Toby's Rescue From the Planet

Amateur production values hamper this otherwise engaging interactive children's video about geography. After being bored in school, Andi, her dog Toby, and her classmate Alex accept an invitation to go to the planet Schlappy with the smooth-talking Space Devil. After finding out that the grass is not always greener on the other side of the universe, the trio are given a chance to return home if they can successfully pass a test. Andi meets 10 different sets of story characters: she must guess the story and the country of origin for each one in order to win. The stories include those of Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Peter and the Wolf, the Trojan Horse, the Arabian Nights, Aladdin, and Johnny Appleseed. The songs which accompany most of the segments are fun (with onscreen text so that kids can sing along), and the idea is sound, but the washed-out looking video, amateur acting, and less than eye-opening special effects continually detract from the content. Not a necessary purchase. (R. Pitman)