Voila! Looking for charming French cartoons in the US

August 28, 2013 11:55 AM

My husband would like to improve his (very limited) French comprehension by watching cartoons or other children's shows in French with our four-year-old daughter. We have access to Netflix streaming, Amazon prime, Roku, a DVD player etc., and are willing to spend a little $ for something charming that will appeal to adults and children both.

If "Charlie and Lola" or "Peppa Pig" were in French that would be perfect. Alas.

I keep coming up with Tin Tin and Asterix, which is fine, but am looking for something a little simpler. I think. Hopefully something without princesses or superheroes (they just don't appeal to our small viewer). No anime.

Any suggestions? Merci, MeFi!

posted by nkknkk to Media & Arts (10 answers total)

Until someone comes up with something more substantial, there's Avez-vous deja vu?
posted by whuppy at 12:00 PM on August 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Maybe Panique au Village (A Town Called Panic). I am an adult with very limited French comprehension and I loved it.
posted by newmoistness at 12:05 PM on August 28, 2013 [2 favorites]

newmoistness: Maybe Panique au Village (A Town Called Panic). I am an adult with very limited French comprehension and I loved it.

This is the best movie and I love it and it is the best and it is on Netflix for streaming.
posted by Rock Steady at 12:13 PM on August 28, 2013

YouTube has not-totally-legit episodes of Caillou in French. If you live in Ontario just watch TFO.
posted by GuyZero at 12:27 PM on August 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

You might like the story of Colargol - the bear who ran away. This was translated into many languages when it came out - in the UK he was Barnaby the Bear. It has some good music - here he an episode.
posted by rongorongo at 12:59 PM on August 28, 2013

Le Ballon rouge - not a cartoon but a children's movie
posted by mattbucher at 1:44 PM on August 28, 2013

Barbar L'Elephant - there are many versions here is somebody reading the book with music. Here is an animated version.

Or Barbapapa.
posted by rongorongo at 2:02 PM on August 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Check out Radio Canada. They have a bunch of stuff online. I'm in Canada so you may need to do some IP fancy footwork, I'm not sure. Some of the shows are just French versions of stuff you may already know (Manny et ses outils = Handy Manny, Benjamin = Franklin), others are very Québécois (Annie Broccoli, Leon) and you also have TinTin and things like that. Because these are on the public broadcaster they tend to have some sort of educational or moral lesson.

I just asked my 5yo girl and she picked Leon, Garfield, l'escouade de monstre maths and Mouss et Boubidi as her favourites. FWIW she's also a Charlie and Lola fan.
posted by Cuke at 5:41 PM on August 28, 2013

Try Muzzy. I haven't personally tried it but have heard good things.
posted by jschu at 8:51 PM on August 28, 2013

Our 4 year old likes Muzzy, but it does have a princess and is a little formulaic or something. Although I do like the EVILLL CORVAX who is clever and uses COMPUTERS.
posted by mgogol at 7:03 AM on August 29, 2013