Granny Ranny's Coming Attractions

Disney-Pixar’s feature film Finding Nemo in 3D opens nationwide in theaters today. Running in front of the movie is the new Toy Story Toon titled Partysaurus Rex. Directed by Mark Walsh, the short features Rex, the insecure and kind of neurotic T-Rex toy voiced by Wallace Shawn, as finds his inner soapy strength and new persona when Bonnie, his new owner, takes him into a bubble bath with some of her other toys.

Our youth critics reviewed Finding Meno 3D earlier this week and here are are the comments from Cheyenne Nguyen, age 8. Watch the video review by both Cheyenne and Morgan Bertsch here:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRhQ87qMeh0

Watching Finding Nemo 3D is like you are snorkeling and looking through your goggles and enjoy the colorful fish and sea life. This story is about Marlin (voice by Albert Brooks), an overprotective father of Nemo (voice by Alexander Gould), as a clown fish with a defective fin.

It all started with Nemo’s mom and dad looking at all 400 eggs and try to determine names for each of the egg.  Suddenly, a barracuda came to the coral and knock Marlin unconscious.  When Marlin wakes up, the reef is empty; with no fish around, the only egg left under the coral was Nemo.  Marlin became very protective dad and will not let Nemo out of his sight.  However, Nemo is the opposite of his dad.  He always wants to swim into the unknown.
On the first day of school, Nemo wander off outside the reef and was captured by a dentist.  This started Marlin’s journey to find his son.  He swims as fast as he can and asks for help finding Nemo.  The only fish stopped to help Marlin is Dory (voice by Ellen DeGeneres).  Dory has a big heart and always positive.  The only problem is she has short term memory loss.
The story line is the father and son love, unpredictable, and very funny.  There are so many punch lines in this movie that will keep you laughing throughout the movie. The clear and crisp color with 3D is magical.  It feels like I am snorkeling and ready to touch these sea creatures.  I can see the layers of rainbow coral reef, several rows of teeth in Bruce the shark mouth, the pelican beak and jelly fish seem so soft and real.  The best 3D part is with the whale and the krill swimming toward the audience.

I love how production and design makes Dory velvety, Marlin and Nemo soft and gummy.  The rest of the fish are metallic, typical scaly fish.  This makes Dory, Marlin and Nemo more lovable. The sound effects of water sloshing and crashing are very realistic.

The only part I did not like is what happens to Nemo mom.  Will Disney come back with Nemo reunited with his mom? The lessons in this movie are Marlin deal with his fear and swims all the way to Australia to find his son Nemo and he learn to have faith.

My favorite character is Dory with her big heart and Crush the laid back father turtle and his children. The message of this movie is listens to your parents, they only try to protect you and give you good advice.  Parents are alive longer so they know a lot more than their children.

I rank this movie 5 out of 5 stars. I give this age ranged 3 and up.

Lionsgate launches a global set visit sweepstakes, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire – Win a Trip to Set, this week and will run through October 12, 2012, with twelve fans winning the chance to visit the set of the movie and meet the cast and crew. To enter, fans must be based in participating territories (US, Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, France, Scandinavia, Russia, Israel, and Japan) and then upload a :30 second video for their best question for the movie’s cast. Additionally, “virtual” citizens of Panem will be able to enter by playing the popular The Hunger Games Adventures on Facebook, which is also coming soon to iPad. The complete rules and regulations are posted on the contest Facebook tab, and at www.catchingfiresweeps.com. “May the odds be ever in your favor.”

Dr. Toy is pleased to have the opportunity to share her years of play and toy experiences with consumers to assist them in the selection process. This timely report features information about l00 wonderful new toys and products from large and small companies. The toys and products selected meet my high standards for design, durability,price, quality, safety, and value.

Dr. Toy reminds parents and teachers, “Let’s not forget that “play is children’s work” and should be respected and understood by all adults. We should be thinking: “What products or “tools for play” can we obtain to provide wholesome experiences for children and provide plenty of positive play interactions.”
In Dr. Toy’s words: “As a natural, on-going part of our work as parents, teachers, early childhood specialists, and others involved with children at home or elsewhere, we observe children at play. With our eyes we see what works…and what doesn’t hold up under tough testing – the normal barrage of active, inquisitive, and resourceful babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and older children. This guide is now offered to complement your observations and to help you in selecting the right products to enhance your child’s play and learning.

We make buying decisions based on lasting play value and product applicability to a balance of children’s active, creative, and educational experiences. We can depend on the durability and versatility of such items as blocks, construction toys, games, puppets, and transportation toys. They stimulate the imagination, engage the player, have value, and hold up over time. We want to apply these standards to all of the play product choices we make. We often hear consumers describe their experience of making a purchase, but shortly after giving little Sally or Sammy the product it falls apart – a frustrating and expensive experience. Products that do not meet safety standards can be dangerous and can cause harm to children. We want to avoid these problems and always strive for excellence. I spend a great deal of time reviewing a large quantity of products created by myriad manufacturers and designers. I make sure my selections match the criteria for excellence.

Certainly age grading, name recognition, company dependability, versatility of design, and place of purchase are
factors to obtain the right product. Another aspect you can depend on is a warranty. Rising costs for products require
us to be wise consumers and to get extra lasting value. Certainly durable products, properly designed, and
developmentally correct are worth the money. Children’s positive reactions are worth the extra effort. I utilize a
complicated set of objective and subjective criteria to evaluate toys and other products. Some questions to ask are:

• Is this product worth the price?
• Does it have lasting “play value”?
• Is it appropriate?
• Is it fun?
• Does it meet safety standards?”

Following are examples of award-winning toys and products and the companies that make them grouped in selected
categories of “smart” play. You can find more products by assigned codes that designate types of products.

Ten Best Active Products – Chicco (4-in-1 Ride On Car), First Act (WrapStar Mic), FirstBike Int’l (FirstBIKE), GeoPalz (GeoPalz Pedometer), Kinderfeets (Kinderfeets), OgoSport (OgoSport RAQ),Razor USA (Razor® FlashRider™), Sbyke (P-20 Rear-Steering Scooter), Smiletime Toys (Inflatable Pirate Ship), System Ent. (RingStix).

Ten Best Audio/Video Tapes/CDs – Brainetics (Brainetics), BrainFood Learning (Fascinating World of Birds), BrillKids Int’l (Little Musician Basic), Little Pim (Spanish Intro Gift Set with Book), Master Comm (Worlds Together Series), Moey’s Music Party (Princess Revolution!), Music Together (She Sells Sea Shells), New Hope Records (WO!), ScienceAndMath.com (Amazing Science! Vol. DVD), Steps4Kids (Steps4Kids to Draw).

Ten Best Building Products – AroundSquare (Deconstruction Blocks), Bridge Street Toys (Hydrodynamic Deluxe Building Set), Citiblocs (CTBIN500C), K’NEX (K’NEX Classics 50 Model Building Set), LaQ USA (LaQ Dinosaur World T-REX), Laser Pegs Ventures (Laser Pegs The Dragon), LEGO Systems (Friends Olivia’s House), MEGA Brands (Build ’n Learn 1-2-3 Count!), Smart Blocks (Smarcks Smart Blocks), Thinkplay/Morphun (Starter Tub)

Ten Best Children’s Products – Ann Williams Group (Loopdedoo), Buckle Toy (Buddy the Backpack), Dress Up America (Black Fire Fighter Kids Costume), Gryphon House (Budding Builder), Innovation First (HEXBUG Warriors Battle Stadium), Klutz (Coin Blaster), Monkeying Around (Greatest Dot-to-Dot Adventure Book 1), Schoenhut Piano (My First Piano II), SeatPets (SeatPets®), Smart Trike (Smart Trike 4-in-1 Dream).

Ten Best Creative Products – ALEX (Ceramic Bead Sticker Party), Blue Orange (Tell Tale Fairy Tale), Colorforms/Univ. Games (Tinga Tinga Tales Create-A-Creature Game), Creativity for Kids (Stunt Squadron), Hero Arts Rubber Stamps (Ink ‘n’ Stamp Animal Prints), Kiwi Crate (Kiwi Crate), Red Hen (Kaleidograph), Tech 4 Kids (3D Magic Magna Color), Wowopolis (Colorgami Craft & Activity Kits), WowToyz (E-Z Crafts™ Paint-A-Bank Kits).

Ten Best Games – Bag-O-Loot (Bag-O-Loot Junior), Edupress (That’s Baloney Games), Flying Rabbit Enterprises (Baffle!), Game Chef (Rollick!), Gamewright (Big Fat Tomato Game), Hutter Trade (Talat),Indie Boards & Cards (Flash Point: Fire Rescue), Patch Products (You’re Invited Game), Strikerz Gamez (STRIKERZ Soccer Card Game), ThinkFun (Distraction™).

Ten Best High Technology Products – Bandai America (Omnitrix Touch), Diggin Active (Wobble Deck Extreme), Ganz (Amazing World), LeapFrog (LeapPad2), MGA (iTikes Map), Pixel Ent. (Global Game Changers [book app]), Scholastic (Storia), Small World Toys (Haute Couture Fashion Studio), SmartLab Toys (DJ Rock Dock), VTech (MobiGo® 2).

Socially Responsible Products – b. dazzle (Black Capped Chickadees Scramble Squares), Discover w/Dr. Cool (Shark Teeth Excavation Kit!), DuneCraft (Butterfly/Bird Mixture Seed Bombs), Easy Daysies (Easy Daysies Every Day Starter Kit), Metamorphic Toys (Mythical Creatures Silly Signs), Mudpuppy (Fruits & Veggies Wooden Magnetic Set), My1story (My1story Book Collection), Rubbabu (Shape Sorter Bus), Tiny Green Bee (Crunch a Color Conversation Starters), University Games (Very Hungry Caterpillar Match & Munch Game).

Ten Best Toys– 4D Cityscape (4D Time Puzzle), B. toys by Battat (Symphony in B. by B. toys), Build-A-Bear Workshop (Marine Midnight Teddy), Fisher-Price (Servin’ Surprises Cook ‘n Serve Kitchen & Table), Gibout Toys (Gibout Big Blocks), Jada Toys (Cutie Pops), Make It Mine (MIM Doll & Accessories), Ohio Art (Limited Edition Etch A Sketch), Sassy (Loopy Ball), World of EPI (Diva Abrielle).

PBS KIDS has launched DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD: Play at Home with Daniel, its first app from the new series inspired by the work of Fred Rogers, which premieres on PBS KIDS on Monday, September 3 (check local listings).  The app, designed for children ages 2-4 and available now for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, makes the series’ social-emotional school readiness curriculum available to parents and children on the go.  In the app, kids play with 4-year-old Daniel Tiger, son of Mister Rogers’ NEIGHBORHOOD’s Daniel Striped Tiger, as he goes about his everyday activities, learning life’s little lessons along the way in the games “Doctor Daniel,” “Daniel’s Bedtime” and “In Daniel’s Bathroom.”

“There is a great need for kids to build social-emotional skills, which lay the foundation for effectively learning academic subjects once they start school,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS. “There are very few apps available that meet this need, so we are excited to introduce ’Play at Home with Daniel.’  Our first app based on DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD’s social-emotional curriculum, ‘Play at Home with Daniel’ features open-ended games, enabling children to explore new experiences – such as going to the doctor – and learn key life skills – like bedtime routines.”

Produced by The Fred Rogers Company and CloudKid, the new Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Play at Home with Daniel App teaches children about the world around them as they interact with Daniel and his everyday experiences.  For Daniel Tiger, playing is learning as kids explore bedtime and bath time and play pretend doctor in three interactive games:

Doctor Daniel – Kids play “Doctor Daniel” with toy versions of the instruments pediatricians use. When children play “doctor,” they’re in charge – making it easier to manage a real-life visit when they have to be the patient.

Daniel’s Bedtime – Children help Daniel go through the motions of getting ready to go to sleep. Kids can think about their own bedtime routines and the things that help them get ready for bed as they help Daniel.

In Daniel’s Bathroom – Kids wash, brush and flush with Daniel during his bathroom routine.  Children can practice and become familiar with their own bathroom routines.

The app also features a sticker book, which enables children to pretend-play by creating scenes with Daniel at home. As kids make their own creations featuring characters from DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, the sticker book reinforces the themes from “Daniel’s Bedtime” and “In Daniel’s Bathroom.”

“Fred Rogers was a pioneer in using television to help children learn, and at PBS we continue that legacy of innovation across today’s media platforms – with interactive online experiences, streaming video and mobile apps like ‘Play at Home with Daniel,’” said Jason Seiken, Senior Vice President, Interactive, Product Development, and Innovation, PBS. “We have had great success in the children’s mobile space to date; more than half of our over 128 million monthly PBS KIDS video streams are on mobile.”*

The Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: Play at Home with Daniel App is available for $1.99 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The app can be downloaded from the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, or at www.itunes.com/appstore.

PBS KIDS has 19 apps available in the App Store, designed to help kids build literacy, math, science and school readiness skills and more. With a cross-platform approach, PBS KIDS is increasingly serving children and families across America wherever they live, learn and play.  More information about PBS KIDS’ apps is available on pbskids.org/mobile.

*Source: Google Analytics Event Tracking, February-July 2012

Twelve children have been selected as winners of the national PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest, an initiative designed to promote the advancement of children’s reading skills through hands-on, active learning. The winning entries (first, second and third place from grades K-3) for the Contest, managed by local PBS member station WNED, were chosen from over thousands of submissions from 63 participating stations across the country.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of these talented young writers and illustrators, and offer our thanks to all of the children that participated in this year’s PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest,” said Lesli Rotenberg, Senior Vice President, Children’s Media, PBS.  “This annual event is one of the ways that PBS KIDS and our local stations help build children’s creativity and improve literacy skills in a fun and engaging way.”

The national Contest winners will be awarded prizes, including tablets, e-readers and MP3 players for their outstanding stories.  For the first time, stories could be digitally submitted to the Contest through a tool developed by new sponsor, StudentPublishing.com.  Every participant that used the tool received a free animated digital book of their story that they can share with others, including parents who can purchase bound copies of the entry as a keepsake for years to come.  As in years past, winning entries in each of the Contest categories will be featured on the site, PBSKIDS.org/writerscontest, and visitors to the Contest site will continue to have the opportunity to create “Story Mashups” with winning stories.

The 2012 national winners include:

Kindergarten

1st – The Elephant Ballerina, by Hannah Grace Hammontree, Cohutta, GA – WTCI

2nd – Abby the Talking Giraffe, by Ella Black, North Huntington, PA –WQED

3rd – Fury the Cat Has a Birthday Party, by Alex Beeman, Platte City, MO – KCPT

First Grade

1st – Jim’s Crazy Bus Week, by Edward Krzemienski, Muncie, IN – WIPB

2nd – Clark the Circus Pig, by Rain Vassey, Lincoln, DE – Independent entry

3rd – Tacky Turkey’s BIG Adventure!, by Ehren Collins, Lakewood, OH – WVIZ

Second Grade

1st – Aly’s Great Adventures, by Cheryl Kaye Marshall, Birmingham, AL – WBIQ

2nd – Guinea Pigs Don’t Go to School, by Ella Walker, Watertown, WI – WPNE

3rd – How Jordan the Giraffe Learned to Love, by Finn LeSieur, Newport Beach, CA – PBS SoCal

Third Grade

1st – Scribbles For Fame, by Nikolai Ortiz, Corpus Christie, TX – KEDT

2nd – The Mystery of the Attic Intruder, by Daniel Trimble, Pittsburgh, PA – WQED

3rd – The Lake, by Elliott Feldman, Sturgeon Bay, WI – WPNE

PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest Judges

A diverse panel of prestigious judges, including leading children’s authors, illustrators, producers and content experts, served as the final judges in this year’s Contest. This year’s judges include:

Tony DiTerlizzi – New York Times best-selling co-creator and illustrator of middle-grade series The Spiderwick Chronicles, which has sold millions of copies, been adapted into a feature film, and has been translated in over 30 countries.  He has also created fanciful picture books such as Jimmy Zangwow’s Out-of-this-World Moon Pie Adventure, the Adventure of Meno series (with his wife, Angela) and Caldecott Honor book, The Spider & The Fly.

Lisa Henson – Chief Executive Officer of The Jim Henson Company, Henson serves as an executive producer of Sid the Science Kid and Dinosaur Train, both currently airing daily on PBS KIDS, and Pajanimals, a musical puppet series airing daily on Sprout.

Jewel – Three-time Grammy Award nominated singer, songwriter and author, who recently released her second children’s album, The Merry Goes ‘Round, and will release a children’s book this September titled That’s What I’d Do.

Kate Klimo – As Vice President and Publisher of the Random House/Golden Books Group, she has been responsible for extending the Seuss brand into new formats including board and novelty books, and publishing non-fiction celebrations of Dr. Seuss’s life and works. Klimo has nearly 30 years of experience at Random House; more than 15 of them spent working on All Things Seuss. She is also the production executive of The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That!

Jarrett Krosoczka – Two-time winner of the Third to Fourth Grade Book of the Year in the Children’s Choice Book Awards, author and illustrator for sixteen published books – ten picture books and six graphic novels.  He has seen his work recommended by national publications like Newsweek, The New York Times and USA Today. His Punk Farm and Lunch Lady series are also in development to be feature films.

Susan Meddaugh – Author and illustrator of Martha Speaks, the best-selling book series, as well as a creative producer of the award-winning PBS KIDS series of the same name.

Ozomatli – Grammy award-winning band, celebrated Los Angeles culture-mashers and U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors.

Mo Willems – Recipient of 3 Caldecott Honors, 2 Geisel Medals, 2 Carnegie Medals, 6 Emmys and a Geisel Honor. Having worked in children’s books, animation, television, theater, and bubble gum card painting, his most recent book is Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator, a portrait of the relationship between a girl and her stuffed alligator told in 6-1/2 stories.  Recent and upcoming non-bubble gum card projects include the New York Times bestseller Duckling Gets a Cookie!? and a new Elephant and Piggie book, Listen to My Trumpet!

The Weepies – Deb Talan and Steve Tannen began writing together the night they first met and soon formed The Weepies. The Indie duo has sold more than a million singles and half a million albums. Their simple and direct songwriting has sent them to the top of the folk charts in a dozen countries.

For more information on specific PBS KIDS GO! content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit PBS.org/pressroom, join their community online on Twitter and Facebook, or visit PBSKIDSGO.org.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the State Attorneys General and Consumer Protection Agencies and the Ad Counciljoined with Twentieth Century Fox Television and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment to unveil new public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring scenes from season three of Fox’s award-winning television series “Glee” to educate young adult drivers (16-24) of the dangers of texting while driving.

Earlier this year, the Golden Globe winning series made headlines when a pivotal cliffhanger episode ended with a shocking and catastrophic crash due to texting and driving. Quinn Fabray (Dianna Agron) was driving to her friends’ (Rachel and Finn, played by Lea Michele and Cory Monteith) wedding when a she received a text. She took her eyes off the road to read it and to type the words “On My Way” for a matter of seconds, but in her distraction she swerved out of her lane and was hit in a tragic accident by an oncoming vehicle. It was months before the audience and “Glee’s” millions of young adult viewers would know the fate of her character, but the message was clear: texting and driving can have horrific consequences.

The new television and digital PSAs employ this powerful scene to emphasize that five seconds is the average time your eyes are off the road while texting and driving – when driving at 55 miles per hour, that is enough time to cover the length of a football field. The PSAs direct young adult drivers to the Texting and Driving Prevention campaign web site, StopTextsStopWrecks.org, where teens and young adults can find facts about the impact of texting while driving and tips for how to curb the behavior.

NHTSA reports that in 2010, more than 3,000 people were killed and an additional 416,000 were injured due to distracted driving, which includes texting while driving. The “Glee” PSAs are part of NHSTA, the State Attorneys Generaland Consumer Protection Agencies and the Ad Council’s national Texting and Driving Prevention PSA campaign. Launched in October 2011, this campaign is designed to curb the behavior of young adults who text while driving, address the compulsion of this behavior and demonstrate to overconfident young adult drivers that it is not safe to text while driving.

“Texting and driving is an epidemic on America’s roadways, but these crashes are preventable. Distracted driving does not just happen, it’s a choice,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “The first line of defense must be personal responsibility by all drivers to put theirwireless devices away and keep their focus on the road, which is why we are working closely with our partners to build public awareness around this important safety issue.”

“This was a story we wanted to tell because we know the influence our show can have in starting conversations and raising awareness,” commented “Glee” executive producer and co-creator Ryan Murphy. “We were inspired by Oprah Winfrey’s campaign encouraging everyone to sign a pledge not to text and drive, which we all signed when we did her show a few yearsago, and we had been looking for an opportunity to tell the story of how a few seconds of carelessness could have a devastating impact on people’s lives. We’ve already heard from thousands of our fans how this story touched them, and we loved the idea of a PSA campaign to keep this important issue front and center.”

“’Glee’ has always told stories that speak to young people in an incredibly entertaining way, provoking conversation and raising awareness in the process,” said Dana Walden and Gary Newman, Chairmen of Twentieth Century Fox Television.  “When Ryan and the producers told us they were going to tackle this issue, we knew that beyond telling agreat, dramatic story about our characters, it could have very real impact on the lives of our viewers. We couldn’t be more proud of the work they and the cast have done on this incredible series.”

According to a new, national survey conducted by the Ad Council, there has been progress with the attitudes and behaviors among young adult drivers regarding texting while driving.  Fifty-one percent of young adult drivers report that they are “extremely concerned” about their peers texting while driving, which represents an increase of seven percent since September 2011.  Most notably, in regards to their current behavior, thirty-four percent of respondents said that they never text while driving, a significant increase from twenty-eight percent in 2011.

“Driving is one of the most dangerous activities for young adults. Texting while driving is a distraction that young drivers can live without,” said Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen, the father of two teenage boys. “Drivers of any age should be aware that texting while driving may not only jeopardize the safety of themselves and others, but it can violate state motor vehicle laws against distracted driving and result in hefty fines or loss of driving privileges.”

“We are thrilled to join Twentieth Century Fox Television, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and ‘Glee’ to unveil a new series of public service ads to further extend our texting while driving prevention messages to their vast audience of young adult drivers,” said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “Our latest research shows a nation that is now on the right track in improving the safety of our roads, but there is still more work to be done. We will continue to broaden our campaign messages to help reduce driver distraction, prevent injuries, and ultimately save lives.”

Since 2006, the Ad Council has partnered with the State Attorneys General to address reckless driving among teens. The “Stop the Texts. Stop the Wrecks.” campaign effort has received more than $20 million in donated media support to date.  For more than twenty-five years, the Ad Council and NHTSA have worked together on consumer safety PSA campaigns. Per the Ad Council’s model, all of the new PSAs will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the media.

PSA: http://youtu.be/hfvUKq_xkfo