Disney's Little Einsteins: Rocket's Firebird Rescue (NR, 2007)

To rescue a magical and musical bird, Disney's Little Einsteins face opponents ranging from fierce snowstorms to a crescendo-conducting dragon in ROCKET'S FIREBIRD RESCUE. The four Little Einsteins are captivated by a story about the firebird, who, in this version of the tale, fills the world with musical power. But when an ill-tempered ogre captures the magical flying creature, the Little Einsteins -- Leo, Annie, June, and Quincy -- blast off in their trusty red rocket to rescue her. Their mission takes them to St. Petersburg, Siberia, and other locales where they face off against the ogre and his villains, including a swarm of mosquitoes, an army of Matryoshka nesting-doll soldiers, and a dragon that grows larger with every wave of his conductor's baton. Fortunately, the Little Einsteins have a secret weapon that helps them battle these foes.

Once again, the Little Einsteins series cleverly weaves light-hearted, kid-friendly fun with educational cultural elements. Like other movies in the Little Einsteins series, Rocket's Firebird Rescue introduces kids to classical music, cultural themes, and exotic locations. Set in Russia, the animated DVD touches on a Russian folk tale about a magical firebird. It also features the music of Igor Stravinsky, who composed a ballet called The Firebird.

Kids will especially enjoy participating in the fast-paced sequence where Quincy wards off a pack of villains by playing a variety of musical instruments. Indeed, audience participation is highly stressed in this series, and the characters often invite young viewers to dance, sing, or "conduct" along with the action on-screen. Meanwhile, the scares are mild; the villains, innocuous. The Little Einsteins battle sweet-faced soldiers by dancing them to sleep, and they sing to melt a snowstorm that threatens to bury their rocket. In the process, kids learn the meaning of terms like "adagio" and "arabesque."