Maple Leaf Mommy

My little ones love Babar and so do I. So I was pretty happy to have a chance to review the new Complete First Season 2 DVD set for the Classic TV Series.  I'm talking about the classic animated series that first ran in the late 1980s. Only now it's been digitally restored and remastered for this DVD release. It's the first time the complete first season has been made available on DVD, so it's pretty exciting stuff.

As expected, I was impressed. The animation is top notch. The voice acting is superb. The stories are engaging. It's simply a joy to watch.

Yes, there are guns, and hunters. There is war-like conflict between the various animal kingdoms, and between the hunters and the animals. I am usually pretty picky about this sort of thing. However within the confines of Babar's story I found the level of violence acceptable.

I have to warn you, the first episode was a bit scary and a bit sad.  I think most people are familiar with the story of Babar, so I'm not giving too much away if I say this. A hunter comes to the jungle and shots and kills Babar's mom, then a bit later Babar gets separated from the rest of his herd. It was too much for the two year old, and frankly hearing Babar call over and over for his dead mom had me in tears. But the five year old assured me it wasn't scary at all, and just wanted to know what was going to happen next. 

I think that's our favourite part of this series. Like reading a good chapter book at bedtime, each story has a continuing thread that leaves you wanting to return and discover what will happen next episode.


Overall, I would definitely recommend this DVD for those with kids in the 4 to 10 year old range. This 2-DVD set has the complete first season, all 13 episodes, and contains over four hours (293 minutes) worth of viewing. Which makes it well worth the suggested retail price of $19.98. I know my girls will be watching these DVDs multiple times, and getting MANY hours of entertainment out of it. I'm eager to see additional Seasons released soon!


Disclosure: I received a copy of the above DVD for review purposes. As always my words and my opinions are my own.