Learning disguised as catchy pop songs, cool characters, and charming illustrations.

We don't own a lot of kids' DVDs in my house, primarily since it's so hard to know if we will get our money's worth or they will be watched twice before my daughter gets bored and just wants to throw the disk around. But one completely worthwhile standby has been our Readeez DVD. (Edited to add: Now also available for immediate download to watch right on your computer or tablet) Readeez are short vignettes with original songs, nursery rhymes, poems, and more, all designed to let the words sink in. As a musician and dad himself, creator Michael Rachap's original songs are outstanding little child-friendly pop masterpieces. They aren't accompanied my frenetic animation, but simple, book-like illustrations of the primary characters, Julian and Isabel Waters, and whatever they are singing about, be it cows, buses, or the beach. Each syllable pops onto the screen as you hear it, and Michael has perfected the timing to the point that it's almost hypnotic. To see for yourself, check out some favorite ones on the Readeez website. Volume One has remained popular with my daughter for the last year and a half, and popular with her parents for the same amount of time (no mean feat). Volume Two and an audio CD are slated to be out this fall, and we can't wait. Visit the Readeez store to check out all their bundles and individual learning videos