Search - Baby Einstein on DVD

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 2/3/2023...

A must for young babies!

In praise of "Baby Einstein"

09/04/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This "video board book" does a number of things very well. Much like a standard board book, it shows infants bright, high-contrast images. But this video version also plays soothing and sometimes spunky melodies. It also lets children hear speakers of more than half a dozen foreign languages, including Hebrew, Russian and Japanese.This feature of the video is confusing to many parents of potential viewers. Will the video teach junior to speak one of the foreign languages on the tape? Not exactly. Will it make junior a little Einstein? Not exactly. What good is it, then?What the video DOES do is help the mind preserve many of the nerve synapses in the brain which would otherwise be destroyed as the infant matures into a toddler. Imagine a Bonsai tree, of which some of its miniature limbs and branches are trimmed because they are not useful to the tree as a whole. The body does the same thing to unused mental synapses sometime around the first and second years of life. And they don't grow back.Now think about all the funny comedy scenarios you've seen where a Japanese tourist says something like, "Herro, I'm rooking for Horrywood, Carifornia." Why do his Ls sound like Rs? Because there is NO "R" sound (phoneme) in the Japanese language. And because our tourist never heard that sound in his infancy, he cannot now, as an adult, discern it from the phonemically-similar "L" sound.Infants hearing a variety of phonemes foreign to English-speaking people at this young age will preserve the synapses that are sensitized (from birth) to these sounds. And this video does just that.So while the video will not teach junior the foreign language, if he tries to learn the language later, he will have an easier time of it, because he will be sensitized to that language's sounds. And while junior perhaps will not be an Einstein for watching, he will come away from the experience with more synapses in his brain than had he not watched.Also be aware that none of this is pop psychology -- it is well-researched and tested fact, taught in most undergraduate and graduate psychology, speech and linguistics classes today (See the producer's Web site for details).Finally, as other reviewers have said better than I have, the video is a lot of fun for you and junior to watch together! And perhaps THAT is the selling point for prospective parents who want the best for their little ones."

An educated parent's $.02

08/14/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I had to add my input after reading all the reviews, positive and negative. This video does indeed appear "homemade." However, the creator (Julie Clark) and her husband, who does all the video, have gotten progressively more sophisticated with each video, although I would not recommend any of the Baby _____ videos for their video quality. Regardless, they are captivating to young babies. My six month old son has been watching all three, Einstein, Mozart and Bach since he was one month old. I was very dubious regarding the claims that they would interest a baby this young. He reacted with delight then, and continues to enjoy them all. He has just started watching Baby Shakespeare which seems to be his favorite, so don't be afraid to start your baby early on this one. I would suggest if your baby doesn't take to it the first time, give it a second try. You can get all the adult opinions you want, but really, it's how your baby reacts that counts! It's been designed to appeal to babies and their view of the world."

Good...but not Julie's greatest accomplishment.

04/07/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Okay...I must admit that my son is a Baby Einstein junkie! He was very fussy until he was three-months-old and Baby Bach was literally the only thing that saved my sanity on some days. Now that he is past the one-year milestone, he has the entire Baby Einstein library. He particularly loves the Baby Dolittle tapes and will watch them again and again. We were happy to see a new title to add to our collection and waited patiently for the release date. I must say, I am a bit disappointed overall. First, the video seems a lot shorter than the other ones. Maybe it's because I bought the DVD this time and am used to the "commercial" at the end of the tapes. My son insists on watching through to the "commercial" on the tapes, as even they hold his attention.Second, the fast editing is more MTV than Baby Einstein. Our children have dwindling attention spans as it is. Disney's hands are ALL OVER this video. If you watch the Disney Channel, it's the same feeling. More substance and less flash would do this video good. Also, Baby Neptune lacks the panache of, say, Vincent Van Goat (Baby Van Gogh) or Jane (World Animals).Last, it just didn't seem to hold my son's attention like other Baby Einstein titles. Starting with Baby Beethoven, the new voice at Disney seems to have disturbed the organic quality of the original tapes. To be honest, I miss Sierra and Aspen on this tape. It helped with the "from my house to yours" feel of previous titles. The puppets also seem to be lacking in this video. The interaction of the puppets with other puppets or the children is charming on previous videos.On a positive note, I recommend the DVD for the repeat play feature if for nothing else. I don't stick my child in front of these tapes for hours at a time, but we often have them on in the background when we are playing together. Still, when you need a video babysitter to get the dishes done, having this option is a lifesaver!I look forward to the Little Einstein series in the works for older children. I think these tapes will be a touchstone for my child's generation, much like "School House Rock" or "Free To Be You And Me" was for mine."