One of the best Little EinsteinsThis is one of the best Little Einsteins DVDs yet for exposing kids to classical music. Twice as long as a regular television program, its 51-minute main feature, "Rocket's Firebird Rescue," will really make children familiar with Igor Stravinsky's "The Firebird."
Just about the perfect length for many youngsters' attention spans, the program tells the tale of the Firebird, a mythical crane that spreads music throughout Russia until a mean, magical ogre traps it. It also introduces kids to the painting "Improvisation" by Wassily Kandinsky, the amazing eggs of Carl Faberge, Russian nesting dolls, even St. Basil's Cathedral and the Baikal freshwater seal.
It's even better if you view it with a home theater set-up, as the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack includes the kids' "Rocket" flying machine zooming around you as it travels.
The DVD also contains a regular episode of the Little Einsteins television series, 2007's "Rocket Soup," in which the kids fill up...
Engaging and fun!"Rocket's Firebird Rescue" is a new full length adventure starring Disney's Little Einsteins. The film runs 51 minutes, with an additional bonus episode titled, "Rocket Soup". I'll admit that initially I was a bit put off by the "Little Einsteins" moniker. I don't like the implication that parents have to plunk their little darlings in front of a box in order to stimulate their minds. There are many products sold to insecure parents who want to give their child every advantage, all seem to have titles that include the names of famous thinkers, composers, or artists, or else words such as "brainy", "smarter", or "better". Though I'm not enamored of the show's name, "Little Einsteins" is quite fun and engaging.
There are four kids on the Little Einsteins team, each with a special talent. The kids are between four and six years old. Leo is the leader of the group and his special skill is conducting. Quincy plays a variety of musical instruments. June is a dancer, and...
Good, but too much paddingMy 2-year-old son is a huge fan of Little Einsteins, or, as he calls them, the "Steins!" He loves this movie and we let him watch it on rare occassions where we need to keep him occupied for a full hour. My son loves the movie and dances, sings and does everything else along with the movie, so clearly it engages him. I am sure he would give it five stars.
From the parent perspective, though, it seems like they made an hour long episode by repeating things seven times instead of three times. And each Little Einstein gets to show off his or her unique talent, instead of focusing on one person like they do on a TV episode. As a result, it feels like an overlong TV episode. Of course, the TV episodes are great, so this is not really a criticism other than to say that if you watch it with your child, you will likely get a little bored and start wishing they would move the story along. Like I said, the repitition does not bother my son, the intended audience, one bit...
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