Parents' Guide to

The Shelly T. Turtle Show: Ant's Life and Other Bugs

By Amy Kulcak, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Educational, funny nature show.

Movie NR 1991 60 minutes
The Shelly T. Turtle Show: Ant's Life and Other Bugs Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 1 parent review

bigmoviefan2020
bigmoviefan2020 Adult
November 26, 2020
age 7+

Comedy movie fallas short a bit!

NR
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

First shown on PBS stations, The Shelly T. Turtle Show releases two of its best episodes on this educational and tuneful video. Audiences will be amused by one beetle's plight to turn back over onto its tummy. Ants chew away at leaves, only to find themselves flying to the ground. Buzzy the Bee searches for nectar in pretty flowers. Bear cubs wrestle with each other, while we learn about their paws and claws. Cheetahs' spots are another hot topic, as well as the shells of tortoises. Most of all, interesting animation, dialogue, and narration create a dynamic video that kids of younger age groups will enjoy.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1):
Kids say: Not yet rated

For TV-savvy kids, this mix of interesting animation and funny narration is just what they need. At first glance, adults will most likely think of THE SHELLY T. TURTLE SHOW: ANT'S LIFE AND OTHER BUGS as another rendition of Sesame Street -- that is, perhaps a little more interesting than most children's television. And they'd be right. Visual footage is emphasized, with the pace fast enough for a preschooler's/kindergartner's attention span, yet slow enough for them to learn a few things. Not only is real footage used, but also some decent animation.

In addition, there's nothing like original rhymes and songs to nail down the importance of language use. Educational concepts are brought into the video and then reinforced with quality rhymes and songs. Thanks to the producers, there is also a review of each episode's content at the end. Obviously, they know that kids need a little repetition in order to fully learn a concept.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether they think this series is fun, if they learned new things from them, and why a video like this one can make learning so much fun.

Movie Details

  • In theaters: January 1, 1991
  • On DVD or streaming: January 1, 1991
  • Studio: Uav Corporation
  • Genre: Family and Kids
  • Run time: 60 minutes
  • MPAA rating: NR
  • MPAA explanation: not rated
  • Last updated: May 25, 2020

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