FAMILY : If Your Youngster Is Fond of Animals and Trains . . .

Animals and trains. It’s hard to find young children without a passion for one or the other, so it’s not surprising that home videos on either subject abound. A sampling:

Bear’s Barnyard: It’s a Dog’s Life and Bear’s Big Lake: It’s a Dog’s Life. P.U.D. Productions. Each, 30 min., $14.95. (800) 259-0957. Few children’s videos are this beautifully filmed. Created by photographers Dave Frederick and Caree Waltz, the real-life action revolves around Bear, a big, furry teddy bear of a canine who offers a dog’s-eye view of nature’s animal and plant wonders in the central Texas hill country. Humans provide animal and insect voices with dialogue both comic and teacherly, but the best elements are the stunning colors and irresistible animal close-ups.

Let’s Explore . . . Furry, Fishy, Feathery Friends. Braun Film and Video Inc., 30 min., $14.95. (800) 815-6205. In this live-action intro to animals for prospective young pet owners, a little girl visits a pet shop with her dad. Expect loads of close-ups of puppies, cats, bunnies, ferrets, hamsters, reptiles, amphibians and birds. It’s charming fun, with one glaring flaw: There is no mention of animal shelters overflowing with great pets yearning for a good home.

Big Trains, Little Trains. Sandbox Home Videos, 30 min., $14.95. (800) 4-GOOD-TV. There are umpteen train videos on the market, not least of which are the popular Thomas the Tank Engine and Pentrex series. This unpretentious charmer is among the best for ages 2 and up. And unlike some, it also wholeheartedly includes female fans, as a young girl takes a little boy on a delightful tour of trains, from Lionel toy layouts and ridable small-scale trains, to the real thing of the past and present.

A Lionel Christmas. TM Books Video, 55 min., $19.95. (800) 892-2822. For serious collectors of all ages and nostalgic adults, a tribute to the Holy Grail of toy trains for kids in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Although solely male-oriented and set against producer Thomas McComas’ remarkably rosy-hued vision of the past, the sight of mighty engines, coal loaders, Lincoln logs, wind-up toys and winter-themed layouts is a treat. So are several heartfelt narratives about a time when the trains topped countless wish lists.

Musical Note: “Boogie Woogie Christmas,” from College Street Publishing, is a pleasant new family sing-along album of traditional and original songs for the holidays. Best of the bunch: the bouncy title song and a gentle carol called “This Is Christmas,” both by album creator Jim Grady, and a sweetly harmonized “Winter Wonderland.” CD: $13.95; cassette: $9.95. (800) 246-8386.

Read All About It: Ruben Blades will read a pair of children’s favorites, “La Gallinita Roja” (The Little Red Hen) and “Donde Esta Mi Osito?” (Where Is My Teddy Bear?) on “Storytime Para Ti,” a Spanish and English holiday edition of the Emmy-winning PBS children’s series “Storytime,” on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and Dec. 25 at 8 and 11 a.m. on KCET-TV Channel 28. With the help of a puppet kid named Kino, host Marabina Jaimes and a gaggle of real kids, “Storytime” was created to inspire family reading. In this Christmas-themed special, Jaimes also reads “Too Many Tamales” and Kino learns a little Spanish along the way.

Note: KCET Channel 28 and the Los Angeles Public Library are sponsoring a holiday event in honor of the PBS special at the downtown Central Library at 530 W. 5th St. on Saturday at 3 p.m. Among the activities: Gary Soto, author of “Too Many Tamales,” will offer a reading from his book.