“Little Einsteins” is one of those shows that is going to be lost on anyone over the age of ten... and that’s pushing it. As part of the current Playhouse Disney staple, “Little Einsteins” is a show that started last year and seems to have become one of the most innovative children’s shows on television. It’s so well constructed that Nick Jr. seems to have emulated it to a degree with their new series “The Wonder Pets.”

Still, “Little Einsteins” offers a unique way for young children to explore music, art and social studies. The show follows four kids – Leo the conductor, Annie the singer, June the dancer and Quincy the musician – as they travel the world in their rocket ship. Each show features music from a classical composer and art from a respected artist.

When I first saw the Little Einsteins, it was a DVD in advance of the show. I thought it was okay, but I didn’t really get the full impact until my children started watching it every day. They fell in love with it, which demonstrated to me how well it talks to them at their level. It’s one of the few shows we DVR at home for them (the others being “Dora the Explorer,” “Go Diego Go!,” “The Wonder Pets” and “The Backyardigans”).

My kids consistently pretend to be the characters from the show – my four-year-old as Leo and my two-year-old as Quincy. My wife has been dubbed Annie, and I have been stuck with June. Our car, a 1998 Ford Taurus, is constantly referred to as Rocket.

The latest “Little Einsteins” DVD is out with three episodes from the series on the disc. The first is “How We Became the Little Einsteins – The True Story!,” which takes us back to when Leo was a baby and Rocket didn’t have a place to live. The second episode is “I Love to Conduct,” which features a bald eagle that steals Leo’s baton. The final episode is “Rocket Safari,” which takes the kids to visit animals throughout the world.

There is only one bonus feature, which is a bit disappointing, considering the shows themselves are available for free on Playhouse Disney. The single game builds on the show’s educational aspect by challenging kids to discover facts about the Little Einsteins. It’s fun for the kids but really lonely in the bonus features menu.

Still, “Little Einsteins: Team Up for Adventure” is a nice collection of the shows from television, which represent some of the most educational and wholesome – yet entertaining – programming on the air today.



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Fullscreen aspect ration (1.33:1). French language track. English subtitles for the hearing impaired.