Rocket's Firebird Rescue [DVD]

The Little Einsteins are a talented group of musically-inclined, preschool-age friends who just happen to have a rocket ship named Rocket for a friend and a knack for helping those in need. In this animated adventure, it's up to Leo, Annie, Quincy, and June to preserve music around the world by traveling to Russia to free the magical Firebird from the grip of a music-hating ogre named Katschai. Set to themes from Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird" and featuring the art of Wassily Kandinsky, Faberge eggs, and Matryoshka Nesting Dolls, this full-length Little Einsteins adventure conveys the basic gist of Stravinsky's "Firebird" ballet in which the Firebird casts a spell of energetic dance and sleep upon the creatures of a magical kingdom. Prominent musical themes are emphasized by linking them to specific onscreen characters and their actions and basic musical terms like adagio and allegro are introduced while the Little Einsteins promote friendship, cooperation, and compassion and engage the active participation of young viewers by encouraging them to clap, sing, dance, and pretend to play musical instruments. The bonus episode "Rocket Soup" emphasizes teamwork and introduces orchestral instruments with the help of Dvorak's "Humoresque No. 7" and Paul Klee's painting "Moonrise." Engage the "Magic Mission Mode" and children can view "Rocket's Firebird Rescue" with animated pop-up facts.(Ages 3 to 7)--Tami Horiuchi