Sagwa
the Chinese Siamese Cat is a special PBS series set in late 19th
century China. See more about the Sagwa series here.
In this set of 6 episodes of this rich storytelling cartoon, Sagwa
the cat embarks on a number of exciting adventures along with her
brother and sister, her special friends Fu-Fu the Bat and the
Mouse, the humans that Sagwa's family work for, and the
neighborhood cats.
This DVD includes six fun
adventures entitled Explorer's Club, Treasure Hunters, Sick Day,
Firefly Nights, Fu-Fu's Full Moon Flight, and Shei-Hu's Secret.
In Explorer's Club, Sagwa wants to join her
older brother's "club", but the group of cats are not
always kind to her. When she doesn't get accepted, she decides to
create her very own club. She sets out with her little sister,
Sheegwa and her bat and mouse friends--and they end up getting
more adventure than they bargained for! Sagwa's mischief opens up
a hunt for a "treasure", long-lost scrolls, in Treasure
Hunters, and in Shei-Hu's Secret, Sagwa is entrusted
with a secret from her mouse companion, and she has a difficult
time keeping it under wraps. Fu-Fu the bat's faith in himself gets
seriously undermined by some mean-spirited bats who lead him to
believe that he wouldn't be able to successfully lead this month's
full moon flight in Fu-Fu's Full Moon Flight. Fu-Fu gets some
important lessons about faith and confidence from a wise old bat
and rescues Sagwa from a dangerous predicament.
These stories are rich in culture and
unforced lessons about life, social interactions, morals, and
growing up. Sagwa's parents offer firm but loving advice to their
kittens. For example, Ba-Ba (Sagwa's father) tells his kids,
"helping each other is what families do!" when they
complain about having to take care of Sheegwa who is sick with a
cold. The main characters are endearing and believable.
[For more
information, user reviews, or to buy/pre-order (release date
January 28, 2003):
Sagwa - Sagwa's Storybook World (DVD)]