Category Archives: Kiddie Fun

Kids starting a new chapter with reading? Here are four top books

We are always encouraging people to start new chapters in their lives. Especially when it comes to reading  . . . and we mean reading real books, those hold-them-in-your-hands treasures, not “reading” on those annoying electronic devices that should be banned to some unreachable nook somewhere. Kids must be taught the importance of reading real books at an early age. We discovered tk books that belong in every wee one’s library. The ages? Just mere guidelines, dear readers, since we believe they are for the young and young-at-heart.

From the team behind the best-selling Atlas of Adventures comes a new, nifty tome. Head off on a journey of discovery with Atlas of Animal Adventures (Wide Eyed Editions, $30), a book that collects nature’s most unmissable events from between the two poles, including epic migrations, extraordinary behaviors and Herculean habits. 9781847807922Find hundreds of things to spot and learn new facts about every animal. Perfect for ages 6 to 9.

Your imagination will be your guide as you discover 12 clever cardboard craft projects for the entire family. DIY Box Creations (Walter Foster Jr., $9.95) includes a variety of out-of-the-box cardboard creations for families to build together, transforming leftover boxes into an assortment of step-by-step projects.diy-box-creations-e1472732384636 From planes, trains, forts, lemonade stands, and puppet theaters, have fun building memories and creativity with each step. Perfect for ages 8 to 12.
Raffi is a shy boy who doesn’t like noisy games and is often teased at school. When he gets the idea of making a scarf for his dad’s birthday, he is full of enthusiasm even though the other children think it’s girly to knit. Then the day draws near for the school pageant, and there is one big problem; there’s no costume for the prince. raffi-knitting
And that’s when Raffi has his most brilliant idea of all: to make a prince’s cape. On the day of the pageant, Raffi’s cape is the star of the show. The education and entertainment is found in Made by Raffi (Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, $9.99). Perfect for ages 6 to 9.

Fun with Stitchables (Walter Foster Jr. , $14.95) introduces young crafters to the fun of simple embroidery. Quick and easy cross stitch sewing cards are included with punched holes for easy stitching, as well as a 16-page project book with instructions for designing your own unique stitching patterns and color combinations.51csxkqamxl-_sx373_bo1204203200_
A project gallery shows examples of what the hand-stitched cards can become once they are complete: everything from ornaments to greeting cards. The simple stitching patterns taught in this book promote growth and development, hand-eye coordination, as well as creativity and imagination. Fun with Stitchables will entertain and delight crafters of all ages and inspire a lifelong love of embroidery.

“Power Rangers Dino Charge: Rise” is a spook-tacular Halloween treat

We love when we can share treats instead of tricks as Halloween creeps in. Now we offer two. First, a riddle. What do you call an empty hot dog? (Pause, while you think about it.) A hollow-weenie! (pause, while you laugh heartily.)

Secondly: A spook-tacular DVD from Lionsgate. Saban’s Powers Rangers embark on all-new adventures in Power Rangers Dino Charge: Rise, arriving on DVD (plus Digital HD) on September 27. powerrangersdinocharge_v4riseIn this Halloween edition, the Power Rangers must overcome their differences and work together to defend the Earth from evil using their dino-charged powers. Top-rated in its time period with kids 2-11, Power Rangers Dino Charge: Rise will surely keep its devoted fan base on the edge of their seats.

The Power Rangers rise and take action-adventure to the next level as Tyler and Ivan put their differences aside to defuse a bomb; Chase races to free his friends from an underground tomb; Prince Phillip learns that he can’t buy his way into the Power Rangers; and Riley and Koda restore the team’s broken bonds of friendship in these dynamic, thrill-filled adventures.

All together now: Boo!

Disney’s royal lion lair continues with “The Lion Guard: Unlease the Power”

They are lions, hear them roar. Join Kion and his friends as they unite to protect the Pride Lands and maintain the Circle of Life with the new Disney DVD The Lion Guard: Unleash the Power! Save the date: September 20. Packed with action, music and more than two hours of fun, the story proves that when heroes join forces, they are truly a force to be reckoned with.lionguard

The Lion Guard continues the high as it continues the epic storytelling of Disney’s The Lion King. The high works because of Lowe . . . Rob Lowe ‘s vocal talents work magic as Simba. The story follows the adventures of Kion, the second-born cub of Simba and Nala, and his diverse group of friends-Bunga, a fearless honey badger; Fuli, a confident cheetah; Beshte, a friendly and good-spirited hippo; and Ono, an intellectual egret. Together, Kion and his friends make up the Pride Lands’ fiercest, bravest, fastest, strongest and keenest of sight.

Think you will recognize the other voices? Watch and wonder! We’ll give you one clue: Modern Family icon Sarah Hyland plays . . .

 

Go for the gold without attending the Rio rumpus with new Caillou DVD

Forget Rio. Forget the dirty water and nasty people and nastier crime. The young and young-at-heart can go for the gold with the new PBS Distribution DVD Caillou Goes for the Gold. In 11 exciting episodes, Caillou quickly learns that playing soccer, baseball and running aren’t as easy as they look, but it’s always fun to try something new.
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The DVD is filled with fun sports-themed adventures that empower preschoolers to try new activities with their friends and family.

The suggested retail price of $12.99 is a hell of a lot cheaper than a Rio rumpus.

 

 

Shuffling along to spread news of a welcome war: “Card Wars”

When we stumbled upon Adventure Time, we knew Cartoon Network wasn’t the only people having magical (mis)adventures. Then, in the fourteenth episode of the series’ fourth season, we aced it when we stumbled up Card Wars.

Shades of Huck Finn . . . of sorts. The series follows the adventures of human boy Finn (voiced by Jeremy Shada), and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake (voiced by John DiMaggio), who happens to be a dog with magical powers. Yep, he can change shape, growing and shrinking at will. Oh, they live in the Land of Ooo.
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Jake begs Finn to play his favorite trading card game (thus Card Wars),  but things take a turn for the worse when Jake becomes overly competitive, insisting on playing for a “cool guy cup” and the “dweeb cup”. Trust us: This is some funny stuff.

Adventure Time: Card Wars (Cartoon Network) is a nifty DVD that will have you shuffling through 16 episodes, including the original Card Wars. The DVD also comes packaged with an exclusive Card Wars playing card, making this DVD a must have for fans, collectors and the huge following that Card Wars has accrued since the episode, app and physical game debuted.

Old maid anyone?

“Bottersnikes & Gumbles” are ready to hit Netflix . . . get ready to g(r)umble!

Great things do come in small packages. Bottersnikes & Gumbles, a new award-winning CGI animated series, is set to make its U.S. and Canada debut with 26 episodes on August 19 on Netflix.  Full of action, suspense and laughs, each 11-minute episode is set to thrill the imaginations of kids . . . though we hear the show’s spokesperson suggests the small-screen sagas are for kids “aged 6 and older,” we think it’s perfect for kids of all ages!

image001 (1)Bottersnikes & Gumbles follows the adventures of three young Gumbles, Tink, Bounce and Willi,who love nothing better than to “gumble” all day long, which means crazy, stretchy capers around their junk valley, while carefully avoiding getting tin-canned by their lazy, grumpy neighbors the Bottersnikes, led by the foul tempered and vain Bottersnikes King.  Endless battles ensue involving plenty of stealth, trickery, daring rescues and narrow escapes as the Gumbles try to outwit the Bottersnikes in every episode.

Bottersnikes & Gumbles earned this year’s Pulcinella Award for Best Kids TV Series at the international animation festival, Cartoons on the Bay, in Venice and was nominated for a Logie Award in Australia for Most Outstanding Children’s Programme.

Bottersnikes & Gumbles has been developed and adapted from the characters and world as they first appeared in the much-loved Bottersnikes and Gumbles books by S.A. Wakefield, with illustrations by Desmond Digby. The books were published in the UK and Australia between 1967 and 1989.

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“I wonder if Sam Wakefield ever imagined this when he wrote the original books in the 1960s?,” asks Patrick Egerton, Executive Producer at Cheeky Little Media.  “Making this show, and bringing these much loved characters to life has been amazing.”

Adds Darren Price, Executive Creative Director, Mighty Nice: “The original books created a truly unique, often hilarious, fantasy world of imaginative creatures, personalities and situations. Taking it further with animation has been a hugely rewarding experience. Netflix viewers, get ready to gumble!”