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It's hard not to be charmed by Tivola's latest title, Oscar the Balloonist Flies into the Mountains (Windows/ Mac, CD-Rom, Tivola, 19.99). The high graphic quality of this German-designed programme means attractive depictions of landscapes and animals. The background music is pleasant, the small boy presenter Oscar is engaging and the language-changing facility (you choose from English, German and French) is useful. Above all, the programme is packed with interesting information about unusual creatures such as the marmot and the chamois. However, its charms don't make the programme perfect. Several of the games accessed through Carmela, Oscar's animated toy chest, are too difficult for most children in the target age range of four to eight. In many of the games there is not enough leeway for mistakes, so children will feel easily defeated, and some are badly explained.

However, its charms don't make the programme perfect. Several of the games accessed through Carmela, Oscar's animated toy chest, are too difficult for most children in the target age range of four to eight. In many of the games there is not enough leeway for mistakes, so children will feel easily defeated, and some are badly explained.

The animal games that you happen upon while exploring the 'hotspots' in the pictures are of variable quality. The activity where you bedeck a cow in your choice of outlandish dressing-up items, then print out a black and white version to colour, is easy and fun. The bear's game, by contrast, is frustrating. Half the time, when you click where you're supposed to, nothing happens.

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