Parents' Guide to

Tayo the Little Bus

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Animated charmer features positive messages -- and farts.

TV Hulu Kids' Animation 2010
Tayo the Little Bus Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 4+

Based on 12 parent reviews

jamisyn
jamisyn Adult
June 14, 2021
age 3+

Nope.

The very first episode alone has so many issues. Here are a few subliminal messages that stood out most: 1. Brown is an ugly color to be. (the car doesn’t get “adopted” from the dealership because she’s tan) 2. You should change your appearance to be happy/be accepted. (the tan car decides to be painted pink, then gets adopted into Tayo’s family by the mechanic she stalked…which leads me to the next point) 3. It’s okay to get into the strange car that was following you. (and the car literally says to the human mechanic “you were nice to me so I followed you” …..uhhhh!?!) 4. It’s okay to talk to strangers about where you live. (literally happens in the same conversation about being followed by the car) Parent to parent, I say nope. We won’t be watching this show.
5 people found this helpful.
Colin M.
Colin M. Parent of 7-year-old
December 28, 2020
age 2+

Some really bad messages

I liked how it is a girl who is the mechanic and in charge of the bus station, so I watched the first episode with my 4yo daughter, but I couldn't even finish it. The gender-normative messaging is everywhere. The girl has super skinny long legs and wears ridiculously short skirts. There is a female car who doesn't get chosen because she isn't a nice colour (kind of a light brown, which my daughter also happens to be!), and is only happy when she gets her colour changed to pink! I feel like this show has missed the last 40 years of trying to create positive female role models and is completely tone deaf. Whatever other positive messages there might be were overwhelmed by these bad ones for me.
2 people found this helpful.
See all 12 parent reviews

What's the Story?

TAYO THE LITTLE BUS is an animated series about Tayo and his fellow electric buses. The flatulent 120 Blue bus is just starting his career in the big city. Luckily, he gets help from the friendly bus mechanic Hana and older double-decker bus Cito. His fellow buses, Green bus Rogi, cheerful Yellow bus Lani, and Gani, a shy and hardworking Red bus, also are supportive. Adding to the fun are vehicles such as Nuri the taxi, Met the subway train, and Rookie, who's new on the police force.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (12):
Kids say (6):

Originally developed for South Korea's Educational Broadcasting System, Tayo features a cast of public transit vehicles that most younger children will easily recognize. More importantly, the show's daily adventures are full of teachable moments that reinforce positive and thoughtful behavior.

Stateside adults might be a little taken aback by the frequent fart jokes, which are more common on Asian television than they are in the U.S. But there also is a genuine charm to the show. Children will certainly enjoy watching while learning along the way.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about some of the lessons Tayo learns while on the job. What mistakes does he make, and how does he learn from them?

  • Who are some of the people who help him do better? How can we learn from Tayo and his friends?

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.

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