This series is based upon the Mozart Effect which is based upon the following principals:

· The use of music and the arts to improve the health of families and communities
· The general use of music to improve memory, awareness, and the integration of learning styles
· The innovative and experimental uses of music to improve listening and attention deficit disorders
· The therapeutic uses of music for mental and physical disorders and injuries
· The collective uses of music for imagery and visualization, to activate creativity, and reduce depression and anxiety

There are opponents to this series of videos, ones that feel that introducing children at this young of an age (they're intended for 1 to 18 months) is wrong no matter the content. After watching the reaction of the "borrowed baby" while this video was playing I would disagree. These videos are presented as nothing but the 21st century equivalent of a musical mobile that entertains your child.

Now, on to the specifics concerning this title in the series, Baby Dolittle World Animals. Like the other discs in the series, this one contains over an hour or interactive and education video for you baby and toddler. Aimed at the older toddler (recommended 1 and up) this DVD is bright, colorful and fun. It's easily the most entertaining of the 3 I have reviewed so far and the least likely to bother an adult with over-cuteness.

The main section of the DVD is the Baby Dolittle World Animals Video. It's 21 chapters of music, puppets and animal footage. It's also broken into 3 sections: Jungle Animals, Ocean Animals, and Savannah Animals (perhaps a stretch for young ones). Overall, it does a great job of repeating the name of the animal while combining it with footage of that animal and occasionally puppets. Visually interesting animals, like monkeys and parrots, keep it colorful and interesting.

This disc also has a World Animals Soundtrack that serves little purpose or makes much sense. These are simply 13 short musical tracks performed on toy instruments that have a still background. I've complained on this before and I'll say it again. Play the music, but accompany it with the video from the other areas. As this stands, it's pointless to have it on the DVD with nothing to watch.

The last section is the Language Lab. It's done a little differently on this disc and is quite entertaining. There are two modes available: Learn and Guess. Learn the animals presents a full screen image of 18 animals, one at a time. By using the remote you can reveal to your child the animals name. When this is done, it is read aloud and the sound associated with the animal is played. For example: a golden retriever is shown. When the Next button is pushed, the word dog is displayed and spoken, followed by a bark. The Guessing game builds on these associations. The same words are used in the same order (it would have been nice to mix them up to ensure the child isn't just memorizing the order) with only the animal's sound and images of their paw-prints (tracks) being displayed. Pressing the next button reveals the answer.

Also included are 4 short puppet shows using the animals involved on the disc. These are entertaining, but don't have enough audio associated with them. The DVD also included many of the pictures on the disc in a PDF file. These can be printed out and colored by your child while watching the video.

It's a great disc that expands on the Einstein/Mozart series and theory. It's more entertaining and suited to older children, but would work for younger ones as visual stimulation.

Video: The video on these discs is beautiful. The color and saturation has purposely been ramped up and it shows. The images practically jump off the screen and have no trouble catching the young, wandering eye. The stock footage of the animals is grainy at times, but the overall quality is still better than average.

Audio: The audio is a capable stereo mix that is perfectly crisp and bright, but problematic in a few small areas. There are no audio level problems in this disc like the ones I experienced on others.

Extras: There are no true extras, but they offer links to buy some of the toys that are features in the videos. On a side note, the menus were increasingly frustrating deeper into the DVD. There was no back button to return to a previous menu. They are meant to be played straight through and it's not easy to do otherwise.

Overall: I would highly recommend this to parents that want to encourage their children and develop their interests at an early age. The disc is broader in its coverage and not as limiting to younger children. Definitely the best of the three I've seen and the most entertaining and educational combination.