This video designed for the very young is a celebration of nature, and it fittingly opens with a charming rendition of What a Wonderful World. Nature Babies presents beautiful live-action footage of animals interacting with their babies, set to a pleasing soundtrack. For added interest, silly animal antics with exaggerated sound effects and human voiceovers bookend the video songs.
A baby koala clinging to its mother's back, a playful polar bear nuzzling with its mother, and a baby caribou learning to walk with the help of gentle nudges from its parents, are just some of the compelling sequences in the 32-minute video. The gentle musical soundtrack, with alternating female and male vocals, complements the video footage superbly. Penguins waddle to a jaunty rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, for example.
Both young children and their caregivers should enjoy the video's sentimental look at parent-child interactions in the animal world. In fact, a sensible message at the beginning of the video makes it clear that the viewing experience is best treated as a parent interactive one. Caregivers may also want to be on hand to name the animals--the video doesn't feature narration to do this for them.
Children accustomed to high-energy, fast-paced video action probably won't sit still for this low-key video. Animal-loving toddlers who respond best to a livelier, more stimulating format might prefer Baby Dolittle World Animals (see our review). However, many parents will appreciate the slower pace of Nature Babies. It is ideal for "winding down" time before a nap or bedtime.
Those children who pay attention to the video will find the animal footage fascinating and the songs sweet. Also available from the same publisher, and similar in format, is Mozart Nature Symphonies, which includes developmentally appropriate Mozart selections accompanying nature footage.
