Wordgirl: Monkey Business

Gr 1–3—"Word up!" It's Wordgirl and her ever-hungry monkey sidekick Captain Huggy Face. Together they fight evil (and remarkably silly villains), all while introducing two new vocabulary words per episode. There are four lighthearted adventures here. Captain Huggy Face, left behind, has to conquer criminals on his own. The daring duo then must battle The Butcher and his dangerous meat weapons—condiments prove perilous—and an anniversary puts Wordgirl in danger of revealing her secret identity. There are special features that increase vocabulary and, when the DVD is inserted into a computer, there are games, coloring pages, and information for parents. Unfortunately, the menu option is disabled until several PBS previews have concluded. Still, this is fun fare that parents and children will enjoy.—Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA