JoJo's Circus

 Review

Common Sense Media says

A little clown leads life under the Big Top.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this series is a good fit for younger preschoolers because of its simple plotlines, adorable visuals, and silly, circus-themed characters. To help younger viewers follow along, JoJo talks directly to viewers to describe what's happening and summarizes the lessons learned at the end of each story. The series will help kids learn about playing with others, making group decisions, listening to others' ideas, and communicating their own.


What's the story?

JOJO'S CIRCUS follows a curious kindergarten-aged clown who explores Circus Town with her equally colorful friends. She often takes the lead in suggesting ideas or finding ways to help friends when they're in trouble.


Is it any good?

 

JoJo has a pet lion and close companion named Goliath, styled with a flashy, pompadour-like mane. Each episode starts with Goliath hiding and JoJo finding him. Kids love it each time. JoJo's parents -- Mr. Tickle and Peaches -- are also circus performers. Mr. Tickle leaves for work each morning by blasting out of a cannon. It would be nice to see a bit more character development in Peaches, though she's clearly a doting mother to JoJo. JoJo is friends with other aspiring circus performers, including animals, reptiles, amphibians, and vegetables, such as Skeebo Seltzer, Trina Tightrope, Croaky Frogini, Dinky Elephant, Tater Spudinski, and Bal Boa.

Each half-hour episode contains two short stories on subjects such as JoJo going on a sleepover and wanting to dance with teddy bears, or an energetic baby clown performer coming to town. At the end of each story, JoJo literally has the spotlight and answers the inevitable question -- "JoJo, what did you learn today?" From a 3-year-old's perspective, JoJo's Circus packs a lot into each short story. No doubt it's a series that kids grow out of, perhaps even before they finish preschool. But for those who are interested, it provides a half-hour of downtime while sharing some giggles and lessons about friendship.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about the lessons of the day. What are your kids' favorite things about the circus? Do parents notice specific skills that their kids are getting from watching JoJo's interactions? Do kids think JoJo has what it takes to be a professional clown when she grows up?


This review was written by Pam Gelman
Kid, 12 years old
May 15, 2010
 
nokids

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
May 15, 2010
 
nokids

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
May 15, 2010
 
nokids

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
JoJo's a big hit
JoJo's circus has outlasted all the other shows for our daughters attention (Barney, Little Einstiens, Dora, etc). We have incorporated the "What did you learn today" question into our family discussions. It helps her express all she did each day in daycare. Each episode has a positive lesson and uses creative methods to keep children engaged. Her favorite show for over a year now.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
July 5, 2010
 
SHI*. holy shi+.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 16 years old
April 9, 2008
 
I don't like it too much.
This show is okay for younger kids, but if you are 8, 9, or older, The Secret Show MAY be a better choice. Now I will be comparing the two. Music from Jojo's Circus=Too babyish for older kids, music from The Secret Show=Very well done and modern. Animation style from Jojo's Circus=Little kids will like it, but some older kids will not, animation style from The Secret Show=Very modern, may be 2d, but I still like it. Jojo's Circus characters=odd looking, not the personality types I like, The Secret Show characters=Still a bit odd looking, but in a good way, they are VERY funny. Jojo's Circus humor=Not too funny in my opinion, The Secret Show humor=Funny, especially that guy who has his name changed every day. (The names are funny.) Jojo's Circus action=None...,The Secret Show action=Cool! These are my OPINIONS, not facts. Please don't be too mad at this review, because it's just a review, nothing more or less. Goodbye for now.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
August 2, 2010
 
i watched it al'ong time ago since 2 3 or 4
i don't think it's for 2 or 3 year olds anymore. Similar than Miss BG and another one its mis bg was tvy7. Parental Advisory: I think both of these shows should be TV-MA for edited version because some one put def2shoot or def4shoot, scary images, one "s--y" one use of "b u t t" Children at age 3 should learn ABCs and 123s NOT Jojos Circus

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 14 years old
August 2, 2010
 
i watched it al'ong time ago since 2 3 or 4
i don't think it's for 2 or 3 year olds anymore. Similar than Miss BG and another one its mis bg was tvy7. Parental Advisory: I think both of these shows should be TV-MA for edited version because some one put def2shoot or def4shoot, scary images, one "s--y" one use of "b u t t" Children at age 3 should learn ABCs and 123s NOT Jojos Circus

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 11 years old
August 2, 2010
 
i watched it al'ong time ago since 2 3 or 4
i don't think it's for 2 or 3 year olds anymore. Similar than Miss BG and another one its mis bg was tvy7. Parental Advisory: I think both of these shows should be TV-MA for edited version because some one put def2shoot or def4shoot, scary images, one "s--y" one use of "b u t t" Children at age 3 should learn ABCs and 123s NOT Jojos Circus

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 9, 2008
 
jojo circus a must
My daughter started watching jojo circus at 10 months. It was all she liked to watch beside her einstein movies. At 15 months jojo circus is her favorite character. She has learned words, dances, and how to brush her teeth by watching this great show. And i dont mind it either. She has become jojo's number one fan. It is great to see her so excited to have something that makes her so happy. Her third word after mama amd dada was jojo. this show is great for all ages and definetly teaches geat lessons.

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Pam Gelman
This review was written by Pam Gelman
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you see JoJo's Circus?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it