One of the nice things about blogging is getting review copies of DVDs and books. I work with several children’s and adult book publishers and get a variety of books – everything from cooking to photography. From Click Communications, I get a lot of terrific Disney movies and grownup films like The Kite Runner (see my review here).

But a lot of the kids’ movies that get pitched to me I don’t accept, things like Caillou the whiniest cartoon boy ever. So with reluctance, I had Special Ops Media send me Handy Manny – Fixing It Right and Disney’s Little Einsteins – Race for Space after consulting with my daughter, Lucie. She said she’d like them. And she was right, she did. But then again, she’ll watch just about anything including America’s Next Top Model. (Heck, it’s my guilty pleasure, too.)

All in all, Handy Manny – Fixing It Right and Disney’s Little Einsteins – Race for Space aren’t bad. Handy Manny is sort of like Bob the Builder meets Chico and the Man.” (Am I showing my age here?) And Little Einsteins is like Meet the Robinsons. The animation is o.k., too. It’s just that they’re not very original and kind of boring. Plus, we’re not big Disney Channel fans. (I much prefer their movies and their Pixar division’s films.)

Also, these are just repackaged TV episodes according to the Amazon reviews. If you’re a fan of either of these shows and have a TiVo, you already “own” the shows and can watch them any time your child wants. Plus, if you have a DVD-R, you can make copies to play in the car.

Still, you may want to watch these clips and decide for yourself:

HANDY MANNY: FIXING IT RIGHT Clip 1

LITTLE EINSTEINS: RACE FOR SPACE Clip 1

My advice? Go to the library and get a few good books instead.

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