Barney loves you. Take that, ye cynics.

One of the more enduring mysteries of the modern age is the chasm between the adoration that so many children have for Barney, that ever-cheerful purple dinosaur, and the decidedly lower regard many parents have for the lively lizard.

Long a staple of PBS' children's programming, Barney is a pop culture touchstone and an unavoidable rite of passage for parents. His relentlessly sweet disposition and predilection for hackneyed songs are likely to grate on grownups shell-shocked from attending one too many toddler birthday parties. For children, however, Barney is irresistible.

Why? Now, 20 years after Barney's debut, the appeal remains open to debate. DVD Talk colleague Paul Mavis has posited that Barney's nurturing nature is an antidote for kids used to being told "no." While I fear more sinister forces might be at work, I'm willing to accept Paul's theory. It makes sense. Take away the dinosaur costume, and Barney's kindly demeanor isn't too removed from that of the late, great Fred Rogers.

The rancor of jaded grownups doesn't matter. Kids love Barney; and kids, after all, are the target audience.

For them, Barney - Celebrating Around the World is a mildly entertaining and educational introduction to other nationalities and cultures. It's harmless fluff. Our happy-go-lucky Tyrannosaurus Rex pops up to intercede in some good-natured bickering between Tracy and Ben, two friends who can't agree on anything. Barney suggests they put on a party (OK, it's not the most logical remedy, but go along with us here). So Barney, along with his trusty sidekicks -- Baby Bop, BJ and Riff -- whisk the two kids away on a magical airborne choo-choo.

The party makes stops in Rio de Janeiro, Ireland, Japan, Kenya and India to sample dance, music and culinary treats. Ben and Tracy learn the samba in Brazil, kick up their heels for an Irish St. Patrick's Day and fly kites at Japan's Cherry Blossom festival.

Production values are modest, but not embarrassing. The young actors are pleasantly mediocre, and the journey is as corny as it is oddly soothing. In other words, the 53-minute, 51-second Barney - Celebrating Around the World is exactly what kids love and some parents loathe.

The full-frame picture is clean and reasonably crisp, albeit subject to a flatness typical of children's television.

The 2.0 audio mix adequately showcases Barney's songs, so much that you might not get them out of your head for a few weeks. Audio tracks are in English and Spanish.

The DVD includes an 11-minute, two-second episode of Fifi and the Flowerpots. Created by Keith Chapman (of Bob the Builder fame), the stop-motion animated series tells the story of Fifi Forget-me-not and her pals. It's a charming and gentle show.

Say what you will about Barney, but the big lug and his friends know how to entertain -- and mildly educate -- the youngest viewers. Barney - Celebrating Around the World and Fifi and the Flowerpots make for dependable kiddie fare certain to get repeated workouts on the DVD player. Recommended for children.