KIDS FIRST! News

Leading family entertainment producer and distributor Chorion is partnering with ScrollMotion, creators of the Iceberg Reader and a leading developer of original iPhone applications, to bring its “Mr. Men and Little Miss” classic books to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Available now in iTunes, the digital books expand upon the traditional children’s book reading experience by incorporating scrolling image exploration, interactive controls and a voice recorder.

The titles currently on offer are: “Mr. Happy,” “Mr. Tickle,” “Mr. Bump,” “Mr. Messy,” “Mr. Mischief,” “Mr. Perfect,” “Mr. Funny,” “Mr. Grumpy,” “Little Miss Sunshine, Little Miss Chatterbox, Little Miss Giggles, Little Miss Stubborn,” “Little Miss Fun,” “Little Miss Naughty,” “Little Miss Bossy,” and “Little Miss Trouble.” The book apps are available for $3.99 each, with an introductory price of $1.99 each for “Mr. Tickle” and “Little Miss Chatterbox,” and can be downloaded on iTunes.

A video demo of the applications is available here.

This deal marks Chorion’s first iPhone and iPod Touch app license for the Mr. Men and Little Miss brand.

Submit your feature film for Film Festival consideration by the end of January 2010, and KIDS FIRST! will waive your application fee! When you submit the form, just type in the promotional code: PRESIDENT. You may submit directly through KIDS FIRST! or through Withoutabox.

Make the coming season sparkle with a fanciful new holiday-themed DVD collection from Scholastic Storybook Treasures.

Just in time for the holiday season, Scholastic Storybook Treasures™ presents more than two magical holiday hours of story time fun with “The Night Before Christmas, the Special Edition” a value-priced 2-disc set featuring a dozen favorite heartwarming holiday chestnuts!  The 12 colorfully animated tales included celebrate the winter holiday season, with stories about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and other family celebrations.

Narrated by Anthony Edwards, the title story of “The Night Before Christmas” is based on Clement C. Moore’s beloved poem; Santa’s visit on a snowy Christmas Eve is beautifully brought to life with animated versions of Jan Brett’s exquisite illustrations and festive music. Brett’s original book sold more than one million copies.

The DVD includes six more holiday stories, including “In the Month of Kislev” (adapted from a story by Nina Jaffe and narrated by Theodore Bikel), “Seven Candles for Kwanzaa” (adapted from a story by Andrea Davis Pinckney and Brian Pinckney, narrated by Alfre Woodard), “Too Many Tamales” (presented both in English and Spanish, and adapted from a story by Gary Soto), “The Little Drummer Boy” (with animated illustrations by Ezra Jack Keats) and two Rosemary Wells classics, “Max’s Christmas” (narrated by Jenny Agutter and Rex Robbins) and “Morris’ Disappearing Bag.”

The second DVD, “The Twelve Days of Christmas… and More Holiday Stories” is new to the Scholastic Storybook Treasures collection. It begins with a rousing sing-along version of the “Twelve Days,” adapted from the picture book version by Robert Bloomfield. The DVD includes four more tales: “Great Joy,” based on the book by Kate DiCamillo and narrated by Jane Curtin; “The Clown of God,” based on the book by renowned author Tommy dePaola; James Marshall’s zany story, “Merry Christmas,” “Space Case,!” narrated by Christopher Lloyd; and a Chinese New Year story, “Sam and the Lucky Money,” based on the book by Karen Chinn.

Run Time: 124 mins.
Format: DVD/2 Discs
Price: $19.95srp

This November, Scholastic Storybook Treasures™ presents a menagerie of make-believe mayhem with the release of a new gift set for preschool children with “Treasury of 50 Storybook Classics: Animal Antics and More!” Offering more than seven hours of quality children’s entertainment, whimsically animated to charm children who love the world of animals, the new set collects the most sought-after animal stories in the series.

50 award-winning and classic children’s stories are faithfully adapted and brought to life for this 7-DVD boxed set, priced for holiday gift giving!  And from the beloved stories “Harry the Dirty Dog” and “Make Way for Ducklings,” to newer family favorites “Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type” and “I Stink!,” kids and parents alike are sure to enjoy these storybook treasures, featuring celebrity narration by Meryl Streep, Sarah Jessica Parker, John Lithgow, and others. Together, these stories have won more than 80 awards including the Carnegie Medal from the American Library Association and the NAPPA Gold Award for excellence in children’s video production.

Treasury of 50 Storybook Classics: Animal Antics and More!” includes the following DVDs. Each one features several stories, providing more than an hour of fun and an innovative read along function:

•    ANTARCTIC ANTICS
•    CHRYSANTHEMUM
•    CLICK, CLACK, MOO… COWS THAT TYPE
•    HARRY THE DIRTY DOG
•    HE’S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS
•    I STINK!
•    MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS

Run Time: 8 hrs., 2 mins.
Format: DVD/7 Disc

Here are some interesting statistics the creative team offers regarding the production process:

“Ice Age Three” used 6.7 million render hours - the equivalent of 764 years on a single computer 24 hours a day seven days a week

Blue Sky employees ate 1935 donuts on “donut fridays” and 1290 bagels on “bagel mondays” during production.

The film used 18,000 man weeks of work - the equivalent of 1 person for 346 years!

Rhythm Child: Eat a Bowl of Cherries. Old, classic songs take on new sound with Rhythm Child in “Eat a Bowl of Cherries.” It’s tough to listen to without dancing around. This delightful CD comes with a shaker instrument so kids can play and sing along to favorite songs. The catchy tunes are backed up by percussion, guitars, bass, organ, sax and horns, providing a wide range of sound.

Rhythm Child: Eat a Bowl of Cherries is being considered for a Grammy nomination. Check out its website at www.RhythmChild.net.

What’s going to happen when the evil Hacker tries to take over the world? Call in the Cyberchase team, of course. In these exciting new episodes debuting October 5 and 6th, learn about probabilities, problem solving and graphing. Enjoy math like never before. Check “Cyberchase” out on your local PBS station and also at Cyberchase Online.

From Monday, October 5 – Friday, October 9, “Around Town with Cyberchase” launches on air with five awesome adventures, including two premiere episodes on October 5 and 6.  Each episode will tie to a special “Around Town” printable activity at Cyberchase Online. In the first new episode on October 5, “The Deedle Beast,” the Cyberchase kids chart the bizarre behavior of a pet Deedle Beast and uncover a bigger mystery than they bargained for.  In the premiere of “Spellbound” on October 6, the CyberSquad must discover how to use a grid to communicate what a spell-breaking symbol looks like and save Pompadoria from Wicked’s everlasting rule.

On Cyberchase’s new Facebook page, fans will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the stars of Cyberchase making it all happen. Cyberchase is a production of THIRTEEN and Title Entertainment, Inc. in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

“We’re excited to give on-the-go kids and parents some great ideas on how to incorporate math into their outings around town, whether to the grocery store, the ballpark or the zoo,” says Sandra Sheppard, executive producer for Cyberchase.  “We developed ‘Around Town with Cyberchase’ to support critical STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) initiatives in local communities and to give kids and adults the tools to create their own math adventures where they live.  We’re also thrilled that the many fans of our Cyberchase For Real star, Harry, have an opportunity to see him in brand new web videos,” she continues.

Two new sets of web-exclusive videos, “The Harry Show” and “Math on the Street,” launched on September 21 at Cyberchase Online and feature Harry, played by actor Matt Wilson, encountering wacky math moments all around New York City.  The videos take place in fun spots like the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo and feature real kids and adults.  All the videos are about 1 – 2 minutes long and are available for streaming or download Cyberchase Online.

“I love meeting kids and finding out how they approach math,” says Wilson.  “I’m really excited because in these web videos, Harry talks with real kids who probably solve problems the same way as many kids at home.”  He continues, “I’m always crunching numbers – leaving a tip, comparison shopping or estimating the time it’ll take to get to the front of a line.  Through these adventures around town, Harry shows kids that we encounter math everywhere, and everyone can be good at it – often without realizing it!”

Emmy Award winner Wilson has been the live-action face of Cyberchase for the show’s seven seasons.  He is also well known on stage and screen where he has worked with Pulitzer Prize, Tony and Grammy Award winners.  Currently he is performing in the World Tour of “The Circus, Starring Britney Spears.”

The PBS KIDS GO! video player will also stream full episodes and clips from the “Around Town” episodes, plus the web videos. Also beginning September 21, the new Cyberchase Facebook page will go behind the scenes with Matt Wilson on his “Around Town” adventures, featuring exclusive photos and behind-the-scenes footage from the taping of “The Harry Show” and “Math on the Street.”  Wilson will also bring fans into a promotional photo shoot and a voiceover recording session at THIRTEEN studios.  In addition, Facebook fans will be treated to a glimpse of Christopher Lloyd and Gilbert Gottfried recording their lines as the villainous Hacker and the lovable Digit for the new episode, “The Deedle Beast.” New footage will be posted daily leading up to the “Around Town” broadcast launch on October 5.

Cyberchase – the only math series for children on American TV – airs daily on PBS KIDS GO! across the country.  Check local listings at Cyberchase Online.  In the tri-state area, Cyberchase can be seen weekdays at 4:30 p.m. (beginning Sept. 7) and 8 a.m. on THIRTEEN, Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8 a.m. on V-me and Monday-Friday at 7 a.m. on WLIW21.

“Around Town with Cyberchase” kicks off September 21 when Cyberchase Online launches new web videos starring Harry and new activities that encourage kids to explore math in their own neighborhoods.  The activities will correlate to five episodes in a weeklong “Around Town” broadcast event on PBS KIDS GO! from October 5 – October 9, premiering two brand new episodes, “The Deedle Beast” and “Spellbound” (check local listings).  On Cyberchase’s new Facebook page, fans will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the stars of Cyberchase making it all happen.

Cyberchase is a production of THIRTEEN and Title Entertainment, Inc. in association with WNET.ORG – one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.

“We’re excited to give on-the-go kids and parents some great ideas on how to incorporate math into their outings around town, whether to the grocery store, the ballpark or the zoo,” says Sandra Sheppard, executive producer for Cyberchase.  “We developed ‘Around Town with Cyberchase’ to support critical STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) initiatives in local communities and to give kids and adults the tools to create their own math adventures where they live.  We’re also thrilled that the many fans of our Cyberchase For Real star, Harry, have an opportunity to see him in brand new web videos,” she continues.

Two new sets of web-exclusive videos, “The Harry Show” and “Math on the Street,” launch on September 21 at Cyberchase Online and feature Harry, played by actor Matt Wilson, encountering wacky math moments all around New York City.  The videos take place in fun spots like the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Central Park Zoo and feature real kids and adults.  All the videos are about 1 – 2 minutes long and will be available for streaming or download Cyberchase Online.

“I love meeting kids and finding out how they approach math,” says Wilson.  “I’m really excited because in these web videos, Harry talks with real kids who probably solve problems the same way as many kids at home.”  He continues, “I’m always crunching numbers – leaving a tip, comparison shopping or estimating the time it’ll take to get to the front of a line.  Through these adventures around town, Harry shows kids that we encounter math everywhere, and everyone can be good at it – often without realizing it!”

Emmy Award winner Wilson has been the live-action face of Cyberchase for the show’s seven seasons.  He is also well known on stage and screen where he has worked with Pulitzer Prize, Tony and Grammy Award winners.  Currently he is performing in the World Tour of “The Circus, Starring Britney Spears.”

From Monday, October 5 – Friday, October 9, “Around Town with Cyberchase” launches on air with five awesome adventures, including two premiere episodes on October 5 and 6.  Each episode will tie to a special “Around Town” printable activity at Cyberchase Online. In the first new episode on October 5, “The Deedle Beast,” the Cyberchase kids chart the bizarre behavior of a pet Deedle Beast and uncover a bigger mystery than they bargained for.  In the premiere of “Spellbound” on October 6, the CyberSquad must discover how to use a grid to communicate what a spell-breaking symbol looks like and save Pompadoria from Wicked’s everlasting rule.

The PBS KIDS GO! video player will also stream full episodes and clips from the “Around Town” episodes, plus the web videos.
Also beginning September 21, the new Cyberchase Facebook page will go behind the scenes with Matt Wilson on his “Around Town” adventures, featuring exclusive photos and behind-the-scenes footage from the taping of “The Harry Show” and “Math on the Street.”  Wilson will also bring fans into a promotional photo shoot and a voiceover recording session at THIRTEEN studios.  In addition, Facebook fans will be treated to a glimpse of Christopher Lloyd and Gilbert Gottfried recording their lines as the villainous Hacker and the lovable Digit for the new episode, “The Deedle Beast.” New footage will be posted daily leading up to the “Around Town” broadcast launch on October 5.

Cyberchase – the only math series for children on American TV – airs daily on PBS KIDS GO! across the country.  Check local listings at Cyberchase Online.  In the tri-state area, Cyberchase can be seen weekdays at 4:30 p.m. (beginning Sept. 7) and 8 a.m. on THIRTEEN, Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8 a.m. on V-me and Monday-Friday at 7 a.m. on WLIW21.

“Eat a Bowl of Cherries” is now being considered as a Grammy nominee. Incorporating pulsating rhythms and movements where parents and children sing, drum and dance together, Rhythm Child features songwriter/musician father, Norm Jones along with his two sons 9-year-old Bailey and 3 1/2 year old Andre. Wife Heather is the business manager/agent and Duane Neillson is a co-writer. Featuring 10 high-energy songs, Rhythm Child is currently offering a free download of “Shaker Song” from Eat A Bowl of Cherries at www.rhythmchild.net.

The new CD is a follow-up to the 2003 multi-award winning Drum Circle Sing-A-Long CD, which garnered numerous awards such as the John Lennon Songwriting Contest Grand Prize Winner (Jammy Put On), two Children’s Music Web Awards for Best Song (This Little Light and Bird & The Dragon) and (This Little Light) in 2007 was on the Top 10 15 weeks on XM Kids Radio.

Recently, Rhythm Child was one of three American groups that were asked to contribute a song to internationally-renowned children’s music label, Putumayo Kids, Picnic Playground, and did a four concert summer tour to support the July 28 CD release.

The children’s CD from a real life Partridge family band, Rhythm Child, Eat a Bowl of Cherries is available September 15 for $14.95 at www.rhythmchild.net.