Going to Grandma's (Around the World)

"Ich liebe dich, oma," I used to say as a child to my German grandmother, whom I still call oma today. While learning how to say "I love you, Grandma" in ten different languages (Japanese, Italian, Polish, Hebrew, French, Hungarian, Spanish, Russian and German) might not strike you as a sure-fire idea for a winning children's video (how many times can your bundle of joy repeat "ya lublu vas, babushka," before you run from the room screaming?), Going to Grandma's is a surprisingly fun little video. Combining cool cut-out animation against pictorial backdrops and computer animated bits, the program offers more than just a paean to Grandma (and Grandpa too); young viewers will also learn interesting facts about various countries. Everyone, for example, knows that Japan gave the world Nintendo, but did you know that kites were invented there? Did you know that we have Poland to thank for the jelly donut, or that Italy gave the world ice cream, or that Rubik's Cube was invented by a Hungarian? Pre-schoolers looking for good icebreakers to use around the kool-aid cooler at their local daycares will appreciate this clever introduction to other cultures, as well as the joy of being able to say "boku-wa obasan-ga daisuku desu" in 10 languages. Recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Pitman)