Villagers in muddy, stinky Filthingham call upon Robin Hood the Clean of Purewood Forest to help them end the dirty rule of Mayor Austin Stinkypants, in the title tale of this four-episode collection.
The Backyardigans continue to come up with some of the most creative storylines and original ways to introduce children to new genres of music and teach them about the world around them. Preschoolers will let their imaginations run wild as they delight in these twisted tales that always end in the same reliable, comfortable way--with someone's belly rumbling to remind the friends it's snack time!
Even if babies don't understand the references to Robin Hood or Musketeers, they'll still be attracted to the colorful quintet and their catchy singing and dancing. Two-year-olds may wholeheartedly agree with Mayor Austin Stinkypants, who doesn't believe in baths, but are likely to reconsider after the Villagers sing, "We wish we could wash our ankles, our thumbs, quite frankly, our bums" and the Mayor finally agrees, "It's neat to be clean!"
Preschoolers will giggle when the Villagers call the Mayor, "Your Filthiness," and at lyrics like, "There is mud and there is muck/Take a whiff and you'll say 'yuck!'" and "How filthy is it? All our toothbrushes are cruddy/Even the pigs think it's muddy!" Three- to five-year-olds will learn some valuable lessons in "The Two Musketeers," as Musketeers Pablo and Tyrone criticize the Empress simply because they're jealous of her beautiful hot-air balloon, saying, "Why does the Empress wear makeup and perfume? Because she's ugly and she smells!" When a tenacious Musketeer wanna-be asks, "Have you ever met her?" they have to admit they haven't, leading to an ending that will surprise young viewers as much as it does Pablo and Tyrone.
Because of their irreverent attitudes, the Backyardigans still appeal to many older children. These entertaining episodes introduce kids to musical genres such as "Countrypolitan" and "Son," which are made easily accessible and interesting-sounding through quirky lyrics and surprisingly sophisticated choreography. For viewers of all ages, the Backyardigans are good, clean fun!
