Minimum age?

She's probably 5 now by this posting ;)

I saw this starting when I was about 8 and really enjoyed it. I just picked up the DVD about two weeks ago and am still surprised by the scope of it (good thing I know a bit of French because that's the only language offered on the North American DVD version of the series - a bit of a drawback otherwise). I'd say it's a great idea as a gift for your niece - that is, if she still doesn't have it.

It covers mostly European/Western history and briefly touches on other world areas so it's not 'even coverage' of what was happening in history around the world - they would probably have to develop another 20 eps to cover everything else!

There's some mild violence (history is, as we know, full of conflict). We witness the death of some of the main characters throughout the series, a very smart and essential trait (time marches ever onward, generations pass on and on...) In some of the early 'pre-history' episodes there are womens' bare breasts depicted and there's a brief urination scene in one of the later eps. Overall, nothing I'd consider the LEAST bit offensive. The narration and pace does get a bit fast at many points as there's a lot of information the series ultimately gets across in a limited timeframe. The overall animation is adequate - no Disney work here - and there's a slight Anime style evident in the animation itself.

I'd say this is looked at best as a FAMILY series as opposed to a children's series. Cute, easily identifiable characters and funny scenes that kids can relate to combined with a savvy, detailed narrative that the grown-ups will find informative. I'm almost 40 and am not ashamed to admit that I still enjoy it as much as when I was little. A solid and enjoyable investment!