Shapes, Colors, Letters & Numbers (continued)

One to Ten: Pop-Up Surprises!
Ages: 2 & Up
Author: Chuck Murphy
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing/Richard Jackson Books/Atheneum, $13.95

This inspired pop-up toy book, filled with hidden treasures behind each pleasingly-plump, clearly-delineated number, makes learning to count a pure delight. Four cats on (or sometimes under) four chairs was a favorite in our house, but every number yields its own special rewards.

Ready 2 Learn Giant Uppercase & Lowercase Alphabet Stampers Combo
Ages: 3 - 10 yrs.
Center Enterprises, $44.95

Children will have no trouble putting their own stamp on this alphabet. Fitted with child-sized handles, this set of fifty-six 3" foam letter-stampers includes all upper and lower case letters, a question mark and exclamation point. Young graffiti artists, learners of letters and wobbling wordsmiths will happily learn the power of the alphabet.

Here Come the ABCs
Ages: 3 - 5 yrs.
Disney Sound/Walt Disney Records, $12.98 (CD)

Review: Alt-rock duo John Flansburgh and John Linnell, otherwise known as They Might Be Giants, who leaped into children's music with the wacky and wonderful 2002 CD, "No!," proved the crossover was no fluke with this year's DVD release, "Here Come the ABCs." Still just as playful and innovative, served up with the duo's trademark technopop, rock and off-the-wall disharmony, this time the songs are framed around education: solid, if surreal lessons in phonics ("C Is for Conifer," "E Eats Everything"). But listening is only half the fun. These songs are meant to be "seen" as well as heard, in the DVD's inventive, delightful puppetry and animation.

Here Come the ABCs (DVD)
Ages: 3 - 5 yrs.
Disney Sound/Walt Disney Records, $12.98 (VHS), $12.99 (DVD)

Do not be fooled. This is not a traditional alphabet lesson. "They Might Be Giants" John and John don't even have the letter songs in alphabetical order. Starting with a rocking "Alphabet of Nations" ("Algeria, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Dominica") with its animated globe, the production continues with the strange but entertaining "E eats everything," followed by the witty live-action "QU" (showing the two Johns with a Q and a U covering their heads). This is creative and irresistible viewing for all ages.

Letter Factory Game
Ages: 3 - 5 yrs.
LeapFrog Enterprises, $24.99

The game offers two levels of play: Counting, Colors and Letters for ages 3-4 and Letter Match for ages 4-5. The first level of play requires players to identify alphabet letter cards by color only. The player than inserts a card of that color into the Letter Machine which acknowledges the card as a correct or incorrect selection. The Letter Machine then plays a song or phrase about the letter and a word that begins with it or the sound of the letter. Special "interruptions" to the game add to the appeal.

ABCs- 11 Ft. Long
Ages: 3 - 5 yrs.
MasterPieces Puzzle Company, $10.99

Kids will love playing with this durable, oversized (11-foot long) puzzle. Each of the 26 pieces is includes a colorful illustration of a different letter of the alphabet.

Pocket Snails Aquaphonic Adventure
Ages: 3 - 6 yrs.
Soaring Star Productions, LLC, $15.95 (DVD)

Join the Pocket Snails on their new and exciting "Aquaphonic Adventure," where they'll make some new underwater friends, ride in a submarine and scuba dive their way to learning the sounds of the letters. Helps teach letter sounds, vowels and letter recognition. Product Description

Now I Know My ABC's
Ages: 3 - 6 yrs.
Innovative Kids, $16.99

Children discover clues hidden in playful rhymes, then hunt for magnetic letters and puzzle pieces. A built-in magnetic board folds under the right-hand page so children can make words and pictures that solve the riddles. The right-hand pages are also write-on, wipe-off surfaces on which the children practice their letters with the special marker provided. The left-hand pages unfold to reveal solutions for matching and spelling. Manufacturer's Description

Reader Rabbit: The Great Alphabet Race
Ages: 3 - 6 yrs.
Riverdeep Inc., $14.99 (DVD)

Join Reader Rabbit, Sam the Lion, and all the Wordville critters as they race to the finish—hopefully ahead of those pesky Illiterats. Along the way, learn the alphabet while cheering on your favorite critter! Who will win the Golden Letter? Find out! Product Description

Reader Rabbit: Wordville Soup
Ages: 3 - 6 yrs.
Riverdeep Inc., $14.99 (DVD)

Join Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion as they help Chef Pierre use opposites to discover the right ingredients needed for his delicious recipe. Will they be able to recreate it in time for the Festival of Words? Find out! Product Description

Math Circus
Ages: 3 - 6 yrs.
LeapFrog Enterprises, $14.98 (DVD)

Watch the Quidget Family and the Subtractobats perform high-flying feats of mathematics! In this astounding story, Leap, Lily, Tad and wacky Professor Quigley train numbers to count, add, and subtract in a series of amazing circus acts. Numbers and Quidgets fly from trampolines, trapezes and cannons as they teach early mathematical concepts. Product Description