Every Kind of Mom.com Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars 
Review: Olivia…Takes Ballet
Nick Jr.’s “Olivia” series is putting out their second full-length Olivia DVD on March 2, 2010: Olivia…Takes Ballet. Lucky for me, I got to review it with my kids beforehand.
For those of you who aren’t yet familiar with Olivia, she is a super feisty and fun character (based on acclaimed author/illustrator Ian Falconer’s award-winning titles). Olivia is 6¾-year-old adorable young piglet powerhouse who uses her imagination to take her on extraordinary adventures that capture the hearts of young school-age and pre-school children. She is truly a tireless heroine who inspires kids maintain a positive attitude and follow their dreams. My kids literally fell in love with Olivia the first time they saw one of her episodes.
In this latest DVD, there are 4 new to DVD episodes, but they include 8 different endearing stories:
- “Olivia Takes Ballet”/”Olivia and Her Ducklings”
- “Olivia Runs a Carnival”/”Olivia Explores the Attic”
- “Olivia and the Anniversary Surprise”/”Olivia the Pet Monitor”
- “Olivia Goes Camping”/”Olivia Becomes a Vet”
In the title episode Olivia takes on an unlikely partner ( a football player!) for her pas de deux and entertains her whole class with a surprisingly graceful performance. In the subsequent episode, Olivia comes home from the park and finds some extra visitors in her home — and with the mother and her ducklings being hidden by Olivia, the harder she tries to hide them, the more things go wrong. The duckling episode had my kids giggling and smiling from ear to ear.
The other 6 stories are just as entertaining, and each of my kids had their separate picks for those they like the most… both settling on the ballet episode as one of their favorites.
Although the challenges are simple and pre-school sized, they are presented in a way that kids 7 and under can relate to. This DVD extends beyond entertainment for just pre-school aged kids. It is a sweet and uplifting boost of creative imagination that my kids truly enjoyed, and the Fashion show featurette at the end was really cute. Love it!
Olivia… Takes Ballet scheduled release is on March 2, 2010 for a suggested retail of $16.99.
Additional Details:
Special Features: Olivia’s Fashion Show Featurette
Title Copyright: 2010
Type: Home Video
Rating: Not Rated (US) G (CAN)
Genre: Children’s, Animated, TV, Education
Format: Full Screen
Feature Running Time: Approximately 95 Minutes
DVD Audio Status: Dolby Digital Sound, English Stereo
