Angelina Ballerina and the Silver Locket

Just in time for the holiday season comes Angelina Ballerina: The Silver Locket Special Edition DVD from HIT Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. Angelina, the feisty little mouse, borrows her mother’s locket for a party and get herself into another lesson learning predicament.

Angelina Ballerina, based on the popular books by Helen Craig and Katharine Holabird, tells the story of a little girl mouse who wants only to be a prima ballerina. Angelina is strong, passionate and very relatable to children of varying ages. We popped the DVD in one rainy afternoon to get to know this pirouetting character and found a real treat. There are four episodes on this 130 minute DVD including the story of the missing Silver Locket. Just like the books illustrations the animation is beautiful. The colors are soft and I found the whole thing pleasant to watch. At one point I had to check the back of the DVD because I swore I heard Dame Judi Dench’s voice in one of the characters. I was right! The characters are delightful and while I found Angelina a bit grating at times the stories are sweet. All the episodes involve important lessons that are somewhat more charming with the English accents that all the mice posses.

I think this DVD is great for kids three and up. My daughter who is almost two lost interest in it after a few minutes and I couldn’t bring her back to it. She liked the music but it’s a bit too advanced for her right now. There are loads of special features on this DVD including games, a read-along, and a few other fun extras. The message that Angelina touts is one that kids need to hear. Dreams can come true you just have to work hard enough, they take time and that it is ok to make mistakes. It is also nice to see characters that help out with their siblings and share duties and chores with the rest of the family something that I find lacking in many children’s programming these days. I’m glad that PBS has this show airing weekly on its network.

I think that any of the Angelina Ballerina DVDs or a boxed set would make an excellent addition to a DVD library or as a gift for that special little girl in your life. The Silver Locket Special Edition now comes with an on-pack book edition of the DVD as well that is a nice added bonus and retails for $14.98. A good price for the set I think. For more information on Angelina Ballerina and for further adventures visit her website here. To purchase a limited edition DVD or any other Angelina Ballerina products visit here and here.