Children's television falls into three categories: Exceptional, Tolerable, and Abominable. You quickly learn as a parent that Abominable describes 80% of the market and Tolerable makes up another 15%... Jakers! deserves to be labeled Exceptional, as the many awards (including several Emmys) attached to the show will testify. Jakers! Treasure Hunt on Raloo Farm is a collection of four episodes and a host of special features that will make this a staple DVD in any child's library. Parents will also enjoy watching the show because there's a noticeable connection between the young characters in the show and their families. If you haven't yet enjoyed Jakers!, think about something like The Berenstain Bears. Lots of good, family values are presented here, but without ever coming across as preachy or stuffy. Kids are entertained but also taught some good lessons along the way.

A perfect example is the first episode here, called Treasure Hunt. The young ones on Raloo Farm begin what they think is a treasure hunt, but which turns out to be an elaborate game created by Piggley's father to entice him to do the chores. The episode Growing Pains is in a similar vein. Piggley finds himself running the farm, just the kind of grown-up activity he yearns for, especially if it means getting out of school. When he realizes how much work actually goes into running the farm and how tired he'll be after playing grown-up for one day, going to school doesn't look half bad. In Dannan Does A Jig, we see Dannan facing some difficult circumstances around failure and self-image. Dancing was supposed to be fun, but now Dannan is looking to exit stage-left... The final episode, Our Dragon's Egg, is all about imagination and responsibility bumping into one another. When an egg is found near the castle ruins, it only makes sense that there's a dragonling hiding away inside. What actually comes out of the egg puts a halt to playtime, and the Raloo Farm gang has to do the right thing.

The DVD extras include interactive stories and features on the real characters in the show, particularly the grandparents. The neatest device in Jakers! is how everything is passed down in story form to two little pig characters from their grandfather. The grandfather will inevitably launch into a story based on something that is happening to his grand-kids, taking them back to his days on Raloo Farm. The extended cast of characters, including Dannan, Ferny, and the farm animals, make for some very entertaining situations. The show manages to provide all this without any bloodletting, guns, snarky teenagers, or scary stuff. No wonder it's award-winning. The other exceptional thing about Jakers ! is the animation. The texture, color, and overall visual design is just amazing. If you haven't already discovered Jakers!, grab a copy of Jakers! Treasure Hunt on Raloo Farm and prepare to delight your child. For fans of the show, this is a great compilation with neat extras and Special Features that go beyond what the regular television experience offers.