See sharks, sting rays, piranha, alligators, sea turtles and hundreds of different fish and animals from around the world. You'll learn how divers feed the fish, and see what goes on behind-the-scenes. Visit the control center, meet the veterinarian, and see a research lab. Discover a jellyfish that grows longer than a blue whale.

This video will take your child on an educational journey through the Tennessee Aquarium, where they will learn all about river systems, lakes, and the animals that live in them. There is even a special tank to represent the Gulf of Mexico. Your child will have the opportunity to see strange and amazing creatures and learn about how they eat and breathe under water. The feeding routines are documented in depth and words to introduce each activity flash on the screen to help with association of titles and creatures. There is a special portion about the quarantine room, or fish hospital, where your child will learn about how sick and injured fish are cared for and the specific requirements for each water environment. All of the knowledge demonstrated throughout the video is geared to establish an awareness of the environment and how important it is to take care of our streams and lakes. This is especially noted in the part about endangered species, where the narrator explains what it means to be endangered. The words and facts presented will expand your child's vocabulary, knowledge, and imagination.

As your child watches this video they will likely develop lots of questions about the animals and habitats that are discussed. You can indulge in their curiosity by answering their questions or researching the answers together if you don't know them already. By learning together you will provide a special bonding experience for both you and your child. You may even realize that it is time to take a family trip to the local aquarium to explore the underwater life a bit more together.

One day I was babysitting my friend's son Liam. We watched this video together and after it was over, we both looked at each other and said "let's go to the aquarium." So off we went, and Liam's first stop was the octopus display. He could hardly contain his excitement as he asked the "octopus scientist" lots of questions. The "scientist" was actually a young college kid who was studying marine biology and was more than happy to answer all of Liam's questions with as much excitement as Liam was experiencing. Next, he made his way to the sea otters and got a kick out of watching them eat while floating on their backs. He moved around the aquarium like a pro, and I realized that our visit was just one of many. It sure was fun watching him get so excited about all the creatures that live in the sea.

--Kendall

Filmmaker William VanDerKloot was watching kids' videos with his children. He was disappointed with what he saw... and what he didn't. With a few notable exceptions, most children's videos were poorly done and overly simplistic. "It seemed as if very little effort was put into the research or production of those products," said VanDerKloot. "Many looked like amateur home videos."

Then he got an idea.... A Peabody award-winning director/producer, VanDerKloot decided to produce one himself. The first subject came to him while driving past the Atlanta airport in a car full of children. As they drove down I-75, a giant plane took off overhead. Immediately VanDerKloot was bombarded with questions from the kids, "What kind of plane is that?" How fast is it going?" "How many passengers are in it?" The Big Plane Trip, the first video in The Big Adventure Series®, was born.

But VanDerKloot did not want to make a simplistic video "just for kids." Each subsequent video in the series, is constructed with various levels of information so that an entire family, from the youngest to the oldest, can enjoy and learn something new with every viewing. "There is something that happens when you become a parent," says VanDerKloot. "You begin to look at the world through the eyes of a child. Suddenly the normal becomes the extraordinary and you see things in a whole new way."

The Big Adventure Series® shows how things work with a child's sense of wonder. And who better to critique an adventure-in-progress than kids themselves. The team at Little Mammoth holds a number of screenings for children's groups while videos are in their rough edit stage. Utilizing the input, the videos are modified. The results are productions that have received national acclaim from the critics, and most importantly, from families and children.

This hard work has paid off. The BIG Adventure Series®, which is now sixteen titles strong, has received dozens of awards and citations from such organizations as Parent's Choice, Kids First!, Video Librarian, CINE, and International Monitor Awards.