Pocket Snails Aquaphonic Adventure

Color, NR, 25 min., DVD $15.95, VHS $12.95

DVD: interactive phonics activity, bonus scene, music player, product catalog

Street: March 14, Prebook: Feb. 14

First Run: DVD premiere

SOARING STAR PRODUCTIONS, LLC (www.soaringstar.com)

Creating a lively, entertaining method to teach phonics isn't an easy feat. Fortunately, a trio of pint-sized, animated snails gets the job done in this series' latest title aimed at kids ages 3 and up. On this adventure, the Pocket Snails set out for Phonic Island to learn about letter sounds and report their findings back to their friend, Jake, whose pocket is where they live. Young viewers might develop a preference for the pleasant-toned, British-sounding narrator and snails. When the snails encounter certain objects such as an "anchor," "boat" and "crab," each word is sounded out slowly, giving beginners ample time to test their own pronunciation skills. Helpful recaps break up the phonics drills and keep them from becoming monotonous. The animation is bright and cheery, featuring smiling snails, simple shots and vocabulary words, so as not to distract from the lesson at hand. Such charming moments as the snails traversing the waters aboard their aptly named boat "Escargot Explorer" make this a journey worth taking.