Monday, July 20, 2009

New at Target: Ni Hao, Kai-Ian

Chinese is spoken by more than one billion of the world's people, in a country that's fast emerging as an economic powerhouse. So it's no surprise that a new kids show cropped up last year on the Nick Jr. network to prep preschoolers in Mandarin, giving them a head start in competing on a global scale.

With Ni Hao, Kai-Ian, Nick Jr. aims to copy the successful formula of the incredibly popular animated predecessor, the Spanish-speaking exploradora, (aka Dora the Explorer). The similarities are visible. Both shows feature spunky girls with oversize heads and big brown eyes, though Dora is 7 and Kai-lan is 5-ish. Both shows bust out in catchy theme songs, and most importantly, there's the part where the audience is invited to repeat a word. And now, Target is bringing Ni Hao, Kai-Ian to their toddler and toy departments, with clothing, backpacks, plush dolls, building blocks, and activity sets featuring the show’s characters.

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