Dr. Spoon's Baby Talk DVD: English-French, Vol. 1

Is it ever too early to teach your child a second language? While experts disagree overall, they also tend to agree on two things: 1) exposure to a foreign language is good for the development of a child's brain, and 2) after three years old, acquisition of a second language becomes much harder. Aimed at “kids three months and above,” Dr. Spoon's BabyTalk DVD: English-French presents vocabulary arranged by topic—numbers, colors, body parts, food and drink, animals, etc.—offering a corresponding visual with the written word underneath, which is spoken in voiceover by kids in English and French. It's all straightforward vocabulary—even the songs are simply the repeated words set to music—accompanied by stimulating visuals (live-action children, photos, and computer-generated animations) and bright, lively graphics. Whether babies will demand “la bouteille” instead of a bottle after watching this is questionable, but those with larger baby program collections will want to consider adding this one. Also newly available is Dr. Spoon's Baby Talk DVD: English-Spanish, Vol. 1. Recommended. Aud: P. (E. Gieschen)