Parents' Guide to

Shimmer and Shine

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Series shows tots the value of learning from their mistakes.

TV Nickelodeon Kids' Animation 2015
Shimmer and Shine 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 4+

Based on 28 parent reviews

parcher920
parcher920 Adult
October 24, 2022
age 2+
My great granddaughter loved watching and playing the genies. I purchased the blue ponytail hair piece for her and she has had tons of fun wearing it both in home and in public. Lots of compliments😃 It was a great show for the 2-5 age group. Good job!
1 person found this helpful.
K.schmidtt
K.schmidtt Adult
November 3, 2020
age 3+

Cheap

I’ve only seen a few episodes, but here’s how I feel. The good: The genies make mistakes and fix them in every episode. They sing a little song about how mistakes are okay. The idea would be perfect for my already-perfectionist 3.5 year old. Characters are nice and helpful. The bad: Very flashy, not much substance. I feel like they could have done better. Cute, useless Lisa Frank animal sidekicks are the cherry on top of the flash vs substance point. The boy next door is dumber than a rock and they constantly lie to him. Some reviews are upset about “cultural appropriation” I really don’t feel that way because IMO -they’re genies, pop-fantasy. They’re like the Nokk and the trolls in Frozen I & II. It’s a creative take on a mystical, mythical being. They don't claim to be from any particular country (as far as I know) and we re-imagine legendary beings all the time for tv. I don’t think this show is ruining anybody’s kid, it’s just not good quality. I let my kid watch it once in a while, but if we’re having tv time I try to offer (& push) better programs: blues clues, sesame street, Elena of Avalor is a favorite right now!
1 person found this helpful.
See all 28 parent reviews

What's the Story?

SHIMMER AND SHINE follows a young girl named Leah (voiced by Alina Foley), who uses her oil-lamp necklace to call on her genie friends, Shimmer (Eva Bella) and Shine (Isabella Cramp), to help her tackle a different task each day. The twins arrive to grant Leah her three wishes, but mishaps ensue through misunderstandings, forcing all the characters to work together toward an eventual solution. All the while, they have to keep Shimmer and Shine's presence secret from Leah's neighbor friend Zac (Blake Bertrand).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (28 ):
Kids say (13 ):

The fact that life isn't perfect is a concept that's sometimes tough for youngsters to grasp, so these characters' accident-prone experiences have real value for the preschool set in particular. Even with magic at the genies' fingertips, things never go as Leah envisions them, forcing her back to the drawing board to reassess and try again. It can be frustrating, but Leah's perpetually positive attitude reminds kids that there's always something to be gained from your mistakes.

The flip side of this theme is that there are rarely any consequences for those mistakes, which paints an unrealistically rosy picture of the giant messes Leah and her friends make. What's more, SHIMMER AND SHINE goes a little overboard on the characters' predicaments, putting young Leah in charge of grown-up jobs such as baking cupcakes for a school event and constructing a tree house in the backyard. Kids will still get the intended message, but the show might have been better served if the plots were scaled down to include projects more in line with kids' independent abilities.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about times when their own mistakes have become teaching moments. Is this rule always true, or are there some mistakes that can't be fixed? How should you respond when your mistakes hurt someone else? Why is it important to consider other people's feelings in situations like this?

  • Shimmer and Shine have magic at their disposal. What unique qualities does Leah have that are equally helpful to the group? How might you have handled a similar predicament as theirs differently?

  • Do your kids enjoy make-believe and fantasy play? Which characters do they like to imagine for themselves? Do they have special powers or skills in those roles?

TV Details

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