Hana's Helpline You're A Star DVD

publication date: Dec 11, 2007

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author/source: Alex Bell

Mooh, Baa, Double Quack, Double Quack is the catchy little tune and the phone number to Hana, an agony aunt duck who helps a cast of different little animals and their friends with their problems.

The cast of animals has a range of worries which Hana helps them solve. Each episode has a key message that when you have a problem and ask for help you will be able to solve it.

The title episode on this DVD, You're A Star, is a seasonal story about the casting for the school nativity play. It was a perfect DVD for a rainy December weekend and our three year-old clearly related the story to his own pre-school experience.

He talked about his own "rehearsals on the stage" at playgroup and enjoyed some laugh-out-loud moments at the physical humour of the animals. Fergus the little firefly is overlooked in the casting for the Christmas show as he is too small but Hana saw his potential!

In terms of parent appeal, Hana's voice is provided by Arabella Weir from The Fast Show and the series is shot with stop-motion animation which is reminiscent of classic animated Paddington Bear episodes.

The cut out backgrounds and animated animals made from felt with visible stitching almost have a retro feel and great production values.

I am not saying Toby "got" the subtle message at the centre of each story about the benefit of sharing and solving problems and the emotional support in asking for help. However he definitely recognised the problems experience by the cast of animals (each with their own unique character) whether it was feeling shy, being different from your friends, scared of the dark or forgetting things.
 
The series seems to appeal to children ranging from three to six as it deals with the kind of social and emotional issues that children experience at the age they first start going to pre-school and school.

The story-lines are simple to follow and gently teach some lovely life messages without being heavy-handed or patronising. The six episodes are:

• You're A Star
• Night Light
• Gorilla Crossing
• Cyril the Squirrel
• Disappearing Act
• Too Many Hands

Hana's Helpline is available from Amazon. To order a copy from click the link below:

Hana's Helpline - You're A Star