digs overlooking the jungle, Bindi gets cozy with her diverse roommates, including a rare iguana, a koala bear, a puppy, and a corn snake who shares her bed. Never mind how slithery or slimy they are -- to her, leeches are plenty lovable, and pythons have beauty to spare. In addition to getting hands on with the animals around her, Bindi shares video of herself, her parents, and Australia Zoo director Wes Mannion interacting with wildlife from around the globe. Elephants, lions, bison, kangaroos, and -- of course -- crocodiles are just a few of the subjects they show in action, both in the wild and in captivity. The young hostess answers questions from kids in a segment called "Bindi's Blog" (a version of which also appears online), and mom Terri pops in here and there with "crikey!" amazing facts about animals. To top it all off, there's singing and dancing from Bindi's four-man crew, The Crocmen, who harmonize to kid-pleasing tunes like "When the Hippo Moves Her Hips."

This engaging, fast-paced series is the first starring the daughter of the late Steve Irwin and his animal-activist wife, Terri, and 8-year-old Bindi proves she's more than ready to carry on the family tradition of mixing wildlife education with fan-pleasing entertainment. Her passion for critters of all shapes and sizes -- from tiny geckos to brawny gorillas -- practically oozes from her pores, and viewers are easily swept up in the excitement.

The need for conservation underscores every aspect of this educational series, and it's all delivered in a kid-friendly way by an adorably spunky star that young viewers can relate to. Families will find lots to love here. Just take this caveat to heart: After watching Bindi snuggle with her housemates, be ready with ample arguments against your kids having their own open-air homes and critter friends.