New teammates, same can-do spirit

I've always thought Bob the Builder was a pretty self-effacing guy, given the strict emphasis on teamwork he shows in all his projects. But in his latest DVD collection, Building Bobland Bay, our overall'd hero gets a whole new town named after him. It's the titular "Bobland Bay," a quaint little seaside resort complete with a lifeguard station, a lighthouse, a movie theater, a funky beach house for Bob, and of course a shreddin' skate park.

There are 6 brand-new episodes in this collection, and they introduce several new characters, including Tumbler (an overbearing cement mixer) and Flex (a cherry-picker with a long, flexible arm). All the old favorites are along too, plus newish crew members like Packer the delivery truck and Scrambler, an ATV given to rhyming epithets like "cool as a mule!"

Although the plots and the morals of these new stories will not surprise any adult in the slightest (work together; be nice to each other; take care of your friends and the Earth), both my children--the boy one and the girl one--liked them a lot. They enjoyed the way the episodes overlapped to tell a larger tale about the building of the town and a movie being shot there as well. I preferred the variety of formats offered in Bob the Builder On Site, but the kids enjoyed this more typical Bob fare just as much.

Since we usually watch Bob on Sprout, my kids also know about and enjoy Fireman Sam and Fifi and the Flowertots, two more shows from Bob's creators. So the fact that this new Bob DVD contains an episode of each is a definite bonus. I'm not a huge fan of either show; these aren't the kinds of kids' shows that are fun for grown-ups too. But again, the kids like them. And frankly I'm not the one watching them--they are. So thanks, Parent Bloggers Network, for the opportunity to check out this DVD. It's already a fan fave!