A series of seemingly silly videos, called “Gombby’s Green Island,” is designed to stimulate the imaginations of preschool kids. Themes focus on creativity, knowledge, friendship, humor, discovery and respect for the environment, according to notes on the YouTube channel (English version).
I’ve chosen a sampling of three videos from the 46 available on YouTube. Stories often come in a package of three videos, so each one has two related videos you can find and view with your children, if you are so inclined.
Canadian-based Kidobi, which distributes children’s videos, purchased the rights to the original Portuguese series from Big Storm Studios in 2012, according to a new release. The videos were recently posted to YouTube.
In the series, the main character, Gombby, a boy with a knack for baking, explores Green Island with his friends Strawy and Celeste. Other characters include Gadget Man, who invents all sorts of useful equipment, and the Professor, a wise man who continually explains the ways of the world to Gombby and his friends.
“Gombby’s Green Island is all about discovery: discovering the world, others and ourselves,” states the YouTube notes. “In every episode, Gombby and his friends will also learn about the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices and respecting the environment, about friendship and respecting others.”
The three videos I’ve posted on this page all deal with water issues, but there are plenty of other topics as well. The first one addresses concerns about drought, the second about saving a beached whale, and third about solving a mystery involving a recurring event on a beach.
I guess we can forgive the writers for posing simple and often technical solutions to complex problems, since some of these issues would be difficult to explain to a preschooler with a short attention span. At least the young viewer can begin to get a sense of how to solve a problem. And maybe it’s OK to wait until elementary school or later for a more complete explanation of the science and social values.
In any case, I think most people will find some amusement in “Gombby’s Green Island.”
