The Mighty Jungle (Sprout)

In THE MIGHTY JUNGLE, three animal friends learn important social lessons through adventures that take place in their colorful jungle home. For Babu the meerkat, Bruce the gorilla, and Rhonda the rhino, the lush jungle is little more than an oversized playground -- each day brings fun, frolic, and new challenges to overcome and learn from. Their adventures are directed by a panel of real preschoolers whose imaginations inspired the stories and who take center stage as storytellers during each episode.

This inventive series takes a creative approach to kids' entertainment, using stories by preschoolers to craft a show for preschoolers. All of the show's situations and supporting characters are created or inspired by kids, and young viewers will easily relate to the characters' kid-sized problems (running out of a favorite snack, for instance). The show also lets real kids share the spotlight with the puppets, which helps show preschoolers just how exciting and entertaining make believe and pretend play can be.

The down side to the show is that because the tales do come from kids, the storylines are pretty juvenile and slow-moving. But while The Mighty Jungle might not be at the top of most parents' list of shows to watch with their kids, if you let them watch on their own, they can practice their storytelling skills when you ask them to recap the episode for you. With a little encouragement, the process could inspire them to tap into their imaginations and create their own original tales as well.