Reviews of Blue's Clues Tapes, DVDs and Videos

Nickelodeon's (Nick Jr's) Blue's Clues is a mixed animation and live show based on Steve (live) and his puppy Blue (animation). Steve is sometime replaced by his brother Joe. Blue can't talk in most of the episodes so when she wants to communicate with Steve she puts her pawprint on three clues. Steve and Blue go about their day - going to school, learning numbers, going on safari, playing in the yard - and whenever Steve finds a clue he writes or draws it in his notebook. When he has three clues he sits down in his thinking chair and tries to figure out what Blue wants to tell him. For example, if Steve asks Blue what book she wants to read and Blue puts clues on a cow, a picture of the moon, and the word jump ... well, you get the picture.

Most of the Blues Clues episodes are appreciated by preschoolers, and some are actually quite advanced - like the ABCs and 123s video, but quite a few were really enjoyed by my boy even at 20 months. Young kids really like the mail song and the sign language and the characters.

The titles below are for the dvd versions. If you would like to buy vhs video tape versions, click the title, and on the next screen select video from the pull down menu next to the search button.

• Blue's Big Musical Movie
  This one was not a tv episode, but it still incorporates a lot of those elements, but with a grander storyline. Probably has the widest age range appeal - maybe 16 months to 5 or 6 years.

• Blue Takes You to School
  Blue takes you to school doesn't have a lot of the usual elements like mail time, but it is still a good one. The premise is that the cat, Periwinkle goes to school for the first time. This has been one of my son's favorites for several months.

• Classic Clues
  Episodes that weren't aired on TV, but could have been. Blue plays teacher in a pretend school episode, and everyone thinks of fun stuff to do in Something to Do Blue.

• Blue's Clues, Shapes and Colors
  Entertaining look at shapes and colors - good for younger kids too.

• Blue's Room, Snacktime Playdate
  Blue's Room is a little different from Blue's Clue's, and although this dvd contains some Blue's Clue's episodes, the title feature is of Blue in her special room where she can talk. Blue and all her friend's are live puppets and there are no people. There is still a lot of singing, and it is still quite entertaining for the younger preschoolers.

• Blues Big Band
  Blues Big Band and Bedtime business are the two episodes. Both good ones.
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