Shape Island
Shape Island
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Shape Island is a preschool series based on the Circle, Triangle, and Square books by prolific creative duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. Focusing on the friendship of three very different shapes, the series sometimes shows friendly disagreements. Circle (voiced by Gideon Adlon), Triangle (Scott Adsit), and Square (Harvey Guillén) briefly express dislike toward each other, but they always right their wrongs in the end. Otherwise, there's no iffy content, making Shape Island a great choice for preschoolers.
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What's the Story?
Circle, Triangle, and Square (from the beloved children's books by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen) take their friendship from page to screen in SHAPE ISLAND. The three shapes live on a small island together, each in a house matching their shape and personality. Somewhat difficult Triangle (voiced by 30 Rock's Scott Adsit), clever and brave Circle, and perfectly orderly Square remain best friends despite their conflicting personalities. They navigate typical preschool friendship pitfalls like keeping secrets, sharing, and liking different things. While they don't always get it right, they care deeply about one another and keep trying to be good friends while staying true to themselves.
Is It Any Good?
There's a lot for preschoolers and grown-ups alike to love in this book spin-off series. Shape Island knocks it out of the park in terms of matching the quirky humor, slightly irreverent tone, and whimsical worlds of Barnett and Klassen's books. It is a rare show that truly models the realistic messy nature of preschool friendships. The characters make a lot of mistakes in how they interact with one another, just like in real life. The narrator (Yvette Nicole Brown) explains the subtext of their disagreements, helping very literal preschoolers follow complex social-emotional dynamics. Kids will enjoy the silliness, but likely will also find the shapes extremely relatable.The ending of each storyline is left a bit ambiguous, and grown-ups can help kids think through their own conclusions.
Aesthetically, the show has gorgeous visuals, stop-motion animation, and music. Grown-ups may also appreciate the slower pace and lower-key dialogue compared to many preschool series. One small point of contention: since the shapes are 3D in this series, their names really should be Sphere, Cube, and Pyramid. Otherwise, Shape Island is a fantastic show that grown-ups won't mind watching alongside preschoolers.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what lesson the shapes learned in this episode of Shape Island. What do you think they might do differently next time if the same thing happens again?
Sometimes Circle, Square, and Triangle have a hard time telling their friends what they're feeling and thinking. What do you think they should have said to each other?
Circle, Square, and Triangle are very different. How do you think they're still able to be friends? Do you have any friends that are different than you?
TV Details
- Premiere date: January 20, 2023
- Cast: Yvette Nicole Brown, Harvey Guillén, Gideon Adlon, Scott Adsit
- Network: Apple TV+
- Genre: Educational
- Topics: Book Characters, Friendship
- TV rating: TV-G
- Award: Common Sense Selection
- Last updated: January 27, 2023
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