Stuart Little 3: Big Photo Adventure (PlayStation 2)

Sega's STUART LITTLE 3: BIG PHOTO ADVENTURE is a video game that parents will find totally age appropriate -- and kids will find exciting to explore. Kids play as Stuart, the young mouse adopted by the human Little family. Stuart accidentally damages his brother's photography project, so he travels around New York City to retake the ruined photos. This task frequently requires players to go on missions or play Mini games.

Kids who like fast-paced extreme sports will find 16 vehicles for Stuart to ride and/or race. Tasks they will want to tackle include accomplishing eight tricks in a skateboard park using ramps and rails. For kids who prefer puzzles, there are plenty, as players figure out how to help the little Stuart reach high-up, out-of-the-way places. And for families with an Eye Toy camera, there are three pop-the-balloons-with-your-hands games.

Because the game is non-linear and features a huge world to explore, kids will enjoy this game for weeks. The instructions are spoken by the game's characters so that non-readers as young as 5 can play. There is plenty of in-game help provided by the character of Snowbell, but it's not forced on players if they would rather just explore. Kids who are new to gaming can control Stuart as he walks or runs, but those who are more experienced can make the mouse cruise around his world on a skateboard that's faster but harder to control.

Parents, Stuart is a terrific role model because he's funny, polite, cool, and kind. Kids love to play as Stuart, and it is fascinating to view the human world from the perspective of a tiny mouse. Because Stuart is so little, kids have to think as well as experiment to figure out how Stuart can do things in this big human world, and all this fun is had without relying on violence to entertain.