A popular Nick Jr. show, Ni Hao, Kai Lan, unfortunately has a few troubles.
1) The show is missing the boat on subtitles and pronunciation guides. Maybe it's because some of the Chinese words sound like vulgarities in English (Shiiiiia, for instance). Still, It would help parents and children alike if we knew precisely what it was we're supposed to be saying and what it means.
2) While stuffed toy versions of the show's characters can be found in toy stores, I know I'm not going to be purchasing one of Kai Lan's friends: Hoho.
I don't care about what gender the little monkey is supposed to be (and it's not quite clear), I don't want my daughter cavorting closely with anything that remotely sounds like "prostitute."
3) Without fail one of the characters, usually Hoho, throws a hissy fit until after much discussion the bruised ego is assuaged by talking out the problem.
Our daughter has begun to mimic the hissy fit machinations, something we have had to sternly purge from her persona. As my wife acutely points out, no Chinese mother in her right mind would try this soft approach to bad behavior.
Other than that, the cartoon teaches the importance of listening in order to understand how someone else might feel if they are left out or different or misunderstood.
And again we have no parents in the cartoon [much like most of what's offered on children's TV], but Kai Lan's gentle grandfather, Ye Ye, often guides the little ones through rough patches and teaches them games and skills.
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