For me, Saturday morning cartoons went the way of the dinosaur around the time they lopped at least an hour off my weekly quotient of Bugs Bunny and friends. Now that I'm thirty-something, I can't bear to watch the modern-day cartoons, and my five-year-old daughter has never really made it a point to camp out in front of the television on Saturday mornings.

This is not the kind of news that either ABC or Disney wants to hear, especially when I'm reviewing Disney's House Of Mouse, the soundtrack for the weekly cartoon series featuring Mickey and friends in a restaurant setting. If you've never watched the show (as I haven't), some of the significance of the music will be lost on you.

Aw, who am I kidding? The fact is, the music isn't supposed to be significant - at least to adults. This is one that is aimed directly to the kids - and they're the ones who can appreciate the frivolity that this disc has.

Actually, that's not entirely true. Most kids today might not know who "The Three Caballeros" are (even if they do recognize Donald Duck), but their parents will probably understand. (The grandparents might even have the best recognition - in a sense, proving my statement that this disc is just for kids to be wrong.) But as long as the songs are short and catchy, the kids will eat these tracks up like so many donuts that Goofy the waiter can serve up. It's Goofy's "Soup Or Salad, Fries Or Biscuits" (a take on a Mary Poppins track… don't even make me try to spell it) that is one of the clear winners on this disc, though I'd tend to guess that the visuals from the cartoon make the song that much more powerful.

But will the kids be interested? Put it this way: I gave my daughter - the same one who, to the best of my knowledge, has never watched this cartoon - this disc. I have yet to get it back from her, and have heard it playing in her room on a few occasions. She's seen happily bouncing away to it - and, in the end, that's probably the ideal goal for Disney. (Well, that and getting the kids interested in watching the cartoon, that is.)

Kids will love Disney's House Of Mouse, even if they're not as familiar with the show. As long as Mickey and crew continue to offer entertainment, that's all that matters to the kids. In terms of kids' music out there today, I can think of worse ways to pass a half-hour. In fact, this is a pretty enjoyable disc.

Rating: B

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