My preschool and elementary children loved this!
HeatherHH | 01/13/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"We watched this with our four older children, ages 8, 6, 4, and 2 1/2. For the sake of the younger two, we did watch it in three segments taking breaks in between. But, they all enjoyed it.
This was highly educational. Even my husband and I hadn't really realized how harsh the living conditions were, and hadn't been aware of the multiple migrations made by the parents. The cinematography was wonderful, and we really felt like we were eyewitnesses, except for the fact that we were a bit too warm! The narration, eloquent and concise, wonderfully enhanced the visuals. The penguins were very engaging and adorable to watch.
There was a tense moment where a predator was chasing after the penguin in the water. You keep seeing its sharp teeth up close as it swims through the water, and then a brief distance shot of it with the penguin in its mouth. This didn't upset any of my children, but we've also raised and butchered chickens, so they understand the natural life cycle. Later when a bird of prey was harassing one of the baby penguins, my 6 yo daughter ducked down and said that she didn't want to watch that because she was scared. She's our sensitive one that absolutely adores babies, and I think she was thinking of the baby penguin like a "real" baby. But, still, I don't think these are reasons not to watch it with children, just explain in advance what to expect. If they are old enough to understand that something died, they are old enough to learn that that is the way of nature.
All in all, I would definitely recommend this DVD to families. It's both highly enjoyable and educational. Definitely a quality production, would love to see more documentaries like this."