Cartoons for Toddlers
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
“Mickey Mouse is a great leader and friend who always helps support and encourage others… While everyone takes turns solving problems, Mickey always stays calm, collected, and rational.” – Jessica Kenney, Jess Reviews
Special Agent Oso
“The interactive series, which emphasizes discovery, humor and organizational skills, calls upon viewers to help accomplish special missions by breaking down everyday tasks using three simple steps, just as Oso does. The show also features original music that references the classic spy genre in a kid-friendly way – but which parents and caregivers will also enjoy.” – Deb, Mom of 3 Girls
WordWorld
“Each episode I watched was 11 minutes long, with a cute storyline that had some repetition, some surprise and a lot of talking about letters and showing letters jumping apart and back together again to form words. The CGI is nice quality, the colors are bright, and the voices are expressive.” – Magda Pecsenye, AskMoxie
Cartoons for Little Kids
The Smurfs
“While the show is simplistic, its positive storylines teach kids many valuable lessons. They’ll enjoy The Smurfs for the sweet, funny characters and their kind acts of sharing and teamwork.” – Deirdre Sheppard, Common Sense Media
Inspector Gadget
“The show’s humor translates pretty well into the new version, and there are some fun references and nods to the original series… Overall, we all had fun watching it, had a lot of laughs, and my kids want to watch more of both the original series and the new one.” – Johnathan H. Liu, GeekDad
The Wild Thornberrys
“[This] globetrotting family encourages an appreciation for animals and different cultures. It’s like they’re an unschooling family, from before anyone really knew what that was!” – Olivia, This West Coast Mommy
Cartoons for Big Kids
Avatar: The Last Airbender
“This Lord of the Rings-style journey of a group of likeable youngsters offers viewers a rich history, plenty of plotlines and characters, and a vast Asian-influenced fantasy world.” – Marcus Yoars, Plugged In
Hey Arnold!
“‘Hey Arnold!’ — the television series — is different. It manages to keep its low-key, kid-friendly tone while still turning in episodes that are entertaining and even witty.” – Jimmy Akin, Decent Films
The Looney Tunes Show
“Rather than shorts the stories fit a sitcom structure with Bugs and Daffy as room-mates in a suburban house. They deal with modern issues like dating and relationships with episodes focusing on issues like accidentally sending an email you didn’t want people to see.” – Funk’s House of Geekery
Cartoons for Tweens
Liberty’s Kids
“Liberty’s Kids is a well thought out series, perfect for introducing the Revolutionary War to your kids. The animated format and compelling personal stories of the heroes are on a simple friendly level that captures one’s attention.” – TV Teaches
One Piece
“On the surface, it’s a very silly comic adventure. But beneath the slapstick lies a blunt critique of economic inequality and the contemporary culture of greed.” – Charles Solomon, LA Times
Generator Rex
“This enjoyable show is full of adventure in an ongoing battle of good vs. evil, and the subplot surrounding Rex’s questions about his past is a dangling-carrot mystery that will retain the interest of this more mature audience. True, much of the cartoon is doused in violent exchanges between Rex and a host of mutants, but even here the show’s thoughtfulness is apparent…” – Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media
Cartoons for Teens
Bob’s Burgers
“Oblong, U-nosed, imperfect, happy, the Belchers are not the same as the other families. They refuse to be. They’re not even the same as one another. And yet their very difference is not why they fight with each other or others or spent artificial time apart, like on those other shows. That their differences are widely ignored, both among the characters and by the creators, is very clearly part of why they love each other so much.” – Ben Collins, Esquire
Bravest Warriors
“‘Adventure Time’ in a sci-fi mood, which makes it the most beautiful sci-fi series on television, or telephone, as the case may be… Besides looking quite similar, the series share a love of mystery and beauty and romance; they put feelings first. Each also has an idiosyncratic, vernacular approach to language, and a poetic regard for everything else.” – Robert Lloyd, LA Times
King of the Hill
“Via a variety of comic conflicts between its hero and a shifting culture, ‘King of the Hill’ dared to suggest a world that might transcend gridlock, suspicion, and nihilism—a world in which cultural and political opposites could actually find ways to get along.” – Bert Clere, The Atlantic
Cartoons for The Whole Family
The Legend of Korra
“Our heroes are courageous and, often, self-sacrificial, and even though they sometimes rebel against authority, they often come to learn that their elders have lots more wisdom to offer than they might’ve originally thought… While these teens sometimes batted their eyes at one another, relationships remained relatively chaste throughout most of the series.” – Paul Asay, Plugged In
Adventure Time
“At its best Adventure Time feels like it can go anywhere and do anything, a spirit of curiosity best exemplified by the show’s leads. Finn and Jake spend most of their time rescuing – or being rescued by – princesses and the rest exploring monster-filled caves… Throughout there’s an emotional intelligence to balance the show’s oddness” – Gwilym Mumford, The Guardian
Be Cool, Scooby-Doo
“Be Cool, Scooby-Doo doesn’t boast groundbreaking storytelling as it doesn’t throw away the franchise’s tried and true formula entirely but, for the most part, it’s hilarious, refreshing and irreverent to a fault. It still feels like Scooby-Doo, so younger viewers will love it, but it’s packed with the kind of observational comedy adults are used to.” – Patrick Sproull, Den of Geek
