Maisy

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Gentle, nurturing, fun preschool program.
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.

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

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that while their preschoolers may be delighted by this gentle, nurturing show, it may be hard for them to get into watching it with their kids. The slow-moving story, the gibberish spoken by Maisy the mouse and her animal friends, and the syrupy-sweet, repetitive narration can definitely turn off older viewers.


What's the story?

MAISY is a colorful, animated program for very young children based on the popular book series by British author Lucy Cousins. Maisy is a young mouse who is joined in everyday situations by animal friends such as Charley the crocodile, Tallulah the chicken, and Cyril the squirrel. The series was designed to promote early literacy through comprehension of story structure and appreciation of language. Ironically, however, the animal characters speak a nonsensical, sing-song language of giggles, squeaks, and moans, voiced by the Australian comedy duo the Umbilical Brothers. Only the narrator uses real words to comment on the story, and his gentle, encouraging voiceovers provide questions, reminders, explanations, and guidance to child viewers.


Is it any good?

 

Oddly, the show has no adult characters, and while one can only assume that the animals' gibberish is meant to be amusing and endearing to kids, to adults it can be grating, especially when several characters chime in at once, creating a cacophonous din.

While conflict in the stories is minimal -- a bouncing ball gets stuck on the roof, a remote control car runs out of batteries -- Maisy and her friends support one another and work cooperatively to solve their problems, providing great role models for little ones. In one story in which young Maisy is inexplicably the captain of a ferry boat, for example, there is no conflict at all, just various animals taking the ferry back and forth across the river, reinforcing the names of several types of animals and providing a subtle lesson in sequencing. This type of storyline, accompanied by simple, bright animation and cheery, ska-tinged music, will be engaging only to the youngest of viewers.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the simple discoveries Maisy and her friends make and how they solve problems in their adventures. They can also explore the friendship the characters share and the silliness of mice, crocodiles, chickens, and squirrels doing human things.


This review was written by Sue Edelman
Teen, 14 years old
April 9, 2008
 
its ok
i just wonder the animals sound really stupid they should talk instead of having someone else talk for them

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
we love maisy
my toddler adores maisy's bright colors, clever music and funny character voices. my husband and i do a mean impression of charlie. ;)

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Kinda strange...
I really want to like this show, but the gibberish that the characters speak is just too strange. It seriously sounds as if they have speech impediments (not putting anyone down who does!) I love the primary colors and the message is ok, but not a very interesting show in general.

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
My 2 1/2 year old LOVES Maisy. It is very slow-paced and not ovewhelming for young children. Children over 3 or 4 would probably find this too slow...

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Adult
April 9, 2008
 
Love Maisy

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Educator
June 29, 2011
 
GOOD
It is a fantastic show

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Kid, 10 years old
December 2, 2011
 
Okay...
I love this show. Only one time she pulled down her pants and went the bathroom. They showed her going. EWW!! Anyway, it is a good show.

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Teen, 16 years old
January 21, 2011
 
I LOVE MAISY SO MUCH!!! I HAVE THE MOVIE!!!!!!MAISY IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!:)

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Adult
April 18, 2012
 
Fun to watch!
I've loved this show since I was a baby.This show is so much fun! It brings back so many memories! So I give Maisy 5 stars!

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This review was written by Sue Edelman
This review was written by Sue Edelman
 

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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.

 

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