See more TV reviews

The Wonder Pets! (Nickelodeon)

common sense media says

Kid-friendly mini-operas about teamwork and more.

parents & educators say
See all 76 reviews | Review it

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this very kid-friendly show is about being part of a team, gaining confidence, and using responsive communication (the original musical compositions feature communication through song, like a mini-opera). It will help preschoolers and kindergartners learn more about working cooperatively with others.

Educational value: Kids will learn valuable social skills like teamwork, cooperation, and communicating.
Positive messages: The characters face challenges, solve problems, and celebrate as a team.
Positive role models: The characters are persistent, eager to help others, and work well as a team. They're also very relatable, since their voices sound like real kids'.
Violence & scariness: Some very mild peril when the friends must rescue baby animals in trouble.
Sexy stuff: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.
Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

More on The Wonder Pets!

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

  • Families can talk about the characters' ability to stick with a challenge without becoming frustrated, to work together as a team, and, along the way, to share funny experiences with friends.

  • Which Wonder Pet is your favorite? Why?

  • Specific animals featured in the episodes, such as a baby dolphin caught in a net, may spark discussion about the challenges these animals face in the wild and how humans are intervening to support (or hinder) their survival.

What's the story?

What's the story?

Stars of THE WONDER PETS! Linny the guinea pig, Ming-Ming the duckling, and Tuck the turtle are classroom pets who, after the last child has left for the day, answer a tin-can call from a baby animal in distress somewhere in the world. They instantly fly, hop, or crawl into action by flying off to the rescue in their Flyboat (made from scattered playroom toys). The main characters communicate via song, using real children's voices. Award-winning composers have developed musical accompaniments that match the ups and downs of each adventure and the culture of the area explored.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Even though Linny, Ming-Ming, and Tuck are animals who sing opera and fly in a toy boat, they're very relatable for young viewers. First off, thanks to the preschoolers who provide their voices, they sound like real kids. Also, by using photo-puppetry, the animators manipulated photographs of animals to give the characters realistic visuals.

More precocious preschoolers and some kindergartners may find the fuzzy softness of these three pets, and the show in general, too young for their taste. Too bad, because The Wonder Pets!, which combines adventure, an exemplary model of teamwork in action, and interesting information about different animals in our world, is a brilliant addition to the world of children's television.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-Y
Network: Nickelodeon
Cast: Matthew Black, Scarlett Sperduto, Teala Dunn
Genre: Kids' Animation
Where to watch: Nickelodeon
This review was written by Pam Gelman
 
 

Review It

 

Review The Wonder Pets!

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

What parents & educators say

2

Most useful reviews by all members

Sel Gomez ...
kid, 11 years old
4
 
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (15) | had useful details (14) | read my mind (13)
funhead
kid, 8 years old
7
 
7-year olds hate these shows!
for me,i extremely hate it,and i am lucky i do not have nick jr,but i only watch at night because i am under 13 and i have no choice to watch it sometimes and i bate that for my brother and i stay on the computer til i want to go to bed
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (14) | had useful details (14) | read my mind (13)
ThenewWelxhGirl09
kid, 10 years old
2
 
APPROPIATE FOR ALL AGES!
OK three stars JUST FOR BEING GOOD FOR LITTLE KIDS. Stupid show, but teaches little children about teamwork.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (13) | had useful details (14) | read my mind (13)
arthur16morgana
teen, 16 years old
3
 
i love this show.i sing the song a lot.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (13) | had useful details (12) | read my mind (13)
genericscreenname1
teen, 17 years old
2
 
It may be good for kids, but it will drive parents insane.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (13) | had useful details (12) | read my mind (13)
Ladybugs
adult
 
Good premis, but bad lisp!
My 2 1/2 year old son really loves this show, and I must admit, the premis is very good. He likes to sing the "teamwork" song, and will even act out some Wonder Pets and the songs (teamwork and when they're discovering which animal is in trouble) when he's playing in his room. My only problem with this show is Ming Ming's lisp. When young children are learning to pronounciate clearing, it doesn't help to be watching a duck who says "twee" instead of "tree". This show would be a 10/10 if not for the lispy duck.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (11) | had useful details (11) | read my mind (15)
mommakara
parent of and 2 , 9 , 10 , 12 year old
2
 
Great if the duck didn't have a speech impediment.
I think Wonder Pets would have and could have been a GREAT cartoon for kids and the first time I saw it that is exactly what I thought. BUT, they have the duck that talks with a speech impediment! Not that kids who have one are bad but when your kids that are trying to talk are listing to a duck say twouble etc through the whole thing it gets a little old!!! I refuse to let my children watch this!
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (12) | had useful details (12) | read my mind (12)
eyoungmom
parent of 3 year old
2
 
OK
My daughter LOVES watching the animals and learning about different places. However the voices drive me nuts!
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (12) | had useful details (10) | read my mind (14)
wolfluv203
adult
2
 
I WISH THERE WAS NO LISP
AHHH ok so if the whole celery thing isnt annoying enough, they had to make the duck have a LISP!!!! AAHHHH and honestly, how do cows get stuck in trees and why did the puppy have so much trouble going to the bathroom when the door was RIGHT THERE AAHH
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (14) | had useful details (11) | read my mind (11)
bpm01
parent of and 3 , 5 , 11 , 12 year old
2
 
I love this cartoon. It is so cute an sweet! The kids learn about different animals, teamwork and being a kind person. It is also well done so it doesn't annoy the parents!
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (14) | had useful details (11) | read my mind (10)
SheenaLongland
parent of 3 year old
2
 
Alright.
I picked educational because it does say a lot about animals...but I can't stand that the bird ming ming doesn't say serious right. Its really annoying. My son will watch it occationally.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (11) | had useful details (14) | read my mind (10)
Taylor Buoy01
parent of 3 year old
2
 
My son loves this show more then anything this and backyardagins are his vav anyways its great for children to find excitment in there books or backyards what ever they watch
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (12) | had useful details (12) | read my mind (11)
Chloesmommy
parent of 4 year old
2
 
Cute, Fun, and can even be enjoyed by the Parents!
Well first things first. The "DUCK" does not have a LISP. She is a BABY, she still talks that way. And I absolutely love, "this is sewious" But, with that out of the way, this is a great show for kids, and can also be enjoyed by parents. My daughter loves it and I get a kick out of it too. There are some subtle things in it that the parents get like, for example, when the wonder pets save "The Rat Pack" which is actually three rats that represent Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy. There is also the wonder pets save "the beatles" who are actually beetles stuck in a yellow submarine. But besides that even, it's a great educational show about working together and using logic to solve problems. It also has really great classical music and really cute theme song! My daughter doesn't know many words yet, but everytime it comes on she'll sing "Ming Ming too!" right along with the song. GREAT show!
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (12) | had useful details (12) | read my mind (10)
rosedolphin101
parent of 6 year old
2
 
VERY CUTE!!! Teaches kids manners!
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (11) | had useful details (11) | read my mind (12)
lolcatshateumi ...
kid, 12 years old
3
 
The No Pangaroo Club Part 1
It's good for teaching animals, but how in the name of Jesus did Pangaroo get on there?????
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (10) | had useful details (10) | read my mind (13)
Divine_Munchie_99
teen, 17 years old
2
 
Be prepared, pre-teens...
PERFECTLY fine, cute, and educational for kids. If your visiting friends with young children and cable TV, be warn the parents that an episode is centered around peeing. Pre-teens will enjoy older, episodes, the newer episodes they will find go against logic and get bored of.(for instance, a ladybug plays on venus flytraps WITHOUT getting eaten.) To some it up, good for ages 2-9.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (11) | had useful details (10) | read my mind (9)
BusyBeeMom
parent of and 3 , 7 , 8 , 10 year old
3
 
Excellent for the little ones!
My two year old loves this show and never wants to miss it! He has already asked to have a "Wonder Pets" birthday party when he turns three.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (8) | had useful details (12) | read my mind (9)
jcarole
adult
 
Brain Numbing
This is definitely for LITTLE kids. It's brain numbingly dumb - and the noise never stops. The stories are non-sensical - e.g. they worry about a snail drowning while all the animals are underwater to save it (for a long time without breathing apparatus). My daughter thought it was the stupidist thing she'd ever seen. So parent's beware, if you get your kid hooked on this - you only have yourself to blame.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (7) | had useful details (10) | read my mind (9)
ScissorLuv
kid, 11 years old
2
 
great for kids
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (7) | had useful details (7) | read my mind (9)
CritiNumba1
teen, 16 years old
2
 
Ummm....
I used to love it when I was a kid, it's perfect for little kids, and encourages teamwork, but a little bit too much. It makes it look stupid and they are clearly utterly dependent on each other. I think this show is stupid but wonderful for animal loving kids 2-7.
Flag as inappropriate 
was this review useful?
helped me decide (5) | had useful details (9) | read my mind (7)

More reviews ...

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
Advice on the big issues
 

vote now

Will you see The Wonder Pets!?

Won't miss it
We'll try
Change it

Already seen it? What do you think?

I recommend it
It's a pass
 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

Other great picks for preschoolers
For kids who love animals
Browse more TV
About our rating system
ON: Content is 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
Our child development rating guidelines