Dinosaur Train: What's At the Center of the Earth?

Good Afternoon, I hope things are well.

PBS Distribution has announced that they will be releasing "Dinosaur Train: What's At the Center of the Earth?" on DVD February 21. The DVD has a run time of 120 minutes and an SRP of $12.99. This DVD contains 8 stories from the beloved PBS KIDS series Dinosaur Train. Below is a listing of the episodes included on the DVD along with a description.

“What’s at the Center of the Earth? Layers!”

The Conductor takes the Pteranodon family on a very special journey on a new invention – the Drill Engine Train – in search of the perfect spot for a new Underground Dinosaur Train Station! Don is THRILLED to be venturing into the BIGGEST HOLE THE EARTH HAS EVER KNOWN! Shiny is nervous to be underground, until they meet a new friend (a Mesozoic Mole named Natasha Necrolestes), who teaches them all about the different layers of the Earth.

“What’s at the Center of the Earth? Fossils!”

As the Pteranodon family continues their journey underground, Don accidentally breaks Buddy’s trilobite fossil (the oldest fossil in his collection)! When the search for another trilobite fossil turns up empty, their new friend Natasha Necrolestes takes them to Fossil Alley, where the kids learn that the older the fossil, the deeper underground it is.

“What’s at the Center of the Earth? Troglobites!”

The Drill Engine Train burrows into an underground limestone cave, where the Pteranodon family meets some strange creatures without eyes called “troglobites.” In a contest to see who would make the best troglobite, Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, and Don participate in a treasure hunt – with their eyes closed! The kids have to rely on their other senses (with some guidance from the actual troglobites) to navigate the cave and find the prize.

“What’s at the Center of the Earth? Minerals!”

While digging even further underground, the drill bit on the Drill Engine Train breaks. The Pterandon family find themselves in the Cave of Giant Crystals, where they learn all about rocks and crystals (what they are, how they’re different, how they form). In order to get back home, the Pteranodon Family has to fix the drill bit by finding a mineral harder than the mineral that broke the bit in the first place.

“Nest Swap”

The Pteranodon family decides to take a little vacation and swap nests with Larry’s friends: a family of pterosaurs (Nemicolopterus, to be exact). But when the Pteranodon family arrives at the Nemicolopterus nest, they realize that the Nemicolopterus family is MUCH smaller than them, so everything is smaller: the Pteranodon family doesn’t even fit in their nest! Can the family make do, try something new, and still have a good time?

“The Herd is the Word”

Tank Triceratops is really excited to show Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, and Don his favorite picnic spot, but when they arrive, the spot is overrun with a whole herd of Triceratops. Tank and the kids try to find another place with a little more privacy (and a lot less Triceratopses), but no matter where they go, the herd follows them. Will Tank be able to find a quiet spot without the herd, or does the herd have a good reason for following Tank around?

“Spinosaurus Super Model”

When Don stumbles across a stick that looks EXACTLY like Old Spinosaurus, he’s determined to have the grumpy old dinosaur pose for his sculpture (so he can get the Spinosaurus’s features exactly right). But when they arrive at Old Spinosaurus’s home, he makes it clear that there’s no way he’s posing for anything. Can Don convince Old Spinosaurus to pose for his sculpture, or will Don have to come up with another plan?

“Where Have All the Lizards Gone?”

The Conductor takes the Pteranodon Family for a special trip to Lizard Island, where they discover that it’s been overrun by plants and bugs, and there are few precious lizards left. The Conductor concludes that the Changyuraptor family (that he dropped off there awhile ago, and has since multiplied) has been eating all the lizards and throwing the entire ecosystem out of balance. Can the Pteranodon family and Mr. Conductor convince the Changyuraptor family to leave their home in order to get the island ecosystem back in balance.

My Thoughts

My kids have always loved Dinosaur Train. Buddy and the Pteranodon family go off on a variety of exciting adventures on the Dinosaur Train. Along the way, they meet lots of other friends and always discover new things. This DVD includes eight exciting episodes that focus on learning about the earth and what it's made of.

What's at the Center of the Earth? Layers!

What's at the Center of the Earth? Fossils!

What's at the Center of the Earth? Traglobites!

What's at the Center of the Earth? Minerals!

Nest Swap

The Herd is the Word

Spinosaurus Super Model

Where have All the Lizards Gone?

This is a great series and this DVD is a great addition to our collection. It has tons of great scenes and we can watch it over and over again. We especially like the one about minerals  since we collect stones and crystals.  In addition to lots of action, kids always learn some dinosaur facts in every episode.