There's no evidence that Braincandy -- the surreal, sensory-based answer to visual board books -- is any better for babies' development than Baby Einstein. Braincandy does, however, beat the competition in reinforcing the idea that video time can never replace real human interaction; and as a company co-founded by an ex-Microsoft bigwig who's now seeking work/life balance as an entrepreneur, it also has a sympathetic tinge of Mommy guilt in its marketing copy.
Where Braincandy really strays from Baby Einstein is in its tone and visuals: Through its 5 Senses DVDs -- See My World, Hear My World, Taste My World, Touch My World and Smell My World -- the company shows real children using their senses to explore the world around them, and encourages viewers to interact by exploring their own worlds similarly.
The puppets and animated sequences significantly up the videos' weirdness factor, and indeed, parents may find some of the hands-on exploratory sequences closer to something out of, say, 9 1/2 Weeks. Kids, on the other hand, have no such frame of reference, and they're as likely to delight in watching the characters onscreen sniff, glop, slurp, observe and listen to the action as they are to mimic that action themselves.
Aimed at ages 6 months to 4 years (though admittedly a bit preverbal for older toddlers), the 5 Senses DVDs are available today in Borders stores everywhere, as well as at Amazon.com and through Braincandy's own online store.
