Good French DVDs

[MalikaAndMungo]

Hi all
Can anyone suggest some really great French DVDs and books for a 3 and a half year old?
My son (3 and a half) is currently bilingual with French and I speak to him in French because I am half French myself... And since we have just moved back to England and therefore an English environment (from the Middle East), I need to get more Francophone material before Thomas the Tank Engine takes over! Ideally I am looking for the French equivalent of Peppa Pig. Someone has told me about Franklin la Tortue. I'd rather not go down the road of translated stuff.
Also, books - I have not found fab French books, the equivalent of the Gruffalo etc. All the offerings seem to be a bit dull - moralistic tales, etc. There is nothing that has fun with language like Dr Seuss, or any of the brilliant stuff in English. Has anyone else found this?

I understand your reticence to use translated material but I have to say that the French version of "Cat in the hat" is pretty good ...

As for DVDs, my child is a fair bit younger (9 months) but Leo et Popi, T'choupi, Petit Ours Brun and Barbapapa are all popular now and look as if they have the "legs" to last a few years more in terms of content and language ... What do parents with older children think?

All of this stuff I bought off Amazon.fr, by the way.

Also, are you aware that there are 2 hours for children on TV5 every Saturday and Sunday? Could record them and keep them for strategic moments.

Hi MandM,
Yes, French kids books are not great. There are a few out there, such as the "les Petites Bêtes" series but they are for slightly older kids. However, what they DO do well is kids magazines...take a look at www.bayard-jeunesse.com/presse-magazines/acaba2/index.jsp to see if any would be avl. in the UK.
My DD loved Petit Ours Brun (books and DVDs) when she was 3. She likes Babar and Barbapapa still at 4.5.
You could also try Poisson Rouge www.poissonrouge.com/ which is a bilingual site.

BriocheDoree - thanks! Yes yes, I forgot to say that all those magazines do almost make up for it. Having grown up myself with J'Aime Lire, Astrapi, Okapi and Je Bouquine, I cannot wait to subscribe my son to them. And I hear Abricot is the one for 3 and up.
Does anyone else find Babar really tedious? Not only is it quite wordy but the colonial undertones are SO heavy-handed, ESPECIALLY now that we have a black man in the White House
Barbapapa are quite fun, as are the Castor series, but still there is nothing approaching Room on the Broom etc. And Petit Ours Brun is sweet but a bit wet!!

try here www.lajolieronde.co.uk/online-shop-under5.asp

they have lots of bits for under 5's

well, yeah, must admit...mine is the opposite problem - keeping English going when we live in France, so I just stock up on all the good English ones and don't worry too much about French as we're bombarded with it every time we leave the house!

L'Ane Trotro is a bit more butch than Petit Ours Brun ...

Was wondering if anyone could tell me how expensive delivery is from Amazon.fr if i was ordering some DVDs...Thx.

I'm the English-speaking one and we live in France, but I agree that French books are nowhere near as good as the English ones.

One of the few good ones at that age was called "Un Loup Gros Comme Ca" (sorry don't know how to do the accent) by Natalie Louis-Lucas. I'd also recommend the entire "Petites Bêtes" series by Antoon Krings. DS1 had them at school in moyenne section, so I guess he was just 4.

I also hate to get translated stuff, but to be honest I think it's not so bad when it's cartoons somehow. We've had Franklin books and dvds in both languages and DS1 loved them all.

Personally I hate Leo et Popi et Petit Ours Brun with a passion, mainly because there's no "story" and they just don't go anywhere - "finir en queue de poisson" as my DH says. But DS1 liked them well enough and DS2 is starting to show an interest too.

Apparently, delivery is 4?50 per parcel plus 1?55 per item for the 2-3day delivery, plus UK VAT. I would say this is not cheap but not massively dear either. However, what IS less fun is the current exchange rate, but I guess Amazon can't do much about that.

As a rough guide, the net effect is that you end up paying about a pound per euro by the time it arrives at your door. Again, not too dear, but nothing is quite the bargain it appears when you see the list price.

I am French and DH is english. I read numerous french books to DD (3 1/2 yrs old). She loves me reading her any kind of french stories.. even if I think they might be a bit boring!
The most important MalikaAndMungo is that you read books to your son, he will never get bored of it!
On amazon.fr, you can get good disney or children movies translated in french. DD also loves listening to songs in French and we got Mon Imagier des Amusettes which its quite fun to listen to... and an other fun book to have is Pomme de reinette et pomme d'api de Antonin Louchard... lots of fun for any 3 yrs old and their french mummy!

Thanks for all that. I think we all need to start writing some fun stuff in French ourselves!
One book DS1 loves is Marlaguette by Marie Colmont. Nice and oldfashioned. But again, pretty heavy-handed on morality! As long as a wolf is involved, then it's fine!

I've found myself getting children's books in English and writing the translation myself on occasion ... (I do actually wirte it, rather than translating as I go, so I can vary the vocabulary a bit and also so the words are the same every time, just like a "real" story book.)

Thanks ManIFeelLikeAWoman for the info about ordering from Amazon.fr...Will look into possibly ordering some DVDs then.

I love Petit Ours Brun, because I can so totally identify with the Ours Brun family - older parents, single cub .... Although I do wish they could add a story line.

I loathe Trotro, but dd (2.5) loves him.

(I am English, dh French and we are trying to bring her up bilingually in dorset)

I really think we should write some fun/good stuff and share. There must be creative parents out there. Not quite sure what I could contribute though ...

There is a lovely book which I love about a little crocodile who wants to eat nothing but children and then has an awful shock when he finally nearly captures his first child. Have forgotten the title - does it ring a bell with anyone?

Also, are any of you bilingual families in Dorset? Would love to meet up with other families.

I forgot the best DVD - it's called Mon Ane 30 chansons enfantines and it has lots of traditional French songs with really good animations and the words on as well. I use it at school with classes (they love it) and dd watches it as well.

My ds loves "Barbapapa autour du monde"
www.tf1video.fr

Do you know Swiss singer Henry Des? he was already arround when I was a child but still has very popular more recent songs. Usually about everyday life or children preoccupations.
www.henrides.net

Henri Des used in schools for primary French around our way - great fun; the kids love it.

My French cousins are very keen on Steve Waring for children's songs.

ici

I buy lots of dvds on amazon.fr and sometimes ebay.fr as i don't mind them being second hand and a few seller accept to post abroad.i myself is french and raise my 2 years old bilingually.i bought some tom sawyer dvds and he loves it .it is so innocent and light hearted.i loved them as a child myself.He also loves the famous cars by disney,les aristochats. i just got him samsam and he loves that too. for books,i suscribed to tralalire,bayard jeunesse,and petites histoires pour les tout petits.there is also a great book which compile all the famous stories from julia donaldson to beatrix potter ,meg and mog,..,it is les 30 plus belles histoires pour les tout petits by gallimard jeunesse.i am creazy about books and i could go on as i have a big collection but i leave a bit of space for the others.

Forgot to say - Bali is really popular with my dd at the moment. We only have one episode and she watches it again and again. Going to buy more from amazon.fr asap before we go mad!

Good little stories, quite cute characters (dogs?) and comes from Quebec I think.