Editor Reviews:

Product Description:
The Baby Einstein On the Go: Riding, Sailing, Soaring DVD is a delightful introduction to the three modes of transportation - land, air and water. Baby Einstein On the Go encourages little ones' language development by tapping into their natural fascination with all things that move. Set to the music of classic compositions by Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart and Rossini specially re-orchestrated for little ears, Baby Einstein On the Go helps your little one put names to familiar objects in the world around them, including cars, boats and airplanes. Baby Einstein On the Go is interactive and fun learning experience, featuring spectacular real-world images and delightful puppet shows. Baby Einstein On the Go engages little ones by identifying and naming 24 different types of vehicles including wagons, sail boats, hang gliders and more. Baby Einstein On The Go exposes babies and toddlers to the thrill of cyclists' traveling along a curvy road, the relaxation of a lazy steamboat cruise down the Mississippi River and encourages them to cheer as a group of multi-colored hot air balloons gently rise off the ground. DVD Features: * Repeat Play * Language Tracks - English, French, and Spanish * Discovery Cards * Puppet Shows * Guess What I'm Driving? * Let's Sing Together * Baby Einstein On the Go Toy Chest Age: 1 yr +

Amazon.com:
Baby Einstein celebrates things that go--from trains and planes to boats and bikes--in this 40-minute foray into the world of transportation for the toddler set. Called a "digital board book," the film is divided into segments of land, air, and sea. The deliberately paced scenes feature classical music by great composers (such as Haydn and Mozart) integrated with puppets, live action, and computer animation. Early learning words scroll across the screen with voice-overs available in three language tracks. In one scene, a pastel-colored animated rowboat morphs into an open sea adventure of speedboats, cruise ships, and sailboards. In another, three kids sing the familiar "Wheels on the Bus" as puppets step onboard a brightly colored coach. The train sequence starts with a child pushing a toy choo-choo before expanding into footage of steamers, locomotives, and high-speed trains. Such a visual feast not only entertains young ones but also helps them make critical brain connections, say experts. The Baby Einstein Company has grown up from its 1997 beginnings, having been acquired in 2001 by Disney and its behemoth marketing savvy. While the film is as high quality and interactive as ever, the content gives greater emphasis to computer graphics (with spin-off merchandising opportunities) and lesser attention to its original cornerstones of stylish imagery, art, poetry, and singularly classical compositions. "The Wheels on the Bus" is hardly Beethoven, though youngsters certainly won't complain. (Ages 2 to 4) --Lynn Gibson

Rating : - AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS RECOMMENDS NO TV FOR CHILDREN UNDER 2!
The name "Baby Einstein" can lull you into thinking it's okay or even good for babies to watch t.v., but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no television at all to children under 2 because so many studies have proven its harmful effects on children. Studies have shown that:

- for every hour of television a baby watches a day, their chances of acquiring an attention deficit disorder increases by 10%.
- among babies ages 8 months to 16 months, every hour spent daily watching programs such as 'Brainy Baby' or 'Baby Einstein' translated into six to eight fewer words in their vocabularies as compared with other children their age."
- brain wave activity in babies is slower when watching television than when sleeping.

I believe television should be used SPARINGLY and with caution, and without any delusions of it increasing baby's intelligence. As for making them more intelligent, Dr. William Sears says, "relationships, not things, make babies smarter." The best way to make babies smarter and calmer is to carry them a lot. Slings, pouches and carriers help make this more manageable.

- Carrying babies an extra 3 hours a day resulted in 40% less crying!

Babies who are frequently carried pick up verbal skills faster, and develop better core muscle strength and balance. My Listmania list "Natural Parenting for Baby's First Year" has more information on babywearing, or you can google "babywearing" or "television and baby studies" for your own research.

Crown Crafts The Original NoJo BabySling by Dr. Sears - Black Chambray is a great starter sling.

Finally, I'd suggest "SIGNING TIME" videos - not to be confused with "Baby Signing Time" - as a last resort for OCCASIONAL viewing instead of other baby videos because at least baby can learn sign language. Communicating in sign language is proven to:

- reduce frustration and tantrums
- accelerate language development
- promote parent-child bonding

I found the entire series at my local library. I especially liked Signing Time! Volume 4: Family, Feelings & Fun DVD and 'naming' feelings also increases emotional intelligence in babies.