The Baby Einstein videos have really come a long way. They started as poorly produced puppet shows with cheap toys and low-grade editing technology. However, they were doing something right. Kids loved them. Even my young boys enjoy watching the older videos, before the Disney buy-out.

Now, the Baby Einstein videos are packaged together in a much more slick presentation with better special effects and production values. However, the spirit has remained the same. As an adult, you may not “get” the Baby Einstein videos, but you only have to look to a child watching to see their value. Unlike some children’s programming that is nothing more than bright colors that get kids to stare at the tube, these new videos encourage interaction and participation.

The latest Baby Einstein video is “Baby Wordsworth,” which is designed to develop a child’s language skills. Marlee Matlin comes aboard as a special guest to help children get a rudimentary understanding of sign language.

Using classical music (from Bach, Bizet, Debussy, Grieg and Schubert) and colorful puppets, “Baby Wordsworth” takes viewers through different rooms of the house and teaches them vocabulary for the items found there. This introduces 30 words to kids, as well as their signs.

Billed as a “Digital Board Book,” this DVD is recommended for children one year old and older. The special features really round out the disc. It gives a recap of the different words as well as the entire alphabet in sign language. The special features also include some puppet show segments and suggestions on what signs to teach babies.

Sure, there’s a shameless plug for the new “Little Einstein” series, developed by the Baby Einstein people. But even this is well put together. This behind-the-scenes look at this new series includes discussion with the creators and developers, giving a very comprehensive view of “Little Einstein.”

“Baby Wordsworth” is probably one of the best assembled videos from the “Baby Einstein” collection. And with instruction coming in Spanish and French as well as English, it’s a great way to get your kids introduced to language.



Specifications: Fullscreen aspect ration (1.33:1). French, Spanish and English language tracks.