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Parents' Guide to

Nanalan'

By Andrea Graham, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Little ones will love this charming puppet show.

TV PBS Kids Musical TV 1999
Nanalan' Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Grammo B
Grammo B Parent of 1-year-old
December 21, 2010
age 17+

Great for young and young at heart!

My 20 month old granddaughter loves it. She runs to the tv as soon as she hears the music for the show. She stands and watches the whole program and repeats many of the words they say. She relates to this show, and I hope it stays on the air for a long time. She is not very interested in cartoon type shows, but does enjoy Franny's feet also.
MinaMina
MinaMina Parent of 3-year-old
May 29, 2010
age 2+

Really great show!!

Sooo adorable and fun to watch for both kids and adults! Great situations for kids to learn from. Neat little touches like the natural way the Nana talks to Mona, almost unscripted sounding sometimes. Want to have a bit of extra fun? Try just listening to the Puppet Show put on by Mr. Woonka, without watching - it sounds hilarious!
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Created by world-famous puppet troupe The Grogs, NANALAN' is a wonderful preschool program that tells the story of a very funny and curious 3-year-old named Mona (voiced by Jamie Shannon). Every day, Mona's mother drops Mona off at her nana's, where she learns and plays. Like most preschoolers, Mona is very excited to explore the world around her. She loves to chat with Nana's neighbors, collect bugs, and play with Nana's dog, Russell.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (3 ):

Nanalan' succeeds in capturing kids' concerns and perceptions and is usually spot on with its sense of humor. Some of the puppets, like Nana (who's voiced by Jason Hopley), have quite detailed human like faces, while others -- like Mona -- have simpler features. But all of them respond to situations in funny, charming ways.

Emotional responses to curious discoveries is a very important aspect of a preschooler's life, and Nanalan' captures this excitement perfectly. It also depicts a positive relationship between Mona and her nana -- a caretaking example that helps kids learn that families come in all types and sizes and that every family situation is unique. All in all, Nanalan' will delight your little ones and will probably make you giggle as well.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the relationship Mona has with her nana. In every episode, Mona's mother drops her off to be looked after by her grandmother; this could spark some good discussion about contemporary family dynamics. Why does Nana look after Mona? What makes a family a family? How do you think Mona feels about spending her afternoons with her nana?

TV Details

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