Children will be able to answer questions that begin with "Where in the world is" after spending time with this fascinating electronic globe. But the learning doesn’t stop there. When children press the tip of the corded stylus to any part of the globe, they’ll hear information about that location. Depending on the mode chosen, kids learn about the population, capital, time, area, highest point, and currency of each country. They can even hear music samples from around the world, many of which are countries’ national anthems.
Especially interesting is the ability to compare the population of two countries, states/provinces, or continents. Kids can discover, for example, that although the area of the United States is 25 times greater than that of Japan, its population is only twice as great. After setting the current date and time, children can determine the time of day in places around the globe. They can also explore the distance between two points in miles or kilometers, as well as the flying time between the two places.
Though open-ended exploration of the globe is fascinating for a while, testing your knowledge through exciting games is even more fun. The Eureka game consists of four rounds. In each round, players find as many countries, states, or capitals as they can within a 45-second time limit. Scores are announced after each round, and trying to improve upon these scores is almost impossible to resist. Multiple levels, players, and modes accommodate different skill levels and interests and add loads of replay appeal to the game. With a little practice, children can work their way through the levels–from tourist to frequent flyer to globetrotter.
Playing the Odyssey II’s games reinforces general geography facts like no other tool. Children just beginning to identify countries around the world can strengthen their knowledge by playing the game set to the lowest difficulty level, while geography buffs can challenge themselves–or others–to an energetic "globetrotter" game. When players struggle with a particular question, the globe gives progressively more specific hints (not fast enough sometimes!) to help them home in on the answer. When one kid tester couldn’t find the country Benin, for example, hints were offered gradually. He was first told that Benin is near the equator, and then was directed to Africa. When he still couldn’t find the country, he received the hint, "Look near Nigeria and Togo for Benin." The best thing about his experience is that he is unlikely to forget where Benin is found!
This talking globe is really quite striking and boasts loads of appeal. Parents will definitely spend a lot of time with it, perhaps even more than their kids do. The Odyssey II is easy to use and very responsive. However, some of the locations are small and require a little patience to activate. Though children looking for answers to detailed geography questions will need to turn to more in-depth resources, this electronic toy is an excellent tool for introducing children to the subject of geography.
Note that the Explorer Globe, also by LeapFrog, functions essentially the same as the Odyssey II but sports a different look. Also, Odyssey III is expected to become available this year and will feature more controls on the globe’s base. As it stands now, all the game-play modes and even volume controls are found on the globe itself, with the exception of the on/off button.
