Dwizzle Dee – Colors, Sizes, Songs & Imagination is the first children’s title from Cinema Werx, a production company known for its work on shows like Monster Garage and Junkyard Mega Wars. As someone who has watched both those shows, I was curious to see what kind of children’s video Cinema Werx had created and I jumped at the chance to review Dwizzle Dee.
The 30-minute video takes place in and around Ms. Ashley’s schoolhouse as she teaches her three students, Lenny, Penny and Gifford, about colors and sizes using songs and games. Although the video is entertaining, there’s a solid educational foundation to it and the title has been endorsed by The Dove Foundation and the KIDS FIRST! Coalition For Quality Children’s Media. The recommended age is 2-5, but I think that older kids might be bored by the simple lessons.
It’s worth noting that the video features two songs with original lyrics paired with familiar tunes, making them easy for kids to learn. In fact, my four-year-old daughter had them memorized after watching the video just a few times. Trust me, if your children are anything like my daughter, you WILL be hearing these songs over and over again.
It’s impossible to watch Dwizzle Dee without comparing it to Sesame Street videos, Elmo’s World in particular. It’s not just the similar look of the characters, but also the mix of puppets with computer graphics. Unfortunately, Dwizzle Dee just isn’t as polished as Sesame Street titles. For example, there are times when the characters don’t blend well with the background or their voices seemed a bit “off.” Given the story behind its creation, this isn’t surprising, and I’m sure most of these issues can be attributed to not having the resources of a larger production. But while Dwizzle Dee may be a labor of love created by two dads, is that enough to recommend it given the other choices out there?
I think so, because while I notice them, the production values don’t matter to my daughter. She loves the characters and enjoys answering their questions and playing games along with them, something she’s never done with Sesame Street. This puts Dwizzle Dee in the same league as Yo Gabba Gabba, Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go. As we watched (and re-watched) Dwizzle Dee, I found myself paying less attention to the production values and more to simply enjoying it with my daughter.
With a suggested retail price of only $14.95, Dwizzle Dee may not be as polished as some of the bigger children’s titles, but it’s worth checking out if you’re looking for something new to watch with your kids.