Bob the Builder

Do we have any Bob the Builder fans out there? OK, maybe not all of you moms but at least some of your kids.

My son has recently joined the ranks of Bob the Builder fans. My dad bought a some Bob DVDs a few months ago. Zachariah was instantly in love.

What's not to love? There are trucks, tractors, tools, and all sorts of construction happening. That is part of the main reason for happiness in my son's life.

It started with the basic Bob the Builder cartoon-ish shows. But then my dad found Bob the Builder ON SITE: Roads & Bridges. Zachariah loved that the best. He liked seeing all the real life construction equipment and crews in action. Just like watching them outside at home or in the car along the road.

Every time Zachariah went to my parents house he watched these DVDs over and over. Finally my dad sent the ON SITE one with us. We have not taken it back yet. In fact he's watching it right now. He knows exactly what comes next in each part of the video. Even the part where the kids make a bridge and it doesn't work. The truck goes down. And Zachariah says "Oh dear", just like the narrator does. It's the cutest thing ever.

When I got a chance to preview Bob the Builder ON SITE: Houses & Playgrounds, I knew it would be great! He begs for it several times a week and refers to it as "Bob house".

It completely lived up to our expectations. Zachariah enjoys this movie as much as the other one or maybe more. Now he knows all the characters too. So we love seeing Muck, Dizzy, Tumbler, and the others along with Bob.

This movie isn't all On Site either. It goes back and forth from the cartoon Bob to the real life things. Bob sets up most of the scenes and explains very well what's happening.

I tell you what, my kid can tell you step by step how a house is built now. And when I asked him what was next he said "Playground!". And that's how it goes on the DVD. They build houses, then they show how to build a playground. He also corrects me when he sees a house being built. On the way to church a few weeks ago he noticed a house. I pointed it out and said "Look, they're building a house just like Bob The Builder". Zachariah said "No house Mom, FRAME!" Duh! And...he was right.

There are a few little things that Matt and I found odd about this show. Bob's laptop does not have a regular/English keyboard. But it's that way in other videos too. I'm not sure why the creators didn't go with a true to life computer for the animation, but it's a minor detail. The other issue I have is all the houses they build are made with cement on the outside. We don't see houses like that made in our area. We have siding instead, so I suppose that might be a little confusing to some kids. Zachariah doesn't really know the difference, but I'm sure he'll figure that out some day.

I find that some of the children's DVDs/videos that are out there are not as fun for me to watch. This one is doable for me. I find myself watching some parts and laughing at some of the little jokes in it. Of course after the 10th time, it does start to lose it's luster. But I think your kids will love this.

This new DVD Bob The Builder ON SITE: Houses & Playgrounds is available starting today, August 26th, 2008. It is available in stores now. I also found it on Amazon for a little less that the SRP. It is great for boys & girls in the 2-5 year range.

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So if you stuck around this long, you deserve to know that I will be giving away a Bob The Builder ON SITE: Houses & Playgrounds DVD for your child/children.

This DVD is brand new, and it has a bonus episode of Fireman Sam - "Birthday Surprise". I have not seen that because I have a screener DVD.

All you have to do to enter is leave your name and e-mail address. Good luck.

The contest will be open until Tuesday, September 2 at midnight EST.

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And for those of you who are big Bob The Builder fans, you might be interested in knowing that a new season of Bob the Builder - Project Build It will air in September on PBS KIDS.