School House Rock Earth – CliqueClack Review

by Debbie McDuffee

School House Rock and I go way back, and have a complex relationship. I grew up loving the likes of “Interplanet Janet,” “A Noun is a Person, Place or Thing,” and “A Victim of Gravity,” and my kiddie lit professor in college was one of the creators of the series. Now, as a teacher and a mom, I can appreciate the research into how kids learn that went into the creation of this series.

Since I love good TV, I was clearly chomping at the bit to get my hands on the new Schoolhouse Rock: Earth, and it didn’t disappoint. The new songs definitely function on the premise of the original: they are designed to teach kids more and more with repeated exposure, they mix singing and talking, and the cartoons enhance the subject well. But was it fun to watch?

“Report from the North Pole”
Singing polar bear meteorologists (bear-ometers) are always a hit, so having them teach about global warming is a natural choice. I recognized a voice from the original songs in this one…

“The Little Things We Do”
A funny little family teaches about turning off lights, taking shorter showers, and other energy conservation tips. Catchy.

“The Trash Can Band”
Reduce, reuse and recycle take on a whole new entertainment value when trash — Box, Bottle, Can and Dolly Carton — sings about their importance.

“You Oughta Be Savin’ Water”
Water droplets sing the blues about water conservation. Solutions are given and facts about how much water you can save with small changes.

“The Rainforest”
The animation is different — and gorgeous — for this one, very artistic. We learn all about the interdependence of the rainforest flora and fauna.

“Save the Ocean”
This is the cutest and catchiest thing I have ever seen… singing ocean creatures spelling out “save the ocean” is the closest on this DVD to becoming a cult classic akin to “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, Get Your Adverbs Here.” And yeah, there’s a rapping sea turtle.

“FatCat Blue: The Clean Rivers Song”
Effectively shows how seemingly innocent pollution goes right into the river and effects life. Methinks FatCat Blue is not going to be a thing, though; he’s no Interplanet Janet.

“A Tiny Urban Zoo”
This one was cute, too, all about how planting a tiny garden in the city is really a huge thing for the earth and insects.

“Solar Power to the People”
OK, I’m giddy. This is a sequel to “Interplanet Janet” — can you think of a cooler way to get the parents to watch this DVD with their kids? Gotta embed the original for you…

“Windy and the Windmills”
Hey, there’s that voice again … who is that guy? OK, that guy is Jack Sheldon, the voice of my childhood…

“Don’t Be a Carbon Sasquatch”
This is so clever … draw in the kids with the legend of the Yeti, but then tell them carbon footprints are far bigger than any footprint Sasquatch could leave. My four-year-old was even asking what carbon was, so he was into it.

“The Three Rs” (Music Video Performed By Mitchel Musso)
If Hannah Montana rocks your boat, then so will this music video. Hey, gotta please those modern, commercialized kids too, right? It’s a smaltzy remaking of the great Jack Johnson song from Curious George: Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies. Don’t cover Jack Johnson; it’s just wrong.

“The Energy Blues”
Yes, this is the one you remember, digitally remastered to please the new generation. This is the famous Jack Sheldon. Classic.

As a whole, this DVD is an amazing collection of currently needed messages for our kids. The bonus is that the messages are delivered in an interesting venue that Keith and I enjoyed as much as our son.