If slow and steady wins the race, then So Smart! Colors beats the competition by a turtle nose. Created to charm 1- to 3-year olds, this video storybook features simple, screen-filling drawings that glide and float as a pl... more »easant voice tells short stories about seven different colors. As children watch the green grasshopper climb a green hill or a purple fish blow purple bubbles, the task of learning colors begins. The stories, also paced quite slowly, incorporate simple words and beginning terms like high, low, up, down, big, small, behind, in, and out. Best of all, the delightful original-music soundtrack blends piano, guitar, mandolin, saxophone, and other pleasing instruments to gently perk up the viewing experience. A note at the video's onset wisely suggests that parents watch and interact with their child during the 30 minutes of stories and turn off the TV early if baby gives the cue. --Liane Thomas« less
SHillMD@earthlink.net | Mountain View, CA | 08/16/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"What a wonderful DVD! As a mother of 3 children, the only time I have to sit down is with my two youngest children, ages 10 months and and 3 years old, is for the duration of a DVD or Video.
The So Smart Colors DVD offers soothing music and colorful images that keep both the children's attention at the same time. It is most favorable to my 10 month old, who coo's and ca's when it comes on. She will only watch 4 videos, The two So Smart DVD's we have (Shapes is another must have) and the Baby Know-It-All Videos, that are reality based with children. But as far as other animated videos like Baby Newton, she hasn't really been interested in the collections other than So Smart.The extras and games are perfect for our 3 year old. They help to follow up on what has learned. You also get the music too.
It's perfect for music only activities, and extends the life of the product, adding considerable value."
So Smart Lives Up to Its Name
suziebeezie | San Gabriel, CA USA | 07/25/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I bought this based on good Amazon reviews, and our 6-month-old daughter is absolutely captivated. She has been watching it about two times a week for about six weeks, and watches the entire half hour from start to finish without losing interest. My 17-month-old nephew saw it for the first time at our home, and he asked to watch it twice in a row, so it apparently also goes over well with older, active children.The artwork, storylines, and music are simply charming, and the narrator's voice is very soothing. I think of the Baby Einstein series as putting my daughter into a "wiggly" mood, whereas she seems to concentrate and become contemplative when she watches So Smart. Personally, I prefer the So Smart series to the Baby Einsteins (Mozart and Bach) we also have, because the production is professional, and does not seem as if it were created in the basement of someone's home. I would categorize this as "highbrow" baby entertainment, if there is such a thing."
Stupendous
suziebeezie | 05/16/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"It stupefies me that one company can get something so right when another is way off. When my son was 7 months old I purchased on a whim the So Smart Letters and the Colors DVDs. He has loved watching both them, which I'm sad to say isn't true for any of the Baby Einstein videos I've got for him. Now at a year old he gets excited as soon as he sees the So Smart splash screen. I would be eager to recommend these DVDs to anyone."
Just perfect for any toddler
enamel_pearl | West Covina, CA | 06/16/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Having used to fast paced shows, My son and I found this too slow and boring at first. We used to fall asleep and yawn in the middle of the show. But after a couple of watches, we just fell into this. I realized that learning should come slowly to absorb it better and stay there for a lifetime. Learning shouldn't be rushed. My son has learned to differentiate and sort his colors in an instant. He could arrange a pile of blocks in one color. Amazing it is.
The video story tells a color at a time. It's a digital boardbook that doesn't make use of puppets. It has diecut illustrations just like what you see in boardbooks but has come to life. Illustrations tend to buildup gradually. This gives your child to guess what's up next. My son would watch even when at play. He'd always ask for this as soon as he wakes up. It's a good learning tool while the mind is still fresh from all the stresses of play. We loaned this from the library, and is now purchasing a copy for my son. I highly recommend this. It's worth every penny."
A sweet and charming way to learn colors.
Mom Of Many Munchkins | Central WI, USA | 05/15/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a charming video with very cute pictures of animals. They look like they were made from shapes cut out and pasted together. It begins: "Once upon a time there was a green grasshopper who liked to hop in a green grassy meadow." This is one of the few So Smart videos that actually has words spoken. The voice is a very nice voice to listen to. There are nice sound effects, like birds chirping. The music is great. The colors shown are green, purple, yellow, orange, blue, red, and pink. Each color has a different story and almost everything in that story is that particular color with different shades of the color. Very cute. I have reviewed all the other So Smart videos."