Stuff Parents Need

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

My First Collection Volume 3 Featuring Chicken Little: Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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I am LOVING the My First Collection series from Scholastic Video. If you aren’t familiar with it, these are stories designed for toddlers and preschoolers. The stories are short and sweet, and also age appropriate. They have a lot of great stories that were previously unfamiliar to me, so that’s made watching them with Darah all the more fun.

But in Volume 3 of their My First Collection series, Scholastic does have a very familiar charcter: Chicken Little. Darah thinks he is an absolute riot!

Volume 3 actually contains 3 dvds. One is all about zany animal stories. Another is all about funny animal stories (Scardy Squirrel being our personal favorite). The third DVD is all about dogs. Darah especially loves the Angus film, which is not a cartoon but a live action film with an adorable and mischievous Scottie dog.

The entire set contains 12 different stories, along with bonus interview footage and read-along subtitles to help promote word recognition and literacy skills. The set is $24.95 and is a great value, in my opinion! Scholastic has yet to disappoint us with a DVD, and once again, they have produced an excellent collection that is right on target for the suggested age range!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win My First Collection Volume 3 from Scholastic!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

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

Mo Willems Collection Now Available on DVD! (GIVEAWAY!!!)

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Mo Willems is a celebrated children’s author. He is the brains behind that grumpy pigeon we all know and love from Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog. He also has written some other gems that were unknown to me until seeing them on this Scholastic video, Mo Willems’ Pigeon and Pals. Knuffle Bunny is much loved by Darah, perhaps because her best friend is also a stuffed bunny. And he’s got a hilarious story about a naked mole rat who wants to wear clothes. Shocking!

This 6 story, 2 DVD set is now available for $19.95, and also includes some really terrific bonus footage all about Mo Willems and how he does his work. And of course, this dvd set contains the read along function that you can set up, so that the words of the story appear and are highlighted as the story is being read to the child. This helps with reading skills!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, Scholastic videos are a true treasure. The stories are excellent (which is definitely NOT something you can say about all children’s programming) and they prompt some great discussions between you and your child. The videos also stay very true to the books upon which they are based, which I appreciate very much. You can’t go wrong by picking up this DVD set, or any other from the Scholastic line!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Mo Willems’ Pigeon and Pals!

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Stellaluna DVD Review and GIVEAWAY!!!

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Recently Darah has been enjoying a really cute Scholastic DVD based on the award winning book, Stellaluna.

It’s about a young fruit bat who is separated from her mother and adopted by a family of birds. Try as she might to fit in, there are just some things that birds can do that she can’t and vice versa. But Stellaluna does make an amazing discovery that helps her see the value in not always being just like everyone else.

The dvd is very fun to watch and has music and excitement. It has been a really fun way to introduce Darah to bats, which she seems quite curious about, and it provides a great starting point for conversations about how we all have different gifts and abilities.

This dvd runs 41 minutes in length and comes with a Stellaluna activity booklet and has an ARV of $12.95. Want a sneak peek? Here’s a link to a clip from the movie!  http://www.newvideo.com/images/Clips/Q2/Stellaluna_Clip1_Flying.mp4

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader will win a copy of Stellaluna!

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Scholastic’s Caldecott Favorites Review and GIVEAWAY

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The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the American Library Association to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. It is a BIG deal to win this award! The books that win are pretty much a sure bet to be excellent, and that’s why I think it is so cool that Scholastic has put out a 3-disc set full of Caldecott winners!

The collection is called Caldecott Favorites, and it has 3 separate discs. Two of the discs we have had the pleasure of seeing before, and they are really great. First is Make Way for Ducklings and More Delightful Duck Tales and then Antarctic Antics and More Hilarious Animal Stories. So the entire collection is heavy on animal stories, which is just fine with Darah, who LOVES to talk about and learn about animals of all sorts.

There’s also a new DVD in the collection, called The Ezra Jack Keats Collection. This is real gem! It is full of winning books from this author. The books have a bit of a 1970s vibe to them, and they chronicle Peter, a child living in a big city, and all his adventures, from learning to whistle to getting a new baby sister to taking part in a pet show. Darah and I watched every episode from this DVD in just one sitting, because we really enjoyed that Peter would be featured each time!

This collection is jam-packed with excellent books that have been brought to life. It actually has 199 minutes of video, so that makes for a whole lot of great entertainment for a great price, just $24.95.  I highly recommend it! Scholastic Storybook Treasures scores yet again!

Win it!: One lucky Stuff Parents Need reader is going to win the Caldecott Favorites 3-disc set!

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Two New Titles from Scholastic: Review and GIVEWAY!!!

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We are continuing to enjoy our My First Collection DVD set from Scholastic that came out earlier this year. It is aimed at a younger audience (those who are pre-reading and just starting to learn how to read). I’m happy to report that they have just released volume 2 in the series, and it is a big hit with Darah! My First Collection Volume 2 Featuring Spoon has the most adorable story from which its title derives. It’s all about a spoon who is bummed out that he can’t have the same experiences as his super cool friends, fork and knife. But what he realizes is that his friends wish they could to the things that only a spoon could do! He realizes that his gifts and talents are special and worthy of appreciation, even if there are things that he can’t do. What a great lesson! The series has 3 DVDS and 13 total stories, including ones that have won a Caldecott Honor, an ALA Notable Video and an American Film Festival Blue Ribbon Award. This is a great set to purchase, and it is value priced at $24.95.

The second new release from Scholastic is called Chrysanthemum…and Other Stories about Mischievous Mice and Adorable Animals. It is also a wonderful addition to our video collection. In addition to the title story, which is about an adorable mouse, we were pleased to see, “Is Your Mama a Llama?” in this set. We’ve heard such great things about this story, but have never owned it. Now we know it by heart! As a grown-up, you’ll also enjoy getting to hear great celebrity narrators on this set. Look for Meryl Streep, Sarah Jessica Parker and Danny Glover, just to name a few! This set has 17 stories in the 3 DVD set, and includes stories that have won the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children’s Video and the  Caldecott Honor. It is also available for $24.95.

If you don’t yet own any Scholastic DVDs, I cannot say enough wonderful things about them. They area sure to become treasures to your children, and you won’t tire of watching them, either, as they are so wonderfully presented and narrated. Scholastic does a great job of bringing stories that are already amazing to life in a whole new way. We love Scholastic!

Win it!: Two lucky Stuff Parents Need readers are going to win one DVD set each! Yay!

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Scholastic’s Curious George and The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

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It’s a new month, and that means it is time for some new releases from Scholastic! Woo hoo! I ALWAYS get excited when I get an email about what is coming out, and this month was no exception.

First, as we all know, we are commemorating the 10th anniversary of the September 11 tragedy this month. As adults, we all remember where we were on that fateful day. I was a senior in college. I can actually see that day on campus very clearly still, because it is so burned in memory. But how do we explain the event to our children who weren’t even alive at the time? Scholastic has released a Caldecott Award winning book by Mordecai Gerstin that can help children understand what the World  Trade Towers looked like, and that highlights a really memorable story from their history. It is the story of Pehilippe Petit, a French man who walked a tightrope between the towers in 1974, at a time when they were the world’s tallest buildings, and it is called, The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. It is narrated by Jake Gyllenhaal, and offers a great way to share a positive memory about the towers and the bravery of a single man. What a great story to reference when teaching your children about September 11th later on, and the bravery of all of those people inside the buildings. This disc has 4 stories of inspiration and retails for $14.95.

The second release this month tips its hat to National Hispanic Heritage Month, which is September. It features Curious George, also known as Jorge El Curioso! The title is Jorge El Monito Ciclista. This set has 19 stories in 3 DVDs, and they are all in Spanish as well as English. This is an excellent choice for any child who is working on learning Spanish, as you can hear it in Spanish with Spanish subtitles, Spanish with English subtitles, or English with Spanish subtitles. Yes, you can even watch it in English with English subtitles, which also makes it an excellent choice for any children who are Spanish speakers but are learning English. This set is available for $24.95.

Buy it!: Both sets are available for purchase now on the New Kideo website!

Win it!: Two lucky Stuff Parents Need readers will each win one of the titles I reviewed today! Yay! New to Rafflecopter? Click here for a tutorial! [Read more…]

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.