The baby-to-toddler set gets an expedition through a variety of animal habitats across the planet in this installment of the Baby Einstein series. Despite the title, there is no real biblical connection to the material other than Noah's Ark toys and a few paintings (minus Noah and family). The subtitle "Animal Expedition" is far more accurate, as the 38-minute program takes the youngsters through the African savannah, rainforest, ocean, Australian Outback, and polar regions. As in its predecessors in the series, this one focuses on a few animals in each segment with repetition through toys, puppets and nature footage. Spoken words are minimal, but percussion and classical music (Beethhoven, Bizet, and Mozart, here) are maximized. (Ages 1 to 2) --Kimberly Heinrichs

Two by two...a musical introduction to animals around the world!
-- Introduces animal names and sounds
-- Encourages interactive play

As little ones become better acquainted with the world, they grow curious about animals of all kinds, beyond just the family pet. And as their communication skills continue to develop, they enjoy imitating animal sounds as well. Baby Noah Animal Expedition takes your little explorer across the globe to meet animals -- two-by-two -- from the savannah, the rainforest and tropics, the Outback, the ocean and the Polar Regions. With its unique video "lift-the-flap" format, adroable puppet shows and delightful music, this exciting program invites parents and babies on a fun-filled safari that encourages vocal participation and interactive play. Get ready to meet lions, tigers, dolphins, koalas, penguins and more. It's a wide, wonderful world out there, and there's nothing more rewarding than discovering it together!

DVD Features
-- Repeat play
-- Language tracks (Spanish, French and English)
-- Discovery cards
-- Guess the animal
-- Talk like the aniamls
-- Puppet shows
-- About Little Einsteins (Available in French and English only)

My Grandchildren love this DVD. There are so many animals other than the usual ones kids know. My daughter says it is one of the best Baby Einstein DVD's out there.

My 19 month old daughter just got into this DVD. I'd reccomend it if you're looking for a baby einstein DVD for a toddler. It's very relaxing for her and me!

For whatever reason my girls LOVE animals.. everyone known to man.. and this DVD is great.. We love the "peak a boo" feature and they can guess what the animal is behind the flap!! Great job again baby einstein!

My daughter loves this video. She is almost 2 and we've had the video for 2 months and she asks to watch it every day. She very quickly learned the names of all the animals, and she giggles at the puppets' antics. We also have Baby Neptune and Baby Galileo, and she loves those as well. She likes having me sit next to her to watch it with her, because then she can ask me what the animals are and what are they doing. It makes for relaxing downtime for both of us.

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 easiest way to make babies smarter and calmer is to carry them a lot. Slings, pouches and carriers help make this more manageable. Studies have shown that:

- carrying babies an extra 3 hours a day resulted in 40% less crying.

Babies who are frequently carried are proven to 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 instead of other baby videos because at least baby can learn sign language. 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.