Great kids programming: "Classical Baby: The Poetry Show"

Everyone knows, when you have kids, you end up watching the same programs over and over. And many of them become extremely annoying after a viewing or two. Not "Classical Baby: The Poetry Show." This HBO special--which highlights poems by writers like Langston Hughes, Edward Lear and Elizabeth Barrett Browning, among others--is a treat for all ages.

There are vivid animations accompanying each poem and adorable kids sharing their thoughts on the art of poetry. It's relaxing, but not boring. Babies love this show. As a baby, my son Alex would break into a grin when the kids would discuss the poems, especially when one vivacious little blond would come onto the screen to expound on Sheakespeare's "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day." ("It's really about love, really.") And now, my eight-month-old daughter Savannah shows the same delight. And Alex, age 5, still likes the show, as well as other Classical Baby offerings like The Art Show, The Dance Show and The Music Show.

The best thing about this show is that it not only exposes your kids to literary classics ("How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. . ."), but you'll find yourself memorizing poems by heart, which is a lost art. I can now recite Edward Lear's "The Owl and the Pussycat" as well as William Carlos' Williams "This is just to say": "This is just to say/I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox/that you were probably saving for dinner/Forgive me, they were delicious/so sweet and so cold."

You can buy the DVD on Amazon, but if you'd like to give it a gander before, the video has been posted on YouTube.

HBO Family also created a number of other charming, animated videos illustrating classic poems and songs, several of which are also posted on YouTube. Here is one of the most fun: "Calico Pie," a poem by Edward Lear, sung by Natalie Merchant.

Keeping your kids entertained while introducing some culture? Winning!

--Sarah Torribio