Celebrity Baby Blog Reviews

Elmo’s World: Summer Vacation DVD

Do your summer plans include trips to the beach? If your toddler is a fan of Elmo’s World and Sesame Street, they can learn about summer fun with the new Elmo’s World: Summer Vacation DVD. In the three episodes, they will learn all about things you do on summer vacation as Elmo shares stories about his beach vacation and demonstrates summertime skills such as spreading a towel on top of the sand, taking care of your skin (or fur if you’re a monster) and using a camera. As usual, no Elmo’s World is complete without his pet goldfish Dorothy and that wacky mime Mr. Noodle, plus Super Grover!

The DVD is now in stores, with a retail price of $12.93.

Click here to download a printable page for your child to color!

The Spiderwick Chronicles, out on DVD and Blu-ray

From the beloved, best-selling series of books comes the extraordinary fantasy adventure, The Spiderwick Chronicles, out on two-disc Special Collector’s Edition DVD and Blu-ray on Monday. From the moment the Grace family moves into a secluded old house, peculiar things start to happen.  Unable to explain the accidents and strange disappearances, the Grace children—Jared, Simon and Mallory—start to investigate and find the unbelievable truth of the Spiderwick Estate and the amazing creatures that inhabit it.  Directed by Mark Waters (Mean Girls), the film features an all-star cast including Freddie Highmore (Charlie And The Chocolate Factory), Mary Louise Parker (“Weeds”), Sarah Bolger (In America) David Strathairn (Good Night, And Good Luck), Nick Nolte (Tropic Thunder) and the voices of Seth Rogen (Superbad) and Martin Short (Jiminy Glick In Lalawood). The film is rated PG.

The single-disc DVD, $29.99, includes the following special features:

• Spiderwick: It’s All True!
• It’s A Spiderwick World!
• Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide

The two-disc sets ($36.99 for DVD and $39.99 for Blu-ray) also includes:

• Spiderwick: Meet the Clan (HD)
• Making Spiderwick (HD)
• The Magic of Spiderwick (HD)
• A Final Word of Advice…(HD)   
  
• Deleted Scenes (HD)
  
• Nickelodeon TV Spots
• Theatrical Trailers (HD)

National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets

I'm a sucker for action/adventure movies and the National Treasure franchise is a pleaser. I missed the sequel, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, in the theatre (and Josh was not interested in this one at all) so I'm excited it's now out on DVD. Here's the synopsis.

Treasure hunter Benjamin Franklin Gates is back—and this time it’s personal. When his great grandfather is Benjamin Franklin Gates is back—and this time it’s personal. When his great grandfather is implicated in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Ben (Nicolas Cage) is determined to clear his name, even if it means bringing together his acrimoniously divorced parents (Jon Voight and Helen Mirren).

In a rollicking adventure that ranges from Buckingham Palace to Mount Rushmore, Gates pursues the infamous Book of Secrets, said to contain the truth about everything from Ben’s grandfather to the JFK murder. Only one man has access to the storied volume—the president of the United States (Bruce Greenwood), and he won’t part with it willingly. As hidden clues and long buried mysteries emerge, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets builds to an unforgettable, heart pounding climax.

Click Continue Reading for all of the special features included on the DVDs and Blu-Ray.

The single disc DVD sells for $14.99,  2-disc DVD set sells for $22.99, and the Blu-Ray sells for $23.95 at Amazon.com.

Bonus: Why Cebola?

Bonus: South Dakota

The Muppet Show: The Complete Third Season

When I was a kid, it was such a treat when The Muppet Show was on because my mom let us stay up a little later just to watch the show. I have such fond memories of the series, and later on, of the movies. It was one of those shows that both kids and adults can enjoy because there's something for everyone. Now that I'm an adult and have my own kid, I can't wait to watch The Muppet Show with Anya. I think she's definitely too young to understand the plots of the sketches, but she'll enjoy the puppets.

The Muppet Show: The Complete Third Season just came out on DVD. Highlights include an unforgettable duet between Gilda Radner (Saturday Night Live) and a giant carrot, as well as guest appearances by Sylvester Stallone, Liberace, Raquel Welch, Alice Cooper and Cheryl Ladd.

101 Dalmatians: Some things are just better with spots

Pongo and Perdita are back and so are all 99 of the other puppies! In what has been hailed as one of Walt Disney's most innovative Disney animated films, 101 Dalmatians has been released in a Platinum Edition 2-Disc Set for the first time on March 4.

For those who don't remember 101 Dalmatians is the story of Pongo and Perdita, a pair of adorable Dalmatians who play Cupid for their "humans." In a short time, the dogs become the proud parents of 15 winsome puppies, but their happiness is short-lived. The wicked Cruella De Vil wants to buy the all puppies — to make a coat! When her dastardly offer is turned down, she orders her bumbling henchmen Horace and Jasper to abscond with the puppies as well as every other Dalmatian puppy in London. Pongo and Perdita must rally a network of animals across rk of animals across England with the “twilight bark” to help find Cruella's secret hideaway and rescue 99 precious puppies.

Click here to watch the trailer for 101 Dalmatians.

Click continue reading below to read the full 101 Dalmatians review!

Little Pim: Language instruction for the littlest learners

By CBB Guest Reviewer: Krista H.

Little Pim is a DVD series that presents foreign language to babies, toddlers and preschoolers. The series is available in French, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese. It is hosted by an adorable panda bear named Little Pim! It takes place entirely in the foreign language while showing real children enjoying everyday activities and each episode is approximately 35 minutes long. Within the 35 minute DVD there are short episodes (about 5 minutes each) that are set up so that you can pause and review the words presented.

My daughter, Alyson, and I recently had the opportunity to view the Little Pim: Wake up Smiling in Spanish DVD. She is 22 months old and attends a pre-preschool program where half of her teachers speak Spanish full time.  She was immediately drawn to Little Pim because she LOVES pandas and was mesmerized for the entire 35 minutes of this DVD.

The DVD was very similar to a Baby Einstein DVD, but in Spanish! The content moves at a slow pace which is perfect for young children. I really enjoyed watching this with her because it gave me an opportunity to learn Spanish with her. The content was applicable to what she does every day and Little Pim is an adorable little host! I recommend this series for parents who would like to teach (and Learn) foreign languages. You can visit littlepim.com to order one of the DVDs or to find out more about the product, and watch a sample video. 

My Baby Can Talk: Sign language DVD for babies

I will admit that I did NOT want to like My Baby Can Talk, sign language DVDs from Baby Hands Productions. Regular readers of this column will recall that we are teaching our daughter American Sign Language (ASL) using the Signing Time series which we love. I did not want to like another ASL series of DVDs because it just didn't feel right to cheat on our friends Rachel, Alex and Leah!

In the spirit of honest reviewing, however, I let my daughter watch My Baby Can Talk - Sharing Signs and, much to my surprise, she fell in love with it. Something about this video is like crack to my two-and-a-half-year-old and she requests it pretty often.

Set to classical music and designed to encourage interaction, My Baby Can Talk features real world images, puppet shows, colorful toys (in motion) and babies communicating with simple gestures. The toys and the puppets really didn't appeal to me because I felt like she would learn more from watching other kids and real places, however, she really responds to them (proving that I don't think like a toddler and that these people know what they are doing)! It is no wonder then that the My Baby Can Talk series has received sixteen national awards.

My Baby Can Talk is available through amazon.com as well as at Babies R Us, The Right Start and buybuyBaby among others. For a complete list of retailers click here. You can also purchase them directly from the My Baby Can Talk  site. Also check out fun resources on the site featuring detailed tutorials, background research and a video dictionary.

Exclusive for CBB Readers: Enter code celebrity-babies at checkout and get a 25% discount on all products purchased from www.MyBabyCanTalk.com!

For a personal account of why my husband and I chose to teach ASL to our daughter, click on the extended post.

The Aristocats: Ev’rybody wants to SEE a cat

Disney's beloved kitty cat classic, "The Aristocats," is finally on Special Edition DVD with new digitally enhanced picture and sound, plus exclusive bonus materials. "The Aristocats" was the last film that Walt Disney put into production himself, making this film a little piece of animation history.

Among the special features on the just released DVD is a never seen before song and:
• Games and Activities: Disney Virtual Kitten ROM, English Read-Along – The Aristocats
• Disney Song Selection
• Bonus Short – "Bath Day" a cartoon short from 1946 featuring Figaro
• Backstage Disney: The Aristocats Scrapbook

For those who don't remember "The Aristocats," it's the story of Duchess (Eva Gabor) and her three adorable kittens, Berlioz, Marie and Toulouse. They hit the jackpot when their eccentric Paris millionair-ess owner bequeaths them her entire estate. Their life of luxury is cut short, however, when the mistress’s greedy butler Edgar plots to inherit the fortune himself by absconding with the little feline family and abandoning them far from home. Lost in the French countryside, they meet a rough-and-tumble, big-hearted tomcat named Thomas O'Malley (Phil Harris), who takes them under his wing and introduces them to his life as a jazzy bohemian hepcat, before he helps them find their way back to the Paris. Musical numbers from Academy Award winning team of Robert B. and Richard M. Sherman (Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Jungle Book and The Tigger Movie) keep spirits high in this delightfully droll animated adventure. Click here to see a clip of "Ev'rybody Wants to be a Cat."

I was delighted to find this movie held all the magic I remembered when I was a kid and the enhanced picture is flawless. The special features were also great and my daughter enjoyed the song selection that let us listen to the songs we wanted with a click. Get your copy of "The Aristocats" from amazon.com for $17.

 

Elmo's World -- Opposites: It's time for opposites day

Elmo is a HUGE hit in my house, and I've decided he's brilliantly marketed. I didn't do ANYTHING to encourage my child's early love of the furry, red character, but inevitably he became a favorite in our house. I had been using my DVR to stockpile Sesame Street episodes. Then I found the "Elmo's World" DVDs.

My daughter doesn't care too much about the other characters on the street, she knows them all and will name them, but once Elmo is off the screen she requests him to come back. "Elmo? Elmo? Elmo? ..." You get the point. Tired of fast-forwarding to the 39-minute marker in every episode (it's a sickness I tell you), I scooped up an "Elmo's World" DVD and found my solution. Packed in every "Elmo's World" DVD are three of the mini-segments, each approximately 20 minutes in length.

New to the line is "Elmo's World: Opposites". This particular DVD features the episodes "Up and Down," "Fast and Slow," and "Open and Close." "Fast and Slow" is one of my favorites, it features the infamous Tortoise and Hare to help show Elmo the difference between fast and slow. Each "Elmo's World" episode follows the same format, and my daughter LOVES the repetition and format. She routinely asks for NooNoo (Mr. Noodle) or Fissie (Dorothy the Goldfish). I definitely limit her tv-watching and wish I could say that she never watches TV, but at least with these videos I know what she's watching and I approve! Buy your copy from amazon.com for $10!