In the tradition of Dora, Nick Jr.'s new offering, Ni hao, Kai-Lan is a new multicultural, multilingual show for preschoolers that focuses on others rather than self.
At first glance, NickJr.’s latest offering is just another replica of the already popular Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go! series. Upon closer inspection however, Ni hao, Kai-Lan is a beautiful endeavor all its own that offers an incredibly well rounded viewing experience. Though there are several similarities between Dora and Kai-Lan, it is the differences between them that are both refreshing and immensely appealing. In an effort to emphasize the importance of what Ni hao, Kai-Lan has to offer, here's a look at these differences.
To start, though Dora and her friends emphasize learning concepts like counting, colors and basic words in both Spanish and English, Kai-Lan takes this premise and adds depth. Beyond learning the word of the day or how to count in Mandarin, Kai-Lan teaches children the very important lesson of recognizing and embracing a multicultural heritage and lifestyle. Whereas Dora focuses on her Hispanic lifestyle in a clearly native setting, Kai-Lan offers children the opportunity to learn what being American really means, by combining both her Chinese heritage and her American life. These opportunities come exclusively from Kai-Lan’s wise and loving grandfather, Yeye who introduces Kai-Lan and her friends to Chinese traditions and customs and is a refreshingly, ever-present fixture in each episode. This set-up is diametrically opposed to Dora who, for the most part, is left to her own devices to figure things out for herself in a show where her parents are rarely ever seen.
The look and feel of Ni hao, Kai-Lan is dramatically different as well. In comparison, everything about Dora is overemphasized: quick bursts of music utilizing horns and guitars, the encouraging of children to shout louder and louder and the visual brightness in culturally appropriate oranges, blues, greens and pinks. Kai-Lan is much more subdued with bright and happy colors and the faces of the characters are quite reminiscent of the adorable Hello Kitty and Sanrio characters. True to cultural relevance, Kai-Lan and friends honor calm contentedness and self-control, encourage issues to be resolved through rational thinking and teach children see situations through other people’s perspective in order to gain a complete picture.
Watch Ni hao, Kai-Lan every week day on NickJr. and you will be sure to have calm and happy children gently singing songs, repeating fun new words in Mandarin and stopping to tell themselves to “calm down” when they get angry. These results are certainly the earmarks of a show that will be as successful as it is popular with parents and children alike.
