Musical Mornings (Sprout)

MUSICAL MORNINGS brings Coo, a cuckoo bird living in the Sprout clock, into preschoolers' homes to talk and sing about morning activities like eating breakfast and getting dressed. Coo's songs are accompanied by those of music therapist Elizabeth Balzano, who sings about about daily activities like playing in the park. The songs are reminiscent of the music on Sesame Street , as they're accompanied by videos of real kids participating in the activity. Coo also introduces short episodes of preschool-targeted shows like Caillou and Dragon Tales (just one cartoon is shown at a time, rather than the usual 20-30 minute multiple-cartoon episodes).

Coo is a fun, eye-catching "digital puppet" developed by the Jim Henson Company. Both her songs and Balzano's are catchy and easy to sing, with little reminders about good behavior -- it's easy to imagine singing them with your kids while heading to the park or helping them dressed.

The format -- short cartoons surrounded by music and other characters -- is also appealing, offering an easy way to show just a little TV at a time.