REVIEW #19: Brother Francis

If you have kids in the house, you already know that for as much fun as they have had outside all summer & fall, that winter can be a challenging time to parent and to find new things to do with your children.  For younger kids, I watched and reviewed Brother Francis, a kid’s animated show on FORMED.org. If your younger kids are looking for something new to watch, this show just might be the thing.

Title

Brother Francis

https://watch.formed.org/brother-francis-1

Presenter

Brother Francis is a cartoon religious brother.

Length 

Ten 28-minute episodes and one 10 minute mini-episode. 

Style of Content

Brother Francis is a computer-animated cartoon kids show. Brightly colored with loads of movement and energy, this show will keep a lot of kids' attention. There are times when Brother Francis slows down and talks seriously and that seems to be just as effective at keeping a young one’s attention. 

TBH - While not quite Pixar (okay, not even close), the Brother Francis cartoon isn’t so bad that it is distracting to watch. The only thing is the intro song is both catchy and strangely animated. It may weird you out if you are thinking about it too much, but you also may find it stuck in your head later. 

Content

Brother Francis is all about focusing on how to be happy and holy people. He does this by introducing or explaining aspects of the Catholic faith. Brother Francis tells stories about Jesus and relates them to our lives. He explains the Eucharist, Saints, and the Rosary. Brother Francis even has a sing-a-long episode. 

My family found him to be engaging and pretty clear in his communication. I even caught my older kids watching after the toddler had walked away. 

Scripture

Brother Francis references many different pieces of Scripture. For example, in the episode about the Eucharist, Brother Francis talks about John 6. 

Why you should watch this show

If you have kids or grandkids to whom you are trying to pass along the Catholic faith, you should watch Brother Francis with them. If you really like the way Catholicism is explained to children and it helps you grow a childlike faith, maybe you should check this out. 

Why skip it

If you are looking for an in-depth study of Catholicism, this isn’t what you are looking for. If you don’t like kid’s music or animation, this show isn’t for you.