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Once upon a time, there was a mom,
Her name was Mrs. Pteranadon.
Sitting in her nest, she heard a scratching
And said, “Oh boy! My eggs are hatching!”
One by one, her kids popped free,
Baby pteranodons one, two, three.
“I’ll name them Tiny, Shiny, and Don.”
But Tiny said, “Wait! There’s one more Mom.”
The last little baby was a different size
With teeth and a tail and big green eyes.
He didn’t look anything like the rest.
“What am I doing in a pteranodon nest?”
But dear old Mrs. Pteranodon said,
“This is your family, and I’m your mom.
You may different, but we’re all creatures.
All dinosaurs have different features.
Come on Buddy, we’ll take a vacation.
I’ll get us a ticket at Pteranodon Station.
We’ll travel the world in sunshine and rain
And meet all the species on the
Dinosaur Train!”
To paraphrase my friend Jason, the pitch meeting for Dinosaur Train had to be the shortest pitch meeting ever.
Head Honcho: We need a show that appeals to preschoolers. What do preschool boys like the best?
Peon 1: Dinosaurs!
Head Honcho: And?
Peon 2: Trains!
Peon 3: Let’s make a show called Dinosaur Train!
Head Honcho: Brilliant! Let’s go to lunch!
Dinosaur Train is a PBS show about the Pteranodon family, Mr. and Mrs. Pteranodon, and their kids, Shiny, Tiny, Don, and Buddy. Buddy is a Tyrannosaurus Rex who ended up in the nest somehow. However, the family simply accepts him as theirs. So, the show involves adoption without being about adoption.
I’ve only seen about 5 complete shows, out of the 40 currently available. The earlier ones do deal with figuring out what type of dino Buddy is. The kids also occasionally point out how they are the same and how they are different. Buddy is a theropod, for example.
The show does not address the fact that some dinosaurs hunt and kill other dinosaurs. Carnivores – yes, the shows do feature the words carnivore and herbivore, among other big words and concepts – are shown eating carrion. Purple velociraptors sit next to pink corythosauruses. Allosaurus and stegosaurus don’t trust one another, but that’s as close as we get to the uncomfortable truth.
The dinosaur train travels through time, spanning the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Dinosaurs freely mingle with one another, and the kids learn all sorts of nifty dinosaur facts. Each show features two 11-minute episodes, and each episode is followed by a brief, interesting talk by Dr. Scott, the paleontologist.
It’s awesome to see my son say the different dinosaur names. I’m a little annoyed by the “dinos are friends, not food” attitude, but I suppose I see the necessity. The show is completely non-violent, which, while not accurate, is certainly a blessing. (Friggin’ Transformers.) It’s entertaining to watch, and it doesn’t make me want to sneak into the other room to use the computer while my son is transfixed. I love that Buddy is adopted, but that adoption is not the show’s central theme.
I highly recommend Dinosaur Train! Check out the schedule for your local PBS station.
Photo Credit: pbskids.org
