Stuff Parents Need

Easing the chaos in the nest, one find at a time.

New Releases from Scholastic Storybook Treasures (GIVEAWAY! 2 Winners!)

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Are you familiar with the fantastic children’s book called “The North Star“? It’s all about the realization that life is a journey, and that there are many different paths to take, and we have to find our own North Star to help guide us on the path that is just right for us. Raise your hand if you are a grown up who could benefit from reading this story. Me, too! Scholastic has just put it out on DVD, so now’s the perfect time to enjoy this fantastic story with your little one. You’ll both learn valuable lessons from it, guaranteed! The DVD contains other stories that all relate to the theme of following your dreams. It’s very inspirational, and I’m delighted to have it in our collection. It runs 57 minutes, and is available now for $14.95.

The second new release from Scholastic is so very perfect for the school age tots in your house. It’s called “The Scrambled States of America” and it makes learning the 50 states in the union a whole lot of fun! From the press release, “One day, Kansas wakes up grumpy and announces to his kindly neighbor Nebraska that life is dull and changes must be madeNebraska, sick of hearing North Dakota and South Dakota bicker all the time, agrees to help organize a party for all the states. When, at the party, they all decide to switch places to see a new part of the country, what will happen to “The Scrambled States of America?” While it isn’t yet holding Darah’s attention, I watched it and thought it was so fun! It also has several other really fun and award winning stories on the DVD. It’s a terrific choice for any child who might need to learn all the states in the near future. This dvd runs 66 minutes and includes extra features like discussion questions! It can be purchased for $14.95

Does your home not yet have a Scholastic DVD? What are you waiting for?! These are THE BEST out there, and you will not be disappointed. 90% of Darah’s videos are from Scholastic, and the other 10% rarely, if ever, make it to the DVD player. That’s the truth!

Win it!: Two lucky Stuff Parents Need readers are about to win! One will win “The North Star,” and the other will win “The Scrambled States of America.” The contest will run until June 10th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

REMEMBER, YOU MUST BE A PUBLIC FOLLOWER VIA GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A GIVEAWAY. YOU CAN SIGN UP THROUGH THE SIDEBAR OF MY HOMEPAGE IF YOU HAVEN’T DONE SO ALREADY.

Mandatory entry: Tell me which dvd you’d like to win, and why you want it.

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Subscribe to the Scholastic newsletter (found on the bottom right side of the linked page)
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

New DVD Series from Scholastic (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Did you know that Scholastic has launched the My First Collection, which has videos that are specifically designed for younger children, ages 2-6? They are designed to help encourage a love of reading (and not for tv to replace reading!). The debut release is My First Collection Featuring Splat the Cat, which is a 3 DVD series that has 14 great stories and runs over 1 hour and 40 minutes. While you wouldn’t want your kid to barrel through them all in one sitting, I can tell you from experience that it is difficult to not watch at least 2 stories at a time, as they are so captivating.

The day that this DVD series arrived in the mail, Darah was right by my side, excited to see what was in the package. She squealed, “Hattie!” when she saw the cover (Hattie is our cat). And immediately put in to, “See Hattie? See Hattie?” on the tv. So we watched it immediately!

One of my favorite stories in the group is The Napping House, a book that a few of my readers have recommended to me, but that I’ve never even seen. What a fun story that is, and Scholastic really brought it to life in such a fun way. Now I’m definitely on the hunt for the story in book format so that we can read it at bedtime.

This is a delightful series that Darah is really enjoying and that really does seem geared toward a younger crowd. She delights in watching it! You can purchase the entire set for $24.95 or you can purchase the DVDs individually for $12.95 each.
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to snag the My First Collection Featuring Splat the Cat! The contest will run until May 27th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

REMEMBER, TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A GIVEAWAY ON MY SITE, YOU MUST BE A PUBLIC FOLLOWER VIA GOOGLE FRIEND CONNECT. YOU CAN SIGN UP ON MY SIDEBAR IF YOU ARE NOT ALREADY A MEMBER.

Mandatory entry: Tell me which story in this set sounds really fun to you!

My answer: We also love Duck on a Bike!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Sign up for the Scholastic newsletter (found on the bottom right side of the page)
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

Explore Asian Heritage Through Classic Stories with Scholastic (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Do you remember the hilarious story Tikki Tikki Tembo? I read it over and over again as a child. It is a classic Chinese tale that shows why giving really long names to children is no longer the standard practice.

If you aren’t familiar with the story, it basically involves two brothers, one named Chang and the other named Tikki Tikki Tembo (that’s actually only about 1/4 of his name). When Chang falls into a well, Tikki Tikki Tembo is able to get him help very quickly. But when he falls into the well and Chang needs to get help, it takes a really long time because of how much time he has to spend telling people the name of his brother who is stuck! I remember how much fun it was to chant his name over and over again throughout the story; it really does take forever to say!

This latest dvd out from Scholastic brings this great tale to life. I don’t have a copy of the book, so I’m happy to have this dvd so that I can now share one of my favorite stories with Darah. It also contains 5 other stories that all celebrate Asian heritage and illustrate problem solving and friendship. They are also terrific for early readers, as there is an option to view the stories with highlighted captions as the words are read.

Buy it!: Tikki Tikki Tembo is available for just $13.49 on Amazon!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win your own copy of Tikki Tikki Tembo! The contest will run until May 10th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected via Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me the name of a book you’d like to see brought to dvd!

My answer: I’d love to see Hooray for Fish by Lucy Cousins on dvd!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Like New Video Digital on Facebook
2. Blogger love: Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter

Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my homepage.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary dvd for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

History Videos for Kids

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Well folks, the hits just keep coming with Scholastic! I have reviewed several fantastic stories brought to life on dvd, from classics that we already love to stories that were new to us, but now are treasured.

This month, Scholastic released two dvds that are a must-have for the budding history buff!

History Videos for Kids

First up, check out DUKE ELLINGTON…AND MORE STORIES TO CELEBRATE GREAT FIGURES IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s included in this dvd. Note the awesome narrators!

Duke Ellington (narrated by Forest Whitaker). A most fitting tribute to a great man who proudly celebrated the history of African-Americans, from slavery to civil rights struggles.

Ellington Was Not a Street (narrated by Phylicia Rashad). A poetic tribute about growing up amidst many of the great figures in African American History

Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of Vocal Virtuosa (narrated by Billy Dee Williams). The dramatic story of how Ella got her sound, on the way to a most remarkable and inspiring career.

John Henry (narrated by Samuel L. Jackson). Based on the famous African-American folk ballad, this story tells of the legendary contest between a spirited man with a hammer and a steam drill.

The second dvd is called LINCOLN AND DOUGLASS: AN AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP…AND MORE STORIES TO CELEBRATE AMERICAN HISTORY. I’ve also included a description of the stories on this dvd. Do you happen to see one James Earl Jones listed below as a narrator? Oh heck yes!

The Pilgrims Of Plimoth When the Pilgrims set out for America they brought with them a dream for the future.With hard work they made that dream come true.

John, Paul, George, & Ben (narrated by James Earl Jones). A humorous and factual history of five lads who grew up to become the Founding Fathers of our nation.

The Journey of The One & Only Declaration of Independence (narrated by Jeff Brooks). This witty, gritty and factual story tells all about the document that has defined American freedom for more than two centuries.

Lincoln and Douglass: An American Friendship (narrated by Danny Glover) The story of an unusual, historic friendship between two great American leaders – Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

I think both dvds are absolutely perfect additions to your dvd collection. They would also make fantastic gifts to give to an elementary school library so that hundreds of children could enjoy the stories. When I think about the ridiculous movies we used to watch on rainy days during recess, something like this would have been much more interesting and educational!

Buy it!: Both dvds are available online for $14.95 each (cheaper on Amazon!).

 

Disclosure: I received complimentary products for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf Video for Kids

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Classic children’s stories are often classic for a reason: they teach very important lessons. One of the stories that I took quite seriously as a child was The Boy Who Cried Wolf. I understood all too well that if I caused a scene I could quickly get the attention of my parents. But if nothing was really wrong, I was putting myself at risk in the future. Something might really go wrong but my parents might not believe me!

boy who cried wolf Truth be told, I think my parents would have always come to check on me if I asked for help. But the point the story drove home for me was a good one: lying doesn’t help you in the long run!

Scholastic has put this classic tale on dvd, and while Darah is still a bit too young to really get the story, I’m so glad to have it in our collection as she gets older. There are also some other fantastic stories on this set, such as Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (this story is so suspenseful!) and Stone Soup, which is also a classic, in my book. I should also mention that Stone Soup is narrated by Mandy Patinkin, and we’ve already established how much I love him.

The stories in this collection also have discussion questions, so that families can really talk about what is going on and the meaning the stories have. All the stories combined run 74 minutes and the dvd is available for $14.95 (but you can snag it much cheaper on Amazon). The stories are real keepers, so I definitely recommend adding this one to your collection!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Affiliate links may be included at no cost to you. 

The TRUE Story of the 3 Little Pigs

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A few weeks ago we were talking about the fabulous dvds that Scholastic has been putting out. In the comments, several of you said that you are also really interested in one of their new releases. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs…and Other Animal Adventures.

Good news! I’m about to tell you about it!true story of the three little pigs
Let’s start with the title story. It is narrated by Paul Giamati (lead actor from Sideways and other great movies). It is a HILARIOUS story, told from the perspective of the wolf. Basically, he says he was totally framed. It’s a riot.
But wait! There’s more! This dvd contains four other stories, one of which is narrated by Zach Braff (Scrubs, Garden State) and one which is narrated by….wait for it…..MANDY PATINKIN!!!! Where do I even begin with all the things this fabulous man has been in??? The obvious place, I suppose, is with his role in The Princess Bride. He was Inigo Montoya.
Scholastic knows that it is best for the parents to stay in the room with their children when watching any type of video. And they make that so easy to do when they use such wonderful narrators. Once again, well done, Scholastic! I love watching these stories just as much as Darah does!
Buy it!: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs…and Other Animal Adventures is available for just $14.95 (actually much less than that on Amazon right now!). I highly recommend it!
Edit: This giveaway is closed.
Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will be taking home Scholastic’s The True Story of the Three Little Pigs…and Other Animal Antics! The contest will run until January 24th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me a famous person you’d love to see Scholastic use as a narrator.
My answer: I love Dolly Parton’s voice, so that would be fun!

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Join the Scholastic mailing list(found on the left sidebar…just scroll down a little bit)

2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email.
Be sure to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you.

Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type Video

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If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that I’m a HUGE fan of Scholastic Storybook Treasures. This company has done an outstanding job of bringing great stories to life on the big screen, all while preserving the integrity of the books and the learning opportunities that come along with reading.

If you are looking for some dvds for your little ones, but you don’t want them watching shows that don’t offer much in the way of education, or that promote shorter attention spans by switching camera angles every 2 seconds, Scholastic Storybook Treasures are what you’ve been looking for!

click clack moo cows that type video Today I’m bringing you another terrific option. Introducing Click Clack Moo – Cows That Type. I actually wasn’t familiar with this story before watching the video. It’s really funny, and is about cows who really get into some serious negotiating with the farmer about their work conditions.

When we sat down to watch it, I recognized the narrator in the first 2 seconds that he was talking: it was Randy Travis! Now, I can’t call myself a country music fan, but I have ALWAYS liked Randy Travis. I may or may not have squealed when I heard his voice. Just sayin’.

Click, Clack, Moo comes with 17 animal stories on 3 DVDs. It is so great! The stories on these dvds have won over 30 awards, so you know they have been carefully selected and deemed to be outstanding! A few of the stories also include a Spanish version. Que fantastico! They also have discussion questions to go along with the stories so that you and your child can work on reading comprehension! Love that! This is why I love the Scholastic dvds…it really isn’t about just sticking your kid in front of a cartoon. This is an interactive educational experience.

Buy it!: Click Clack Moo – Cows That Type has close to 4 hours of material in the collection, and is a great buy at $24.95!

Edit: this giveaway is now closed.

Win it!: Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type is coming to the home of one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader! The contest will run until January 12th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning notification before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.
Mandatory entry: Tell me one Scholastic Storybook Treasure that you’d love to own (complete list can be found here, here and here)
My answer: I’d love to have Chicka, Chicka 1-2-3 so that we can work on counting!
Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Join the Scholastic mailing list (found on the left sidebar…just scroll down a little bit)
2. Blogger love: Subscribe to Stuff Parents Need via RSS or email.
Be sure to check out the other current giveaways going on, found on the sidebar of my home page.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post contains an affiliate link.

Goodnight Moon Available on DVD

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Do you have an evening ritual with your baby or toddler? We have developed one over the past few months. It starts with dinner, followed by about 30 minutes of playtime. After that, we hit the tub and rub a dub in there for a while. Then we get dressed for bed, read some stories and start talking to Darah about going to sleep. We have found that she goes down much easier if she has a heads up that bedtime is around the corner.

goodnight moon on dvd Depending on how tired she is, we’ll read anywhere from 1-8 books, some of them more than once! Whatever the number, you can be sure that one of the books on the agenda every single night is Goodnight moon. Darah adores this book, and loves to point at the cow, the moon, the mouse and the cats. We definitely have the book memorized, and Darah probably does, too!

Given that this book has become part of our daily lives, imagine my joy at learning that Scholastic put out a DVD,  Goodnight Moon & More Great Bedtime Stories, where the book is read aloud, along with a person signing the book! SOOO cool! Darah knows a handful of words in sign language, and she is completely mesmerized by this dvd. The background is the pages of the book, which she recognizes, and I think she is aware that the person signing is communicating. We have been working on a few of the signs like moon and cat, and it probably won’t be too long before she has the hang of them. I’m not a big fan of putting Darah in front of a tv, but this dvd is great, in my opinion, since it isn’t animated and fast-paced. It’s just the pictures she already knows, along with sign language. A++, Scholastic!

Buy it!: If you have a Goodnight Moon or a sign language fan in your house, or you think you might in the near future, I highly recommend this dvd. At $12.95, you will certainly get your money’s worth, as it will be watched time and time again.

Win it!: Scholastic Storybook Treasures has one copy of Goodnight Moon for one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader! This contest will run until September 24th at 11:59pm EST when a winner will be selected using Random.org. The winner will have 48 hours to respond before the prize is forfeited and a new winner is selected. Open to residents of the United States. Limit one entrant per household, please.

Mandatory entry: Tell me the bedtime story that is a favorite to your child/children, or that was your favorite growing up. If you have taught your child/children any sign language, I’d also like to know (just because I’m curious!).

Additional entries:
1. Sponsor love: Join the Scholastic mailing list (found on the bottom left of the linked page)

2. Blogger love: Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email (you can find these ways to sign up on my main page).

Don’t forget to enter my other current giveaways, found on the sidebar of my home page!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own This post contains affiliate links. 

Children’s Books Made into Movies! (Scholastic Giveaway!!!)

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Scholastic has children's books made into movies (short movies)

Hopefully we are all in agreement that there is just no substitute for reading to and with your child. Tim and I cherish story time with Darah. Even though her primary goal right now is to get the corner of any book we read into her mouth, we know that she is still absorbing language and learning that books are a source of great fun.

As your child progresses along in his or her relationship with books, there are some cool ways to reinforce the value of reading. Scholastic has a really great dvd series that is designed for children and their parents. The dvds contain popular children’s books made into movies, and encourage children to read along with the story by including the text on the screen and highlighting the words as they are spoken.

children's books turned into movies We received the Treasury of 50 Storybook Classics to review. While Darah is a bit too young to view these herself, Tim and I have played some of the stories. We really liked that the book illustrations were used for the stories as opposed to cartoons. This helps keep the focus on the words being spoken, and it keeps it from having the feel of a television show that changes screen shots every 2-3 seconds. We were also pleasantly surprised when we heard some familiar voices serving as narrators (Meryl Streep and John Lithgow are two examples).

This collection seems to be appropriate for children ages 2 or 3 and up. We will definitely be showing these to Darah in a few years, and we are glad to have them on hand for when our nieces visit. This isn’t something I would be inclined to turn on for kids and just leave them alone with, but rather, these are terrific stories to experience with children, so that you can read along and encourage them to try to read, too. You can also pause the videos to talk about what you are seeing in the pictures. Another great idea is to check out some of the books in the set from your local library, and then when you view the dvds you can have the books on hand, too!

Buy It!: This entire collection contains over 8 hours of delightful stories for a terrific price: $49.95! That’s just $1 per story. We all know how pricey books are, so this is a great deal. It is currently available on Amazon for just $32!

Win It!: I bet you know a little bookworm in the making who would love to have this set! Scholastic wants to make that happen for one lucky Stuff Parents Need reader, who will score the 50 Storybook Classics dvd set we reviewed! The contest will run until Saturday, April 10th at 7:59pm CST. A winner will be randomly selected and emailed, and will have 48 hours to claim the prize. Open to residents of the United States.

EDIT: Giveaway closed

How to Enter:

Mandatory Entry: Tell me the story in this collection you would read along with first!

Additional Entries:
1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS or email (one extra entry total, even if you subscribe both ways)
2. Follow me through Google connect
3. Put my button on your blog and leave a url where I can find it
4. Subscribe to the Scholastic Treasures DVD newsletter (bottom left corner)
5. Follow Stuff Parents Need on Twitter (leave your TwitterID)
6. Tell me one other Scholastic Storybook Treasures box set you would also like to own!
7. Enter any other currently open giveaway on my site (one extra entry per giveaway that you enter)

I received a complimentary product for review purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This post may contain affiliate links.