It amazes me how Disney Little Einsteins can sustain interest across broad age groups. Young kids love it, older kids love it, and parents tend to love it. All have unique reasons, of course. The youngest kids will get off on the Animal Expedition theme of this collection. Whales, ducks, kangaroos, and elephants? What's not to love? The older kids like the challenges posed during the Little Einsteins' adventures, many of which require matching sounds, counting, and recognizing patterns. The parents appreciate that these episodes incorporate classical music and great artistic works. The on-location aspects of Animal Expedition are pretty cool, also. Visiting the Taj Mahal, diving in the ocean, and exploring Australia can't help but broaden our little ones' sensibilities. The package is rounded out by a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode and a DVD game derived from one of the Animal Expedition episodes.

These compilations often feel like several disconnected episodes have been jammed together, in some semblance of a theme. Maybe one episode relates to the theme, while the others are completely off-topic. Disney Little Einsteins: Animal Expedition manages to stay true to the title, so each episode showcases a different critter. The most far-out premise is also the best episode, "Little Elephant's Big Parade." In this episode, the kids travel to India and retrieve a tiny elephant from a vending machine, a little palm-sized pachyderm. When they learn that the little guy can be enlarged by eating three peanuts, they venture out to find him the food and grow him to the size he needs to march with the big elephants. The other episodes are notable for including some video footage, especially nice for kids that enjoy the animation, but will be transfixed by video. The sight of whales cavorting in the open ocean or shots of Australian wilderness are just awesome. The Little Einsteins' gang finds time along the way to engage in some musical matching, some physical rev-em-up-rocket games, and even some quizzes to keep the older kids engaged.

Older kids will also enjoy learning facts about the animals, and may be in a better position to appreciate the nuances of musical terms or classic art. The backdrop designs in these episodes range from henna tattoos to oils and fabrics, so there is a constant wash of color amidst the action and music. Kids will love this collection, and parents will appreciate how easy on the eyes and ears this is compared to a lot of other television fare for kids. The best thing going for Disney Little Einsteins: Animal Expedition is that it informs without feeling teachy, and it entertains without resorting to zany capers. The animation is great, the characters are written well and voiced by some real talent, and the most shocking thing of all is that your kids might actually learn something! Disney Little Einsteins: Animal Expedition is a definite winner.