Up to date information about children's entertainment – film, TV, DVD and more…. from founder and president of KIDS FIRST! Ranny Levy

Nick’s 24th Annual Kids Choice Award Winners

April 3rd, 2011

KidsChoice.pngThe 24th Annual Kids Choice Awards, hosted by award-winning comedian, Jack Black aired Saturday, April 2 live from the Galen Center at USC in Los Angeles. Kids cast a record-setting 200 million votes between March 7 and April 2 for 20 categories. A full list of the winners is available at http://www.nick.com/kids-choice-awards/nominees/

HIghlights include:

TV Show: iCarly     
Reality Show: American Idol
TV Actor: Dylan Sprouse
TV Actress: Selena Gomez 
Cartoon: SpongeBob SquarePants
Videogame: Just Dance 2
Female Athlete: Lindsey Vonn
Movie: The Karate Kid
Movie Actor: Johnny Depp (Alice in Wonderland)
Movie Actress: Miley Cyrus (The Last Song)
Animated Movie: Despicable Me
Music Group: The Black Eyed Peas
Male Singer: Justin Bieber
Female Singer: Katy Perry
Favorite Book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Video Game: Just Dance 2

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Narnia Featured at the Macy’s Herald Square Flower Show

March 26th, 2011

Narnia.jpgThis sounds like a lot of fun. Wish I could go. The Chronicles of Narnia Specialty Garden will be in full bloom on the 7th Floor of Macy’s from March 27 through April 10, timed with the DVD release of the film, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Children, as well as adults should enjoy this incredible display that recreates the mythical, magical world of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia. The garden is inspired by the sea of lilies the courageous voyagers traveled to reunite with the Great Lion Aslan. A full day of activities will include activity stations, coloring stations and readings from the book. Customers who purchase of $50 or more in kids, will receive a Narnia goodie bag that includes a copy of the newly-released The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader DVD.

Saturday, April 9th, 2011 @ 2PM is Narnia Family Day
March 27th – April 10th, 2011 – Display (Open during regular store hours and admission is free to the public)

Macy’s Herald Square – in Kids on the 7th Floor
151 West 34th St., New York, New York 10001

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar Featured in New Eating Healthy, Growing Strong Campaign

March 12th, 2011

HungryCat.jpgThe Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Academy of Pediatrics have joined with the best-selling children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle and with We Give Books to help families learn about healthy eating habits at home. The Eating Healthy. Growing Strong. campaign is an important part of the Alliance’s mission to combat childhood obesity.

This spring, more than 17,500 pediatrician offices across the United States will receive free copies of specially created The Very Hungry Caterpillar books, together with growth charts and parent handouts that encourage doctors and parents to have meaningful conversations about the importance of healthy eating.

In addition to beginning the conversation on healthy eating between pediatricians and parents, the campaign also showcases ways to integrate discussions of healthy active living into family reading time. Tips for parents to discuss healthy active living using The Very Hungry Caterpillar include:

    * Teach your child that apples, pears, plums, strawberries, and oranges are all fruits. Ask them if they can name other fruits.
    * Talk to them about how fruits are good for your body.
    * Talk about how when the caterpillar overeats, he gets a stomachache—so it is important to stop eating when you feel full.

“Parents should read with their children every day, starting when they are babies,” said O. Marion Burton, MD, FAAP, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “This campaign provides a wonderful opportunity to teach children about healthy eating habits at a very young age, while fostering a love of books and language.”

The materials are being provided to the campaign by We Give Books, a digital initiative from Penguin—the publisher of The Very Hungry Caterpillar—and by the Pearson Foundation. Visitors to We Give Books will have the chance to read a library of great children’s books for free, any time they like, and each time they read a book at http://www.wegivebooks.org/, the Pearson Foundation will donate a brand-new book to a leading literacy group.

Parents and healthcare professionals are encouraged to visit the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (www.healthiergeneration.org/veryhungrycaterpillar) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (www.healthychildren.org/veryhungrycaterpillar) websites for free resources and materials to encourage eating healthy at home including a reading guide on how to discuss healthy active living usingThe Very Hungry Caterpillar and a special growth chart to keep track of a child’s journey to becoming healthy and strong.

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Barbie: A Fairy Secret – A Wonderful Adventure for Barbie Fans

March 12th, 2011

BarbieFairySecret.jpgBarbie: A Fairy Secret” is the story of how Barbie discovers that fairies really do exist. Here is a review from our 9-year-old film critic, Makai Weber Colvin. See her video review here. Or, read below:

When a fairy princess captures her boyfriend Ken, Barbie along with her costar, Raquelle, and two of Barbie’s stylists, head out to rescue him from Gloss Angeles, a floating town filled with fairies.
I really like the animation in this movie, especially how each of the characters are drawn. Barbie’s eyes glisten like jewels and get me into the fairy mood. Each scene bursts with color, like their hangout – Wally’s.

I also love how every piece of clothing has a modern twist. I wish I could have two fairies as my personal stylists. The movie also has great music that makes me want to dance.
Barbie is already friends with her two fashion stylists at the beginning of the movie, but is uneasy around her rival Raquelle. Raquelle is jealous of Barbie, so what will happen when they get twisted up in this magical world together?

MakaiCcolvin.jpgWhen Ken is forced to marry fairy princess Graziella he realizes how much he loves Barbie but lots of trouble stands in their way. Don’t worry, because Barbie will do anything to get Ken back.
Girls ages two to ten will really enjoy this movie filled with friends, fashion and adventure. Will Raquelle and Barbie ever be friends? How will they get into the magical world? Will they rescue Ken? Find out when you watch “Barbie: a Fairy Secret.” Credit: Makai Weber Colvin, Age 9, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

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PBS KIDS® Celebrates Dr. Seuss’ Birthday On March 2

February 28th, 2011

On March 2, PBS KIDS is honoring the birthday of Theodor Seuss Geisel, more widely known as Dr. Seuss, with a two-hour marathon of THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!  PBS KIDS will celebrate Dr. Seuss’ 107th birthday by rhyming along with the playful Cat during two brand new episodes, “Incredible Journey/Bamboozled,” where the Cat introduces Nick and Sally to two incredible creatures, Salmon Sam and Zhu Zhu the panda, and “Teeny Weeny Adventure/I See Seeds,” in which the Cat takes Nick and Sally on two “tiny” adventures.  The fun will then continue with encore presentations of two favorite CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! episodes.

“We’re excited to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday with this special on-air event,” said Lesli Rotenberg, senior vice president, Children’s Media, PBS.  “With its focus on science education, THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! series has become one of our most popular programs, nurturing children’s natural curiosity and instilling a love of exploration through fun adventures and problem solving.”

THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! has ranked among the top five programs for children ages 2 to 5 since its launch in September.  Children can view these marathon episodes of THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! on PBS KIDS on March 2 (check local listings).  Viewers can also catch a favorite episode, “The Tree Doctor,” online at PBSKIDS.org/video. Episodic images of these episodes are available on PBS PressRoom.

Following is a listing of the episodes airing during the March 2 Marathon Event (Check local listings for air dates and times).

THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT!

“Incredible Journey/Bamboozled” NEW

“Incredible Journey” – Nick and Sally are playing in their homemade Thingamajigger, when the Cat arrives to take them on a real adventure! Off they go to meet Salmon Sam, who is returning to the pool where she hatched so she can lay her eggs. With the help of the Subber-e-blubber, they follow Samantha on her incredible journey!

“Bamboozled” – Sally needs to find a gift for her stuffed Panda, Pammy. Who better to ask than a real Panda? The Cat takes them to meet Zhu Zhu, a giant panda who helps the kids to discover all the wonderful things you can do with bamboo. It’s a perfect gift for Pammy the Panda!

“Teeny Weeny Adventure/I See Seeds” NEW

“Teeny Weeny Adventure” – Nick has spotted a tiny ladybug, but Sally has found an even smaller ant!  And there’s nothing smaller than an ant.  Or is there?  Cat takes Nick and Sally to meet a variety of single-celled creatures, the smallest anywhere!  Nick and Sally soon learn that a drop of water holds a whole lot more than they ever realized!

“I See Seeds” – Sally and Nick are going on an adventure, but how are they going to get there? Skateboard?  Train?  Rocketship?  They just can’t decide, until Cat suggests they see how trees send their seeds on trips.  They follow different seeds as they travel through the air, float on the water and hitch rides on animals.

“A Long Winter’s Nap/The Tree Doctor”

“A Long Winter’s Nap” – Sally and Nick are so excited to go ice skating tomorrow, that they can’t fall asleep! Cat’s friend Boris the Bear can help! Off they go to the Gleep-sneep Woods to learn how Boris gets ready to take his long winter’s nap. Back at home, Nick and Sally follow Boris’ advice, and, with the help of a bedtime story from Cat, they quickly fall asleep.

“The Tree Doctor” – Sally’s little maple sapling hasn’t grown any bigger! To discover why, the Cat in the Hat takes the kids to meet Dr. Twiggles. With the help of the doctor and his songs, Nick and Sally discover how trees “eat” – through their leaves and roots. They also learn that trees grow verrrry slowly. A few more years and their maple sapling will grow into a maple tree!

“Maps/Termite Towers”

“Maps” – Nick and Sally are pretending to be pirates. The Cat takes them on a real pirate adventure by following a treasure map! They use landmarks to find their way to a real pirate treasure: parchment paper and ink pens to make their own pirate maps!

“Termite Towers” – Sally and Nick just can’t seem to keep their block tower from toppling over.  The Cat in the Hat takes them to meet some expert tower builders: the termites!  After shrinking down to bug-size, they learn from Terry Termite how to build a tower that won’t wiggle and wobble.  With some engineering tips from a termite, Sally and Nick can build their block tower higher than ever before!

The Roommate Reviewed by KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Raven Devanney

February 15th, 2011

Roommate.jpgThe Roommate is the story of a crazy chick who doesn’t take her meds and wants to be her college roommate’s only friend.

This movie was scary but it wasn’t very good. It was supposed to be a thriller but it wasn’t very suspenseful and it wasn’t scary enough to be horror. I think the rating PG-13 was good because there wasn’t really any language or sexual content and the horror level was low. The only part that was sooo horrible it made me cry was when the crazy lady put the cutest little kitten in the washing machine.

 It really bugged me when Rebecca, the crazy person, beat herself up. It was kind of scary and gross and made me sick when she broke her own face!! It was, like I said, not very good.
I had a fun time seeing it with my friends, but I wouldn’t watch it again. Wait ‘til its out on DVD.
I think this movie would be good for a sleepover with friends because it is a good RavenAM.jpgmovie to socialize in if you don’t have to completely watch it.

I give this movie 2 stars because I wasn’t very impressed but the acting was really good and believable.

Credit: Raven Devanney, age 13, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic

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