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Paramount Studios presents

Curious Buddies: Let's Build! (2005)

"Dumptruck."- Bear

Stars: various
Director: various

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (nothing objectionable)
Run Time: 00h:31m:58s
Release Date: 2005-04-12
Genre: educational

Style
Grade
Substance
Grade
Image Transfer
Grade
Audio Transfer
Grade
Extras
Grade
A A-AB+ C

 

DVD Review

It seems like kids DVD titles are coming out of the woodwork these days, with a surprising boom in the baby/toddler category especially. Baby Nick Jr., through Paramount Home Video, is releasing Curious Buddies: Let's Build!, the latest title in their series devoted to these youngsters.

The Curious Buddies titles even go so far as to tell parents at the top of their cases what age group each DVD is best for. Let's Build! is gear mostly towards those ages 9-24 months, and was the perfect attention-grabbing and educational tool for my 14-month-old.

Curious Buddies: Let's Build! focuses on teaching kids about the concept of building things. The program uses loveable puppets to show kids the different types of construction vehicles to begin the show, then moves on to teaching the concepts of "tall," "taller," "tallest," and "smallest."

From there the puppets show various shapes, talk about persistence, and go through various tools that are used to build things. The puppets also touch on the concept of building different structures, doing all of this to the beats of different musical styles.

Sure, kids will be mainly enamored by the cute puppets and bouncy music, but once they've gotten used to them, they just might pay attention to the building concepts being presented. I'm on the fence as to which is superior between the Curious Buddies series and the Baby Einstein series, but the fact that the argument is so close is a testament to the high quality of both.

My daughter couldn't take her eyes off the screen, and it's a safe bet that your kids will have the same reaction to Curious Buddies: Let's Build!

Rating for Style: A
Rating for Substance: A-

 

Image Transfer

 One
Aspect Ratio1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratioyes
Anamorphicno


Image Transfer Review: The colors in this full-frame presentation are sure to mesmerize any kid between the age of 9 and 24 months (the disc's target age group). The wide array of bright colors takes kids right into the world of the Curious Buddies, and that aspect of the video presentation is flawless. The rest of it isn't bad either, with solid shadow levels and good contrast. The only flaw is minor, and in the form of a bit of grain that pops up now and then.

Image Transfer Grade: A
 

Audio Transfer

 LanguageRemote Access
DS 2.0Englishyes


Audio Transfer Review: The Dolby Digital 2.0 track is above average, and spreads the fun, bouncy music to all of the surrounds, immersing kids in the songs. The lyrics and other dialogue comes across very clearly, never suffering from any distortion or hiss.

Audio Transfer Grade: B+ 

Disc Extras

Static menu
Scene Access with 12 cues and remote access
Music/Song Access with 6 cues and remote access
1 Feature/Episode commentary by Dr. Rachel Barr
Packaging: Keep Case
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extra Extras:
  1. "Let's Go to the Beach" Music Video: clip showing kids playing at the beach.
  2. Photo Gallery: various images from the DVD.
Extras Review: Aside from a music video and photo gallery, there is only one other extra and it is an audio commentary with Dr. Rachel Barr, during which she discusses the value of the material in this DVD and the positive effects it will have on the kids.

Extras Grade: C
 

Final Comments

Curious Buddies: Let's Build! is a wonderful addition to this great learning DVD series for the littlest of kids. Great audio and video make this a wonderful overall experience for kids and parents alike.

Chuck Aliaga 2005-04-12