As a mom of two, I've seen my fair share of baby DVDs, but Baby Newton: Discovering Shapes stands out in the Baby Einstein series. The first time I played it for my 6-month-old, I was surprised how her eyes locked onto the screen - and stayed there for a full 15 minutes (which is basically an eternity in baby time).

What really won me over was how this DVD sneaks in learning when babies aren't even trying. The simple shapes floating across the screen with that catchy 'I love my shapes' song? My toddler now sings it while playing with his blocks - and he's actually identifying shapes correctly at the park.

The mix of CGI and puppets did throw me at first (where are all the real kids like in older BE videos?), but here's the thing - children don't care about production continuity. My daughter goes wild for that animated lion, roaring right along with it. The crayon animation might look dated to adults, but to kids? Pure magic.

Pro tip from experience: Don't write this off if your baby doesn't engage immediately. My son ignored it at 5 months but became obsessed at 10 months, bouncing along to the funky soundtrack. That Tower of Power-inspired song? Absolute genius move by Baby Einstein.

Is it perfect? The French version lyrics are awkward, and some purists miss the jazzier old soundtrack. But when I see my autistic daughter voluntarily trying to trace shapes after watching - something her therapists struggled to get her to do - that's when I knew this DVD earned its place in our permanent rotation.