When Baby Einstein started its "video board books" in 1997, the company was virtually alone in the field of baby development. By its sixth video, the field has become crowded with similar-sounding titles. Now scientists might be able to analyze what a baby will get out of a video like
Baby Dolittle compared to
Baby Van Gogh, but is it worth getting more baby videos? Absolutely--babies love variety as much as their adult counterparts. On that level,
Baby Dolittle scores. The theme of animals is a natural, and this show should cause squeals of delight from little ones 1 to 4 years old. Using a stimulating mix of brightly colored toys, whimsical puppets (including your host, Pavlov the Dog), and lots of pictures,
Baby Dolittle takes the viewer on a 30-minute tour of commonly found animals. Help your little pal spot a pig on the farm or a dog in the house.
Baby Dolittle uses animals' sounds, kids' drawings, and photography for each animal in four habitats. The natural settings and original, bright recordings of Beethoven, Rimsky-Korsakov, Vivaldi, and others should make this a favorite every time you want to visit Old MacDonald's Farm. Followed by a companion production,
Baby Dolittle World Animals.
--Doug Thomas
