Television Review: Handy Manny
Rated by 1 member
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this inviting animated series for
preschoolers reinforces commonly heard Spanish words and
phrases and introduces viewers to a few new ones. Characters
focus on helping others and always putting the community's
needs before their own. Problem-solving and preparedness are
frequent themes, and viewers see the negative repercussions of
impatience and poor teamwork. Cultural diversity and respect
for others tops off this well-rounded series.
Families can talk about how Manny and his friends cooperate to
overcome challenges. What special talents does each character
contribute to the team? How do they resolve their differences?
How do you handle problems with your friends? Parents can also
use repetition to reinforce the Spanish their kids learn from
the show.
HANDY MANNY introduces preschoolers to the multicultural town of Sheetrock Hills and its friendly repairman Manny Garcia (voiced by Wilmer Valderrama of That '70s Show). Together with his sometimes-feisty (but mostly eager) set of talking tools, Manny is always ready to pitch in and help his friends. Manny's repair shop is home to a diverse group of coworkers: Pat the Hammer (Tom Kenny), Turner the Screwdriver (Dee Bradley Baker), Felipe the Phillips Screwdriver (Carlos Alazraqui), Dusty the Saw (Kath Soucie), Stretch the Tape Measure (Nika Futterman), Rusty the Wrench (Fred Stoller), and Squeeze the Pliers (Futterman again). Although Manny does his best to keep the tools on task, they sometimes let their own ambitious plans lead to messy mishaps on the job. But with patience and cooperation, the group learns how to solve problems and come through for their neighbors.
Handy Manny is brimming with positive content for young viewers. Themes of teamwork, preparedness, and mutual respect are mixed with the silly comedy that preschoolers love. For example, in one episode, bickering duo Felipe and Turner ignore Manny's advice and open a glue bottle before protecting their workspace with newspaper. In their haste to start the project, they accidentally glue themselves together and -- after much stretching and snapping back together -- they learn that they have to get along to help their friends.
The show also exposes preschoolers to aspects of Latino culture. Legendary Latino band Los Lobos contributes the catchy music, and Manny uses basic Spanish terms like "hola" and "gracias" in his everyday dialogue. When he introduces less-familiar Spanish terms, Manny includes their English translations so kids can make the language connection. Colorful animation, engaging storylines, and rich characters will keep young viewers coming back for more of this engaging Disney series.
Bob the BuilderGo, Diego, Go
Little Einsteins
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
