[yasr_overall_rating]
By day, six-year-olds Connor, Amaya, and Greg go to school like everyone else. But when they put on their pajamas and activate their animal amulets, they magically transform into their dynamic superhero alter egos and become the PJ Masks!
Disney Junior’s show “PJ Masks” wants to enthrall your preschooler with a new DVD “Time to be a Hero.” Friends Greg, Connor, and Amaya team up every night to fight bad guys in their pajamas. Can you get any cuter than children fighting crime in their zip up jammies? With superheroes being the in thing right now for both children and adults alike, these nightwear clad Crusaders will entertain and teach in six short episodes. Parents will not have to worry about any issues with this cartoon – unless their child is the one who would actually try to climb down a tree in the middle of the night in their sleepwear to take down bad guys. If this is the case, I would suggest a more sensible cartoon like “Doc McStuffins” where only stuffed animals will be harmed.
Disney has a reputation for quality cartoons that will appeal to their target audience, and this cartoon is no exception. Conner dresses up as Catboy with light up pajamas and a tail. His bestie Greg becomes Gekko in a green suit. Amaya transforms into Owlette with a purple, wing clad costume (love when the girls branch away from pink) and apparently flying abilities. During the day these paladin preschoolers attend school, and by night they hunt down fiendish foes ready to destroy finger-painted artwork and steal toy cars.
Seventy-five minutes is just enough time for moms to get some housework done while the kids learn a few valuable tips from the PJ crew. Moms will also delight in the bonus music video and printable activity sheets. Catboy, Gekko, and Owlette will show your children how to work together with peers with a fast pace and engaging enemies. In the episode “Gekko’s Blame Campaign,” the trio instills the importance of accepting responsibility for your actions. The second episode helps children to understand the necessity to be slow to anger. In “Owlette’s Two Wrongs,” the episode focuses on showing two wrongs do not make a right. With a few other episodes, the characters defeat Ninja boy, Luna Girl, and crazy inventor/scientist Romeo.
While parents will be bored with the simple and instruction drive plots, they will delight in the cute characters and the shows ability to hold their children’s attention. I did manage to stay tuned into every episode and am happy to report no controversial content was found. My six-year-old daughter wanted to watch the episode over and over again, back to back. She loved the lights and the gadgets and gizmos the characters used to help defeat the bad guys. She was delighted to find a girl hero sandwiched in between the boys. Even better, the girl can fly. This cartoon is well thought out with animal costumes children love including cats, owls (well any animal that can fly really), and geckos. While this show will probably not appeal to second grade or above, this DVD will be an excellent addition to a playroom for younger children. The only thing missing from the experience was laughter. The episodes are engaging and beneficial but did not have a lot of humor, which is not necessary as the children will still pay attention but would be great for parents or older siblings who may be watching too.
Now available on DVD
