Little Einsteins: Our Huge Adventure

A next-generation spin-off of the Baby Einstein franchise, the Playhouse Disney series Little Einsteins belongs to the "we need your help" genre of interactive preschool programs such as Dora the Explorer and Blue's Clues. This maiden musical learning adventure revolves around the music-loving Little Einsteins: Leo conducts, June dances, Quincy plays instruments, and Annie sings. In Our Huge Adventure, the children board their trusty, gadget-equipped Rocket to transport a wayward caterpillar to the Musical Tree of Many Colors, where it can become a butterfly and later fly to Mexico (the troupe ultimately winds up celebrating with the butterfly's family there). Along the way, the Little Einstein team zooms past such national landmarks as the Statue of Liberty and Niagara Falls, while the classical soundtrack features the music of Beethoven, with repeated renditions of the "Ode to Joy" theme. The series' distinctive look combines animation, live action, computer-generated backgrounds, and replications of artwork by Van Gogh and Monet. In addition, musical terms are introduced to monitor Rocket's progress (allegro for faster, adagio for slower), while listening and observational skills also come into play. DVD extras include a "Navajo Maze Game," a "DisneyPedia" entry (on Beethoven's Ninth symphony, the cities visited in the program, and the annual butterfly migration), and a "Backstage Disney: Meet the Team" featurette. Recommended. Aud: K, P. (D. Liebenson)