A radical approach to children's TV. . . . Seiter argues cogently that watching Saturday cartoons isn't a passive activity but a tool by which even the very young decode and learn about their culture, and develop creative imagination as well. Bolstered by social, political, developmental, and media research, Seiter ties middle class aversion to children's TV and mass-market toys to an association with the 'uncontrollable consumerism'--and hence supposed moral failure--of working class memebers, women, and 'increasingly children.' . . . Positive guidance for parents uncertain of the role of TV and TV toys in their children's lives. - Kirkus Review

In this thought-provoking study, Seiter reasonably urges parents and others to put aside their own tastes and to understand that children's consumer culture promotes solidarity and sociability among youngsters. --Publishers Weekly An important book for those desiring an overview of the toy industry's impact on consumer culture . . . [it] provides a fair and well-balanced view of the industry. - Kathleen M. Carson, associate editor, Playthings