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Who reviews for Vumble

The Expert Score is the share of Vumble Critics who give a title four stars or five — golden honey at its best, black honey when critics are mixed. It is counted separately from parents and never merged with them. These are the rules for who can be a critic and what every review must contain.

Who can apply

Three kinds of expertise, each checked differently.

  • Clinical

    Licensed professionals who work with children’s development, speech, behaviour and health.

    • Pediatrician
    • Speech-language pathologist
    • Occupational therapist
    • Child psychologist

    We look up your licence or registration with the issuing board and record its renewal date.

  • Educational

    Educators and librarians who choose media for groups of young children every week.

    • Early-childhood educator
    • Elementary educator
    • Children’s librarian

    We confirm your role with your school, centre or library, or check your teaching certification.

  • Critical

    Writers, broadcasters and podcasters who review children’s media.

    • Children’s media critic

    We read your published work: at least two years of regular reviews of children’s media.

Not eligible: anyone paid by, employed by, or in a sponsorship with a studio, channel or network whose work they would review, and anyone who cannot show the credential they claim.

Two tiers

Vumble Critic
A verified credential in one of the lanes above, and acceptance of the code of conduct below.
Senior Critic
Chosen by an editorial panel, and cannot be applied for: years of practice, a substantial body of Vumble reviews, and reviews other critics rely on. Senior Critics are marked on every review they write.

What every review contains

  • A rating, one to five stars. Four or five counts toward the Expert Score.
  • The ages the critic would recommend it for. Often the most useful line on the page.
  • A pull-quote taken word for word from the review.
  • The review itself, 100–600 words, with an optional link to a longer piece published elsewhere.

Scores and badges

Counted the moment you load the page, from people whose credential is current.

Expert Score
The share of critics who give a title 4 or 5 stars, shown with how many critics that is. At 60% or more it is golden honey; below that, black honey.
Expert Certified
80% or more of at least 8 written reviews give it four stars or five, from at least 3 different disciplines, including 2 Senior Critics. The badge names the ages that 75% of those critics agree it suits.
When critics and parents disagree
If the Expert Score and the Parent Score are 25 points or more apart, the title’s page says so. The two are never averaged into one number.

Code of conduct

  1. 1.

    Watch it before you review it.

    For a series, at least 3 episodes, and say how many.

  2. 2.

    Write it yourself.

    Reviews must be your own human writing. AI-generated text is not eligible.

  3. 3.

    Declare every interest.

    Any relationship with a title’s studio, channel, network or creator is shown on every review you write. An undisclosed conflict ends your approval.

  4. 4.

    Quote yourself exactly.

    Your pull-quote (up to 200 characters) must be copied word for word from your review. Never write a line just for the headline.

  5. 5.

    One review per title.

    Writing again revises your review; it never adds a second one or a second vote.

  6. 6.

    Speak from your discipline, and do not diagnose.

    A review is your professional view of a title, not advice about a particular child.

  7. 7.

    Keep your credential current.

    Verification lasts a year. A lapsed or revoked credential takes your reviews and your share of the Expert Score off the site until it is renewed.

Critic reviews are professional opinions about media, not medical, developmental or educational advice for a specific child. Apply to review for Vumble · How scores work · Meet the critics