“It’s the 'Great Big Book of Everything',
with everything inside,
To see the world around us,
This book’s the perfect guide.”

Stanley Griff is a 6 year old cartoon character who had his very own television show on the Disney channel. At first, he seems like a normal, average boy who lives with his parents, older brother and some pets. Well, they are more than pets, they are his best friends. Dennis the Goldfish lives in a small fish bowl, but that does not stop him from accompanying Stanley (in his fish bowl) wherever he may go. There is also Harry the dog and Elsie the cat who generally get along well with each other.

Stanley’s favorite things in the world are animals, and each episode focuses on a different one. A recent episode featured a discussion about a giraffe, which came about because Stanley wanted to pick an apple that was high up in a tree and could not reach it. He imagined that if he was very tall, or had a very long neck, he could reach. In order to find out about the giraffe, they had to figure out if giraffe started with a "g" or "j". Once they determined that it was indeed "g" they flipped to the "G" section of the Great Big Book of Everything to see what they could find out about it.

Often, the characters jump into the Great Big Book of Everything so that they can really get a feel for how an animal lives or experiences certain things. Other times, animals jump out of the book and they need to get them back inside where they belong.

Stanley is good friends with twins Marci and Mimi, and they are seen quite often on the show. They are even in the same class at school. They are as inquisitive as Stanley and enjoy exploring the world of animals as well.

Lionel is Stanley’s older brother who often teases him, but at other times he is helpful and encouraging. For example, in one episode Stanley and the twins were playing outside when their ball rolled into the street. Although Stanley knew he was not allowed to go into the street alone to get it, he thought he could get it himself. He barely had one foot off of the sidewalk when his brother grabbed him and scolded him. Stanley said that he looked both ways and no cars were coming, but Lionel pointed out that a truck coming down the street might not see him because he was little. Stanley could not even see the truck because of his height! My children took this episode to heart since even though we live on a dead-end street, with very little daytime traffic, I give them many lectures about going into the street alone.

This year, Charles Shaughnessy, who performs the voice for Dennis was honored with a Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program.” I thought that I recognized the voice, but could not quite place it. Shaughnessy played the father on the sitcom “The Nanny.”

According to the Disney website, the “Stanley” show helps children develop their “Cognitive, Moral and Thinking Skills.” I would agree with that since although it is a lighthearted cartoon, each episode drives home some message or moral value. In addition to information about various animals, Stanley often needs to figure out the solution to a problem while watching the show, you can almost see the wheels in his head turning, as they only can in a 6 year old’s head. For more information on the curriculum of this show, please visit http://disney.go.com/disneychannel/playhouse/grown-ups/stanley_about.html.

My son is almost 5 years old and and he can relate to Stanley in many situations. In fact, we are even working on our own “Great Big Book of Everything” by cutting out pictures from old magazines and catalogs for each letter of the alphabet and pasting them into a blank notebook in alphabetical order. While Stanley’s book contains only animal information, ours includes anything that strikes my son’s fancy at the time.

Overall, Stanley is a nice change from many television shows that are aimed at young viewers today. There is no violence or senseless wildness. In fact, most of the episodes take place inside his house, with his parents nearby and participating in what is going on. Stanley has respect for his parents and in return, they show respect for him.




Recommended: Yes

Type of Program: Cartoon or Animated
Program Quality: Thought-provoking, original material
Best Suited For: 3 to 5 Years