Even though Barney is the dinosaur that everybody loves to hate, there isn't a better show for my toddlers on television. It has such a slow and gentle 
pace, the songs are memorable, and the lessons learned are valuable. I honestly never thought that I would come to appreciate Barney so much before I became a parent.
Now that I have another daughter ready to enter the Barney "fan club," I am excited to offer her a new DVD of her very own: Barney: Shapes and Colors All Around.
In this DVD, Barney, BJ, and Baby Bop teach and learn about the wide range of shapes and colors that we can see in our everyday life. As they mix colors, sort shapes, and sing and dance, kids are encouraged to put together their own art show.
One thing that my kids don't seem to like as much about this video as others is when Barney, BJ, and Baby Bop are alone (away from the kids and the park) in a white room where they do some extra learning. I think my 
kids prefer to watch Barney's interaction with the kids in the park.
This DVD includes two bonus features as well. One is a read-along story, "Color Train." Even though I don't think watching television is a very effective way to learn much of anything, including learning to read, my kids enjoy watching the various words light up. My five-year-old does try to read along with the narrator when she watches this feature.
The other feature is a special episode of Timmy Time, "Timmy's Plane." My kids still don't know what to make of the fact that there are no spoken words in this show. My older daughter (age eight) says she likes it but my three-year-old says he definitely does not. I think the show is cute but it is definitely going to have to grow on my kids.
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