Olive the Ostrich

Narrated by Rolf Harris and designed to sound like a read-aloud book, Olive the Ostrich appeals to preschoolers' natural curiosity about the world around them and beyond. The use of children's art in the series authenticates its sense of make-believe, since the stories reflect the unique places and characters that come straight from real kids' imaginations. Olive's wide-eyed approach to every new experience validates tots' wonder about places and things they've never seen. The show also offers some happy messages beyond those of the imagination, especially when it comes to Olive's friendly, helpful nature, which often contributes to a turning point in each of her adventures.

On a surprising note, the series seems to play up Olive's sense of distance from her family by wrapping up each episode with an exchange between her and her parents and brother, all of whom get a good chuckle over her retelling of her imaginative adventures of the day. It's subtly implied that this contributes to her plans for a similar escape another day. Ultimately, though, this isn't something that will affect the intended preschool audience, all of whom will be otherwise occupied by Olive's unpredictable escapades, but it may be worth encouraging your kids to experience some real-life adventures with you rather than just make-believe ones on their own.