Parents' Guide to

Bonnie Bear

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 2+

Eager bear learns about sounds on gentle toddler show.

TV Xfinity Kids' Animation 2012
Bonnie Bear Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 3+

Based on 1 parent review

kkkklooo
kkkklooo Adult
October 17, 2018
age 3+
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

BONNIE BEAR is a curious young bear who lives in a world with a talking gramophone and a magic brush. In short vignettes that make up each episode, the gramophone asks Bonnie if she wants to play the Listening Game. "I do, I do!" answers Bonnie, bouncing up and down. He then plays three sounds, the type young children might know: a motorcycle, footsteps, a duck. Bonnie identifies each sound, illustrates what makes it with her magic brush, then makes a guess at where these sounds are found, such as a busy city street or by a pond. Bonnie jumps into the scene briefly, then jumps out and through a door, bringing the scene to an end.

Is It Any Good?

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

This sweet and lightly educational show is gentle enough and suitable for toddlers. Sounds are an important part of their world -- since they aren't sure what most things in the adult world mean yet, they attempt to make sense of the world with the things they see, touch, and hear. The types of sounds Bonnie identifies are the sorts young viewers probably have heard before: a vrooming car, the sound of footsteps, maybe Mommy or Daddy coming home at the end of a long day. Hearing them and imagining what they might be before Bonnie draws them on her whiteboard will prove a puzzle that's just hard enough to intrigue, but not frustrate, very young viewers. The Listening Game repeats every three minutes during a 30-minute episode, so parents might get a little sick of the repetition. But the voices, noises, and action are quiet and non-annoying and perfectly pitched for tiny viewers who might be overwhelmed by more stimulating shows.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why animated children's shows so frequently star talking animals. Why animals and not people? Why would animals be easier to relate to?

  • Families can talk about the senses. What are some other ways you and your kids can explore the sense of hearing?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended tv lists

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate