DVD teaches important life skills that open a world of possibilities

On August 15, 2011, the National Poll on Children’s Health, conducted by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, was released. It brought to light startling new health concerns that are facing America’s youth. Drug abuse is now tied with childhood obesity as their #1 concern followed by: smoking and tobacco use, teen pregnancy, bullying, Internet safety and stress.   Bullying, in particular, has become a national concern following some recent youth suicides. 

Earlier in the year, we provided some suggestions for parents and caregivers for books and music that not only inform and provide useful strategies to help combat bullying, but are entertaining to children and teens while getting positive messages across in non-confrontational ways. 

Today, we’re providing information on a DVD series that certainly fits this same mold, SHANTI GENERATION: YOGA SKILLS FOR YOUTH PEACEMAKERS.

Yoga is practiced by nearly 14 million American adults, and it also has developmental benefits for young people that help instill self-confidence, combat obesity, develop physical strength and improve academic achievement, while cultivating inner peace and mindfulness. 

Yoga has also been found to be beneficial for children with ADHD, Autism and chronic disease, helping them to stay physically healthy and mentally focused. 

SHANTI GENERATION was developed by noted Southern California yoga instructor, Abby Wills, in tandem with the direct input from seven Los Angeles teenagers.

The video does not require previous training in yoga, and it is a program that talks to and not at kids.

The production values of this DVD are high end and include tight editing and a hip sound track with soothing music by Aaron Wills (a/k/a P-Nut, bassist of the rock band 311). The total presentation is designed to capture the attention of young people.

Unlike most yoga videos, boys as well as girls demonstrate the exercises rather than an instructor, while the teens’ multiracial makeup is more reflective of modern America. 

Wills, who holds a Masters in Education, has had 15 years of hands-on experience working in schools, communities, and in international workshops for teachers. Her approach to yoga for youth is informed by studies in social justice and developmental education, which provide her unique insights in understanding the specific needs of the educator as well as the student.

 “Shanti,” means peace in Sanskrit. In fact, says Wills, “We plan to build a movement by teaching young people peacemaking skills, to build a world that respects and celebrates differences in effort to create a culture of peace and unity. The yoga program we developed cultivates social and emotional learning, or SEL, through mindfulness practices including movement, breathing and meditation. Each practice is offered in a context directly relevant to the developmental needs of adolescent youth.” She adds, “The program is designed to empower teens to cope with real life challenges, including bullying.” 

The SHANTI GENERATION: YOGA SKILLS FOR YOUTH PEACEMAKERS 90-minute DVD features:

Over 30 unique options for beginner and experienced yogis:

5 unique half-hour practice sequences: Creating Happiness, Energy Amplified, Choosing Peace, Being Sound and Voice Choice Possibility 

Library of Poses: 18 mini sequences for Focus, Energy and Calm 

 Breathing Room: 5 sequences featuring stress management and self-regulation

Self-Connection Room: two mindful awareness practices

 Interviews with the seven teen yoga students

 Optional narration in Spanish and Japanese

Below is the official trailer for SHANTI GENERATION: YOGA SKILLS FOR YOUTH PEACEMAKERS and a second video introducing you to some of the young people who are part of this unique program.

The Suggested retail price for SHANTI GENERATION: YOGA SKILLS FOR YOUTH PEACEMAKERS is $16.95 and Amazon.com has best price of $14.95.

Eight fun Chanukah tips to share with children in your life

'Celebrating Chanukah' photo by Paula Slade

Parents’ Choice® award-winning kids’ musician Mama Doni (a.k.a Doni Zasloff Thomas) is wishing everyone a Happy Chanukah and she’s provided some fun videos to share with your child each night.

This Chanukah season, Doni offers Mama Doni’s Eight Fun Tips for Chanukah, a series of 30-second video segments, featured at the end of this article, with a fun family activity for each of the eight days of the holiday.

These are Mama Doni’s tips — in her own words and they include:

DAY 1. Makin’ Lotsa Latkes!

“Chanukah is a celebration of light and oil, so we make latkes because making them uses so much oil! Start the holiday off right with a fun latke contest.  Gather some friends and make the traditional latkes, but then ask everyone to think of a special ingredient to throw into the batter. Try making veggie latkes like carrots (I call those carrotlatkes), broccoli (i call those broccolatkes), fruits like apples (applelatkes), banana (bananalatkes), even crazy things like spaghetti (spaghettilatkes), chicken (bokalatkes), or even chocolate chips (chocolatkes)! You can even make a latke sundae with sprinkles.  Kids can be the judges. Yum! Let me know how you did! “

DAY 2: Get Your Dreidel On!

“It's dreidel night! The dreidel is a four-sided top etched with Hebrew letters, which stand for the phrase, "A great miracle happened here." That miracle is the miracle of Chanukah.  Now, this is a chance for you to get your dreidel on-- for chocolate coins. Get yourself some dreidels and some gelt (instead of gelt, you can also use chocolate kisses or lollipops, or you can go healthier and play with fruit snacks or boxes of raisins).

Everyone spins the dreidel, and depending on what Hebrew letter the top lands on, you either win all of the candy (gimel), half of the candy (hey), none of the candy (nun) or have to give one back (shin). What I like to do is after everyone has had a turn to spin, is take a ROCKSTAR BREAK, and turn on your Chanukah tunes on my Chanukah Fever CD, and have a Chanukah dance party!  Everyone gets a candy or gelt if they go crazy dancing and singing! Then back to playing…. “

Day 3: The Story of Chanukah

“The Jewish holiday of Chanukah literally lights up our homes! Chanukah is also called “The Festival of Lights,” referring to the flames that we light on our menorahs on each of the holiday’s eight nights. The story of Chanukah is a celebration of the victory of the Maccabees  and the rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. It also commemorates the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days when there was only enough for one day. Chanukah is about hope and spiritual light, and it’s a time to be with friends and family, as we celebrate the light in our lives. “

DAY 4: Are you Grateful?

“On this day, get out a piece of paper and think about eight things you are most grateful for in your life.  Make your lists and read them to each other.  You can set up an area of your house as a stage, and everyone in your family can get on stage and read his or her list.  Of course if you want to sing the list, go for it! (Sing the list to the melody of “Maotzur”…)”

DAY 5: Is It “Chanukah” or “Hanukkah?”

“Everyone says the name of this holiday differently, but both ways are cool.  Something fun to do on this day is try replacing your "h" sound with the "chh" sound for a little while. You can say things like "chello?" or "chow are you?" It might make your throat tickle as well as give you the Chhhanukah giggles! Make sure to wish everyone a "Chappy Chanukah!”

DAY 6: Honey This Ain’t Money

“Everyone knows about Hanukkah gelt, (the Yiddish term for money) right? It looks a lot like change or gold, but it is actually made of chocolate!  A fun thing to do on this day is go to the store with your mom or dad or babysitter.  Put the Hanukkah gelt in your pocket ,and then when you get the cash register, take your Hanukkah gelt ,and hand it to the person at the counter as if you were paying with real change. Only let the joke go for a couple of seconds, because you are not trying to be mean, just a little silly!  Make sure your mom or dad has real change ready to pay right away. Maybe the store owner will have a good laugh with you, and remember to wish him or her a happy holiday!”

DAY 7:  Gobble Up Sufganiyot!!!

“Did you know that jelly donuts, also known as "sufganiyot," are a traditional Hanukkah treat? Kids all over the world are gobbling them up at Hanukkah time! Now, imagine a place made out of… JELLY?! Jelly donut boats, jelly streams, jelly birds, jelly donut houses... Imagine this crazy cool place with me.”

DAY 8: Eight Special People in Your Life

“It's the last night! This is the night where you can pick eight people in your life.  These could be your mom, dad, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, friends... eight people who are special to you, and you can call them (or if they are nearby, you can give them a hug) and wish them a happy happy Hanukkah and tell them how much you love them.”

In addition to the video below, which is for the first night, Mama Doni’s Eight Fun Tips for Chanukah are on the home page of her website — http://mamadoni.com -- through the end of December, where you and your children will be able to view all eight videos plus an energizing and fun music finale that will get the whole family movin’ and groovin'.

Mama Doni, a resident of Montclair, New Jersey, hopes that her music will add some Jewish flavor to the lives of people everywhere.

As you can see from the video, she speaks with great passion about preserving the priceless Yiddish and Jewish spirit by imbuing it with a contemporary vibe that connects to life in our times.

All of Mam Doni’s recordings recordings are available nationwide, as CDs and digital downloads, from Barnes and Noble, Amazon, FYE.com, iTunes, and select Costco locations.

Doni currently has a number of projects in the works, which include: A Mama Doni book; DVD; new CD and a TV pilot.

2011 Holiday Guide: Part 3 - Gifts of Music

"Street Corner Snowman" photo by Paula Slade

Today we wrap up our section on musical gifts, which are perfect for not only the holidays, but year round listening as well.

The products, which appear below were released during 2011 and are performed by an incredibly diverse and talented mix of musical artists.

All of these albums have been researched for quality as well as value, and are geared to provide the children in your life with many hours of positive and fun-filled entertainment.

Best pricing options, available at the time of this posting are provided below, but it is suggested that you cross-compare CD and MP3 prices with your favorite online as well as stick and brick retailers when available.

From now, and until December 21, 2011, more offerings will continue to be featured in other entertainment categories.

As a reminder, you may want to bookmark this page to further enjoy the musical journey at your leisure, and enable you to connect with the many other product reviews that occurred this year and in 2010, which are available through archived posts on the right side of this page.

As always, you are the best judge of what is appropriate for your child’s entertainment.

Christmas in Concord

From Grammy Award-Winning artist, Dan Zanes and Festival Five Records comes a recent digital release, Christmas in Concord, a delightful small-scale celebration of old Christian tunes that have been a part of Christmases in Zanes’ hometown of Concord, NH for generations.

Of the EP Zanes notes, “I moved away from that narrow canon in the years since I left home as a seventeen year old in favor of more varied musical pastures, but this holiday season something pulled me back. From my vantage point here in Brooklyn, where every holiday tradition is represented and the parties are much more mixed and worldly than anything I could have imagined back then, I now realize that there were some very moving songs being sung year after year and I’m grateful for the memories of those parties and for the experience of gathering year after year with friends and neighbors to sing, eat, have a few laughs and eat some pickled herring.” 

Tracks include the following selections:

1. Angels We Have Heard on High

2. Deck the Halls

3. It Came upon a Midnight Clearer

4. Joy to the World

5. Silent Night

Sound samples for Christmas in Concord are available exclusively through iTunes, where the MP3 downloads for each track is $1.29, or all five tracks for $3.99.

Tumble Bee

Acclaimed indie folk artist Laura Veirs' first family recording Tumble Bee delves into the great American folk song tradition

The recording covers a wide range of folk songs, from early 20th century work songs to the ballads of Jimmie Rodgers, Woody Guthrie, Peggy Seeger and Harry Belafonte.

The youthful innocence in Veirs’ voice lends itself well to the jaunty spirit of the album.

Veirs and renowned record producer Tucker Martine, her long-time collaborator on seven of her eight records, have created a piece of art that is sure to appeal to children as well as adult fans of Veirs’ previous work. The album features guest appearances by Colin Meloy (Decemberists), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Béla Fleck and Brian Blade (drummer for Bob Dylan) among many others.

Inspired by the birth of her son and by countless fans who’ve told her over the years how much their kids love her records, Veirs became curious about the history of American children’s music. She and Martine listened to hundreds of songs from the past several centuries, including Harry Smith’s famous Anthology of American Folk Music and the deep catalog of American music from Smithsonian Folkways. They selected what Veirs calls, “a sampling that reflects our richness as a people.”

Sound samples for all 13 tracks Tumble Bee are available at Amazon.com where MP3 downloads are offered at $0.89 per track or $8.99 for the entire album.

Best price for the “New” CD is from Amazon Marketplace for $9.37.

The CD package includes a D.I.Y. kit to make your own Tumble Bee mobile.

Golden Kids Rules

Chip Taylor, renowned musician and songwriter, who is probably best recognized for music mega hits “Angel of the Morning” and “Wild Thing,” has created a charming contribution to family music with this Smithsonian Folkways Recordings release, Golden Kids Rules featuring Chip Taylor and the Grandkids.

Generational love, wisdom and original songs fill the 13 tracks on this 38-minute album blending Taylor’s seasoned voice with the youthful interplay of his three granddaughters, Riley, Kate, and Samantha.

A true family affair, Taylor's brother, actor Jon Voight, provides an insightful introduction to the artist and the album in the accompanying liner notes which also include a 20-page book of song lyrics. Voight writes, “Charm is an ingredient we seem to have lost in music over the years...and purity. To me, this album is a treasure that comes just at the right time to lift us to a reminder of the power of family and the majesty of children.”

In the video below, Chip Taylor discusses the making of Golden Kids Rules at the 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, where songs from the album debuted.

Sound samples for all tracks of Golden Kids Rules are available through Amazon.com where MP3 downloads are $0.99 per track or $8.99 for the entire album.

Best price for the Golden Kids Rules CD format is through Amazon Marketplace “New” for $7.27.

Music Play for Folks of All Stripes

Award-winning musician, author and child development specialist Jim Gill released his sixth playful recording for young children and the adults who care for them: Music Play for Folks of All Stripes.

Like all of Gill’s CDs, Music Play for Folks of All Stripes invites active participation from listeners. Known as the “Poet of Play,” Gill’s style, when he toys with each of the song’s lyrics and music, has the effect of inviting kids, parents and caregivers to play together. Opportunities abound in this album for physical movement and active expression. There are clap-alongs, finger plays, pretend games and imaginative dances, all suitable for playrooms, family rooms and even classrooms.

The 15 new songs represent a range of musical styles, from symphonic to country, improvised jazz to polka, so there is something for music lovers “of all stripes.” There are also show tunes, a country waltz, a piece that includes bagpipes, and a special number called “Living Inside of a Jar,” which is accompanied entirely by musicians who blow, pluck and strike, xylophone-style, on glass bottles.

Gill is a nationally acclaimed musician and child development authority who often speaks to early childhood educators, care providers and children’s librarians on the intrinsic value of play and the many connections between music play and literacy.

Music Play for Folks of All Stripes is available to sound sample and purchase direct from Gill’s website where the CD is available to purchase for $16.00 and includes a DVD featuring live-action music videos relating to selected songs on the album.

Below is a video of Jim Gill and “Beethoven's Five Finger Play,” which is one of the tracks featured in Music Play for Folks of All Stripes.

Small Potatoes

On September 6, we featured a post about the launch of “Small Potatoes,” a series of animated shorts on Disney Junior. Over the last several months, that article received an extensive amount of page views, which attests to the fact that this adorable block of children’s programming has an enormous following. 

The show now has a fun and eclectic selection of downloadable songs from the program, which are available to sound sample through iTunes for $0.99 per track, with the video, “Imagination” downloadable for $1.49.

 
These are delightful and cheerful tunes that entertain with a capital “E."

Plus, there’s a brand new track, just in time for the holiday season, “Jingle Spuds.”

Below for your enjoyment is the Small Potatoes animated short, “You Can Be What You Want to Be".

Starz Kids and Family channel to provide two-hour teen/tween block of programming

'The Wannabes' part of new programming block

Starz Entertainment announced today that its STARZ KIDS & FAMILY channel will air four, live-action shows for teen and pre-teen audiences beginning Monday, September 5, 2011.  Known as “Camp Block,” these 30-minute shows will kick off with the international hit, “The Wannabes” at 4:00 p.m. ET/PT.  Other shows include “Mortified,” “Conner Undercover,” and “The Latest Buzz.”

STARZ KIDS & FAMILY is “excited to offer a unique two hour block of programming specially designed for young audiences,” says Stephan Shelanski, EVP Programming, for Starz Entertainment. "With everyone going back to school, we wanted to offer programming that appeals specifically to the families of our subscribers."

“Camp Block” kicks off with “The Wannabes”- a show with proven success amongst teenagers. Airing in more than 92 territories around the world, “The Wannabes” is a comedy with original music and music videos, and follows six talented high school students at a classical arts academy as they sing and dance their way to making their dreams of becoming huge pop stars come true. 

Shaylen Carson (Shaylen Carroll), Sarah Moody (Gabrielle "GiGi" LeMaire), Mariah Pettigrew (Mariah Parks), Drew Robinson (Drew Rojas Reinartz), Alan Taskin (Alan Shaw), and Andrew Stark (Andrew Bowen Stern) learn to balance their high school studies with their secret lives as musical group Savvy, getting into outrageous adventures along the way. “The Wannabes” is produced by Showcase Entertainment and Stern-LeMaire Productions, Inc.

'Mortified' starring Taylor Fry

Following “The Wannabes” at approximately 4:30 p.m. ET/PT, “Camp Block” also features “Mortified”, starring Marny Kennedy, Dajana Cahill, and Rachel Blakely. 

“Mortified” spotlights Taylor Fry, an eleven year old with an ordinary life and an extraordinary imagination. She copes with the daily pressures of school, parents and friends by making embarrassing situations a bit more hilarious. “Mortified” is produced by Australian Children's Television Foundation.

'Connor Undercover'

“Connor Undercover” is next up on the block and centers around Connor, a typical fifteen year old, whose world is suddenly more precarious when the president’s daughter comes to live with his family. Max Morrow, Gavin Fox, Lola Tash, Jordan Francis, Dylan Authors star in this series filled with suspense and intrigue. “Connor Undercover” is produced by Shaftesbury Films.

'The Latest Buzz'

Rounding out “Camp Block” is “The Latest Buzz” starring Zoe Belkin, Vanessa Morgan, Justin Kelly. It revolves around five, 14-old writers who work at a youth magazine during 8th period at school. They learn about the fast-paced world of publishing, all the while living the fast-paced life of a teenager. “The Latest Buzz” is produced by DHX Media.

The video featured below is an excerpt from “The Wannabes.”

The Book Report: Sharing the best in books, apps and literary marketplace news

'Books' photo by Paula Slade

With the opening of San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, July 21, 2011, the annual event is expected to draw upwards of 150,000 attendees, and this week’s ‘Book Report’ introduces you to a comic book for early readers and an extraordinary comic book collection, both items from Toon Books, which help spark an interest in reading for children and teens who are reluctant readers, while providing a great deal of entertainment.

BOOKS

Benny and Penny in the Big No-No! By Geffrey Hayes

This Theodor Suess Geisel Award-winning book combines charming illustrations, solid dialogue and easy to follow panels in a story that many children will readily identify with. 

Lessons about friendship, jumping to conclusions, and how important it is to apologize when you’re wrong are presented in a non-preachy fashion by two adorable mice siblings and their neighbor, a little mole.

Presented in a hardcover edition, this 32-page Toon book is perfect for age’s four to eight.

To peek inside this book, and read editorial and customer reviews simply follow this link to Amazon.com.

Amazon Marketplace currently provides best available pricing at $7.22.

The TOON Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics

Art Spiegelman and FranCoise Mouly (Editors) with an introduction by Jon Sciezka

This is a superb 352-page collection of the greatest children’s comics spanning 40 years – all classics that have entertained generations.

These are full comic books, not strips, and they exhibit exceptional artwork and stories from the Golden Age of cartooning  from such masters as Sheldon Mayer, Carl Barks and  Basil Wolverton to name a few.

Readers will find everything from Little Archie to Little Lulu, Donald Duck to Dennis the Menace – 67 stories presented in five categories, spanning everything from kids and funny animals, to the wacky and weird.

To see more graphics from this collection, and read editorial and customer reviews simply follow this link to Amazon.com.

Amazon Marketplace currently provides best available pricing at $21.14.

On September 10, 2009, Art Spiegelman and FranCoise Mouly, who are considered foremost authorities in the field of comics and children’s graphic novels, sat down with WNYC’s Leonard Lopate, to discuss the making of this landmark collection. Below is a video of that interview.

For additional information on the entire Toon Book collection, a line of hardcover comics that offers many choices for different reading levels, simply link to http://www.toon-books.com/

The Book Report: Sharing the best in books, apps and literary marketplace news

"Books" photo by Paula Slade

Something old, something new; never borrowed, never blue – today’s “Book Report” looks at classic bedtime stories, a 21^st Century app, and exciting news about a new blog from the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

 

NEWS

Making Art with Children: New Blog from the Carle’s Art Studio

Courtesy The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts not only houses an extensive and ever-changing collection of picture book art, but provides free art studio workshops and classes with their standard museum admission. Taught by Carle staff or professional/visiting artists the art studio is designed “to foster imagination and critical thinking through hands-on work with materials.” 

Now this same professional expertise is being shared online at the Carle’s new blog, Making Art with Children.

Parents and caregivers will enjoy interesting and helpful posts by Museum educators Meghan Burch and Diana Mac Kenzie as well as news about upcoming Museum activities. 

By following this link to one of their recent posts, you’ll find a step-by-step process for recycling used crayon pieces and providing them a new life to be used by little hands. You’ll also be able to download the how-to instructions for this project and sign up for their RSS feed to keep up to date with all of their posts.

For more information about visiting the Museum, call 413-658-1100 or surf into the Museum’s website at www.carlemuseum.org.    

BOOKS

The Going-To-Bed Book (Board Book) by Sandra Boynton

When it comes to engaging and entertaining children, Sandra Boynton has a gilded touch with her simple, cleverly constructed rhymes, charming animal characters and knack for storytelling.

Originally published in 1982 this classic board book never fails to delight and help with sleepy-time wind downs for babies and preschoolers.

Additional information and reviews are available at Amazon.com, with best pricing for the board book through Amazon Marketplace starting at $2.00.

Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book (Hardcover)

First published in 1962, this timeless tale is guaranteed to make the smallest to the tallest readers sleepy; it’s a true Theodor Geisel classic abounding with his crafty rhyming signature storytelling and quirky character illustrations.

Additional glimpses inside of Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book and customer reviews are available at Amazon.com, with best pricing through Amazon Marketplace starting at $7.09 for this hardcover edition.

Time for Bed (Board Book)

Easy-to read rhyming couplets by Mem Fox, and Jane Dyer’s dreamy delicate watercolor renderings provide the perfect comforting bedtime story about animals being tucked in for the night by their mothers - a true parent-child bedtime bonding.

First published in 1997 this has been a classic favorite for children ages 2-7.

Amazon.com has additional glimpses inside Time for Bed along with product details and customer reviews.

Currently, best-researched price available is through Amazon Marketplace beginning at $2.92.

APPS

Nighty Night! HD

  

By Shape Minds and Moving Images GmbH

This is absolutely one of the sweetest and beautifully visual bedtime tales being offered as an app for iPhone and iPad. (Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 3.2 or later.)

Nighty Night! HD, a Children’s Technology Review Editor’s Choice Award Winner is wonderfully crafted, combining interactivity, animation and professionally narrated storytelling for children aged 1-4 years.

Created by Heidi Wittlinger (2002 Oscar Nominee Best Animated Short) Nighty Night! HD’s 2D illustration and inviting animation prompts children to gently interact with seven different farm animals as they all get ready to go to sleep.

The app also includes melodic lullaby music and an auto play function.

To view additional Nighty Night HD screen shots and read other customer reviews, visit the Nighty Night HD page at iTunes where the app is available for $1.99. The video below will also give you a good glimpse of this very special app.

The Book Report: Sharing the latest in books, apps and literary marketplace news

'Books' by Paula Slade

Today’s edition of “The Book Report” focuses on a charming book and CD about a duck in New York, and a newly released app that features a delightful opera-singing hippo. We also highlight this week’s upcoming author visit to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

EVENTS

Talking About Words and Pictures with Barry Moser

Sunday, July 10, 2011 at 11:30 a.m.

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

125 West Bay Road, Amherst, Massachusetts 01001

FREE event with regular museum admission

Barry Moser visits the Carle for a conversation about his life, career and his books. A book signing with Mr. Mosner will follow this event.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES FROM THE CARLE:

“The books Moser has illustrated and/or designed forms a list of over three hundred titles. That list includes the Arion Press Moby-Dick and the University of California Press The Divine Comedy of Dante. Moser's edition of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, won the National Book Award for design and illustration in 1983 and prompted the poet John Ashbery writing in NEWSWEEK (March 1, 1982), to call Moser's work “never less than dazzling.”

In addition to being an illustrator, Barry Moser is also a printer, painter, printmaker, designer, author, essayist, and teacher. His work is represented in numerous collections, museums, and libraries in the United States and abroad, including The National Gallery of Art, Washington, The Metropolitan Museum, The British Museum and The Library of Congress, to name a few.

Mr. Moser lives in western Massachusetts with his wife, two English mastiffs and four cats. He has three grown daughters and nine grandchildren.”

For event details: Email: info@carlemuseum.org |www.carlemuseum.org or Phone: (413) 658-1100 | Fax: (413) 658-1139

BOOKS

Un pato en Nueva York

This book is a charming adaptation and translation to Spanish from author/songwriter Connie Kaldor’s Parents’ Choice and Juno Award-winning Book and CD, A Duck in New York City.

Produced by The Secret Mountain, a high quality Montreal based publisher of children’s picture books, videos and music, Un pato en Nueva York is the tale of a little duck from the heartland who has a big dream – to dance his little ducky feet on a Broadway stage.

The book is delightfully illustrated by Fil & Juli; expertly translated by noted Cuban author Yanitzia Canetti, and includes narration and vocals for the CD by Ines Canepa.

You can preview and download all 13 MP3 tracks through The Secret Mountain where the tracks are available for $1.25 CDN each. There is also window on the same listening page that provides a link to view the entire book online before purchasing. Both book and CD are offered for $22.95 CDN.

APPS

Hildegard Sings

First introduced in 1993 as a delightful children’s book by Thomas Wharton, Hildegard Sings is the tale of one very voluptuous hippo, Hildegard Rhineheffer whose dreams of stardom as an opera singer are as endearing as her quest to overcome stage fright when fate provides her a big break

Beautifully illustrated with bright watercolors, this app engages and charms.

Produced by One Hundred Robots, the app is compatible with iPad, iPod and iPhone and requires iOS 4.0 or later. It has 28 interactive features including read- to-me or read-to-myself options, spoofs of famous opera classics, an opera glossary, navigation map, matching game and much more.

The video below gives a bit of a preview of Hildegard Sings. To view more screenshots and check out product reviews or for ordering, visit the Hildegard Sings iTunes page where the app is specially priced for only $1.99.

The Popcorn Report: Guide to this week's movies with ratings and trailers

‘Popcorn’ photo by Petr Kratochvil

It’s time to make weekend family entertainment plans and see if this week’s current crop of films will be part of your schedule. The following report covers motion picture theatrical releases opening nationwide beginning Friday, July 1, 2011, along with current film industry news.

The movies listed below have a rating, which has been established by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and have been provided with an italicized commentary from the Classification and Ratings Administration (CARA).

If a film has not been provided with an official rating, additional information may, or may not be provided.

If a film is designated NC-17, very limited information will be furnished.

For your convenience, each film title links directly to the Internet Movie Data Base, which provides the most comprehensive listing about the movie’s storyline, and includes a trailer, cast and crew information, initial audience reaction (if prior screenings have taken place) and parent advisories when available.

As always, you are the single best judge for determining your child’s choice of entertainment.

FILMS OPENING THIS WEEK

Opened July 1, 2011 Crime After Crime- Documentary, Biography, Crime- NOT RATED. NOTE: In limited release.

Opened July 1, 2011 Larry Crowne- Comedy, Drama, Romance- PG-13 because of “brief strong language and some sexual content.

Opened July 1, 2011 Monte Carlo – Adventure, Comedy, Romance–PG- because of “brief mild language.”

Opened July 1, 2011 The Perfect Host – Comedy, Thriller- R-because of “.language, some violent content and brief sexual material.” NOTE: Los Angeles and New York City only.

Opened July 1, 2011 Terri – Comedy- R- because of “sexual content, language and some drug and alcohol use - all involving teens.” NOTE: Los Angeles and New York City only.

Opening July 5, 2011 Empire of Assassins – Action- R- because of “some bloody violence.”

Opening July 6, 2011 Rapt – Drama- NOT RATED-NOTE: New York City only.

Opening July 6, 2011 Septien – Comedy, Drama, Mystery- NOT RATED. NOTE: In limited release.

For information on films that opened June 24, 2011, which included:   A Better Life;    Bad Teacher;    Cars 2;   Conan O'Brien Can't Stop;    Hawaiian Vacation;    Leap Year;    The Names of Love;    Turtle: The Incredible Journey;    The Globe Theatre Presents The Merry Wives of Windsor;    A Little Bit of Heaven;    Lord of the Rings Extended Edition Trilogy;    The Met Summer Encore: Simon Boccanegra  and  Transformers: Dark of the Moon, please click on the link below.

The Popcorn Report: Guide to this week’s movies

For information on films that opened May 20 to June 17, 2011, please click on the link below.

The Popcorn Report: Guide to this week’s movies

For information on films that opened April 1 to May 13, 2011, please click on the link below.

The Popcorn Report: Guide to this week’s movies

For information on films that opened the weeks of Friday, February 4 to Friday March 25, 2011 please click on the link below, where you will also find previous listings and links for prior weeks in January, as well as films that opened in 2010:

The Popcorn Report: Guide to this week’s movies

G GENERAL AUDIENCES (All Ages Admitted) PG PARENTAL GUIDANCE SUGGESTED (Some Material May Not Be Suitable for Children) PG-13 PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED (Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13) R RESTRICTED (Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent or Adult Guardian) NC-17 NO ONE 17 AND UNDER ADMITTED – As determined by the Rating Board/Motion Picture Association of America.

NEWS

The 1994 Newbury Award-winning book, Lois’ Lowry’s THE GIVER is being developed once again as feature film according to Variety. 


Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges, along with producers Nikki Silver and Neil Koenigsberg will be adapting the drama, fantasy, sci fi classic with Bridges expressing interest in portraying the role of the Giver.

According to the Variety article, Bridges and Silver “came close” to making the film – ““They had been developing a feature version of the popular book for nearly a decade before it wound up at Warner Bros., which ponied up nearly $1 million to set up the tome with Red Wagon’s Douglas Wick and Lucy Fisher in 2007. When the rights became available again, Bridges and Silver stepped up to reacquire them.”

The Internet Movie Data Base lists the anticipated release date for THE GIVER as“2013”.

TRAILERS FOR THE MOST ANTICIPATED UPCOMING FILMS

WAR HORSE

Actor  Jeremy Irvine (Albert) with Director Steven Spielberg

Below is the newly released teaser trailer for DreamWorks Pictures’ WAR HORSE, which opens in theaters nationwide December 28^th.



STUDIO NOTES

real steel

DREAMWORKS PICTURES

Genre:                                    Action-Drama

Rating:                                   PG-13

U.S. Release date:              October 7, 2011

Cast:                                      Hugh Jackman, Evangeline Lilly, Dakota Goyo, Anthony Mackie, Kevin Durand

Director:                    Shawn Levy

Producers:                Don Murphy, Susan Montford, Shawn Levy

Exec. Producers:    Jack Rapke, Robert Zemeckis, Steve Starkey, Mary McLaglen, Josh  McLaglen

Screenplay by:       John Gatins

Story by:                   Dan Gilroy and Jeremy Leven

Based on the short

Story “Steel” by:     Richard Matheson

STUDIO NOTES:

“A gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech, REAL STEEL stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

REAL STEEL is directed by Shawn Levy (NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM franchise and DATE NIGHT).

REAL STEEL is an action drama about a former boxer (Hugh Jackman) who, against all odds,  gets one last shot at a comeback when he teams up with his estranged son (Dakota Goyo) to build and train the perfect contender for the new high-tech sport of robot boxing.”

BRAVE

Disney•Pixar

Genre:                          Animation/Comedy/Adventure

Rating:                         TBD

U.S. Release Date:    June 22, 2012

Voice Talent:               Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane

Directors:                      Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman

Producer:                      Katherine Sarafian

STORYLINE

“Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In BRAVE, a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.

 Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). 

Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Wise Woman (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

Directed by Mark Andrews (THE INCREDIBLES, RATATOUILLE, JOHN CARTER) and Brenda Chapman (THE LION KING, PRINCE OF EGYPT), and produced by Katherine Sarafian (LIFTED, THE INCREDIBLES), BRAVE is a grand adventure full of heart, memorable characters and the signature Pixar humor enjoyed by audiences of all ages. The film takes aim at theaters on June 22, 2012, and will be presented in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.”