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Don't forget to bookmark Ranny's blog for her take on current media events, and give us your own opinions!


KIDS FIRST! WEB STORE FEATURES
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Open your child's window to the world with quality media educates, inspires and entertains. The KIDS FIRST! Web Store offers you the opportunity to customize your family movie library with confidence through its blend of studio and independent titles. Search by age or interest and find out what child professionals and kids themselves have to say about the titles you choose.

"Jack the Cuddly Dog." Soothing education video for babies. Jack is a puppy who lives in Central Park, New York City. He explores colors, shapes, animals, flowers, mountains, trees, and more. Classical music pieces are performed by an award-winning concert pianist, Cheryl Tschanz Newkirk. KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror Comments: Calming title to watch with children. Through narration and simple images, the child progressively learns names for animals, colors, shapes, numbers, emotions, and other pre-school concepts. This is developmentally very appropriate for preschoolers. The music compliments the images beautifully and enhances the impact of the title overall. Well produced, crisp, and clear. KIDS FIRST! KID Juror Comments: Enjoyable. "I like the animals and the sheep." "Did you see the birds?" "My friends would like the puppies." "I already know about animals, but this makes me want to learn more." "It is so good. I loved the animals. Jack is very nice." DVD. 28 mins. Ages: 1-5. Hello Baby Productions.

"The Happy Cricket." Christopher, the Happy Cricket, must face the bad guys who hate music and are determined to rule his world, but Christopher and his cute, adorable friends, will have to defeat Wartlord and rescue the Night Star. This film celebrates the values of friendship, freedom, and the defense of nature. KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror Comments: Top-notch animation with a happy, entertaining story. Good messages about friendship and taking care of the environment. But, delivers some negative behaviors such as: the mom eats the baby's food and the baby starts crying; the evil guy calls his enemies stupid; and his enemies retort, "We'll use your guitar and hit him on the head." Music is pleasant, animation intriguing. Perhaps because it's a Brazilian production, some of the translations into English make for lack of clarity in the storytelling. KIDS FIRST! KID Juror Comments: Mixed responses. One seven-year-old said, "It was great! I liked the guitar and the happy cricket." The bad guys are mean. The giant slingshot up to the moon is unsafe but not something that kids would try to imitate. The guitar is really cool. "I Liked the backgrounds." "I liked the music a lot. It is what the movie is all about - the sound of music." DVD. 82 mins. Ages: 6-10. Clever Image Inc.

ANN'S AVENUES
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A University of Hawaii at Manoa Centennial Celebration Event.

The KIDS FIRST! Film Festival plays every Sunday for 8 weeks, through July 22nd at 4pm. All films are free of charge! Located in Honolulu, the University of Hawaii at Manoa provides community outreach with a mission to provide statewide access to cultural and educational events featuring local and visiting artists and scholars.

For eight weeks this summer, the university is hosting the KIDS FIRST! Film Festival with an incredible array of indie films for kids from 2-16, with innovative programming each Sunday. Their home page features images from "Peur Hoi Rom" ("For the Oysters," Thailand), which is screening as part of the Kids Foreign Film on July 15th, and "Onami," part of the "Small But Mighty" on July 8th. The final weekend, July 22nd, is for the Little Kieko Crowd, ages 2-4, and features "Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies" from National Geographic Television, "Knuffle Bunny" from Weston Woods/Scholastic, and three new episodes of "Paz," the delightful penguin from Discovery Kids. And wow, this is a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon with your children. The kids get goodies - balloons, National Geographic magazines, T-shirts, bags, Prehistoric Park dinosaur tattoos from BCI, and of course, the screenings are free.

The latest word is after just one screening on Sunday, June 17th, the venue is moving to a larger theater and a sponsor is considering underwriting the series for another season. Are families looking for entertainment for the whole family? Of course they are! And KIDS FIRST! provides programming that is appropriate for all ages and fun for the family.

University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii
Every Sunday for 8 weeks, through July 22nd
4:00pm • Yukiyoshi Room, Krauss Hall 012, but due to record crowds, they may be moving. Please check with the website.

If you know of another great location that should be screening KIDS FIRST! titles, drop me a email, and I will send you a free copy of my latest favorite KIDS FIRST! festival title.

Ann Church

SELECTIONS FROM KIDS FIRST! FILM FESTIVAL
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The KIDS FIRST! Film Festival is a showcase for new and classic children's films from studios, independent producers and youth producers worldwide that exemplify qualify media for children. The Festival travels year round and is hosted locally by more than 100 different venues including established film festivals, art and children's museums, nonprofit film centers, libraries, schools and local organizations. Venues include: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Newport Beach Film Festival, Avalon Theater in Washington D.C., Belcourt Theater, Brooklyn Children's Museum, Denver Film Society and Starz Denver International Film Festival, Film Center at the Cinema Cafe. To find out what is being played in a venue near you, visit this link . For a complete list of all Festival titles currently being shown, visit here.

"Get Up and Groove with the Doodlebops." L. 90 mins
Time to get up and move! When the Doodlebops are on the scene, there's no sitting still. Deedee, Rooney, and Moe have the steps to get you moving and the music to keep you grooving all day. And, amidst the fun there's always a positive message kids can put into action. Includes four episodes: "Fast & Slow Moe," "Step By Step," "Flat-sitis," and "The Bad Day." Ages 2-5. Lionsgate Family Entertainment.

"It's a Big Big World: Safe and Sound." L. 55 mins
Join in the adventures of Snook, the charismatic sloth who lives in the World Tree with his colorful animal friends! Together they investigate the world around them and discover how different things live, grow, and change. "Safe and Sound" contains lessons about what to do when a bee is nearby, what it means to have allergies, and how to be safe when playing with others. Ages 2-5. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

"Thomas & Friends: Trusty Friends." L. 60 mins
All aboard for more fun with Thomas and his construction friends. From demolition to digging and steamrolling, this team really knows how to work together. When a storm causes chaos on the island, Thomas and his friends must pull together to restore it in time for the big game! Ages 2-5. Starz Home Entertainment.

NEW AND RENEWING MEMBERS
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Whistlefritz LLC produces fun and educational DVDs that teach Spanish to children, ages 2-6.


MEMBER NEWS
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Shrek Gets a Balloon
This November, Shrek makes his debut as a giant balloon in the 81st Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The release of Shrek the Third on DVD will coincide with the parade. Check out Shrek.

The Doodlebops Debut New Album and Tour
In the fall of 2007, the DVD and CD entitled, "Get on The Bus" will be released. Additionally, the second Doodlebops Live US tour kicks off October 2007 and runs through April 2008. Doodlebops News.

MEDIA NEWS AND CONTESTS
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"Beyond Green," Deadline Extended to July 13, 2007
This international film project is asking youth filmmakers worldwide, ages 13-19, to produce short personal stories that answer two important environmental questions. Winners will be given a $10,000 production award, lots of support, and an opportunity to have their work broadcast on TV. Find more information about this on their website

New Veggie Tales Toys
Entertainment rights-owned Big Idea, creator of the VeggieTales franchise, has lined up several licensees to support "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything-A VeggieTales Movie," being released theatrically by Universal Pictures this winter. Read about it here.

Narnia Lovers Rejoice
The second Narnia movie, "Prince Caspian" is slated to come out May 16, 2008, and there are plans for the release of "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" in 2009. Narnia News.


FAMILY AND PARENTING NEWS
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Kellogg Changes for Kids
Not only have they agreed to improve the nutritional values of their cereals, but have also said that the products that cannot be changed to meet given standards would no longer be marketed to kids. Read About It.

Little Airplane Productions Opens Their Doors
The award-winning creator of "The Wonder Pets!,"  "Go, Baby!," and "Oobi!" is opening its doors to the public and offering family-friendly guided tours of its state-of-the-art production studio.  The Little Airplane Studio Tour will provide a close up, insider’s look at how children's television is made. Every aspect of production, from writing to animation to voice-over recording, will be explained to families by the creative team at Little Airplane. The studio is located in a historic building at 207 Front Street in the South Street Seaport and was once home to a grain mill and an armory originally constructed in 1790. More Information.

"Chefs A’ Field: Kids on the Farm"
"Chefs A’ Field" offers a new batch of culinary adventures for all ages as America’s best chefs—and their kids—venture out to farms, fishing boats, and ranches for a look at where great food comes from. Together, the chefs and their children go in search of fresh ingredients for unique local specialties, interacting with farmers, fishermen, foragers, and ranchers. Chefs A’Field:Kids on the Farm can be seen on local public television stations nationwide (check local listings).

FEATURE ARTICLE
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More Than Words - Follow Along Closed-Captioning
by Christine Pollock

Closed-captioning revolutionized the television viewing industry in the early 1980s for the hearing impaired community by displaying the audio portion of programs through type. Closed-captioning, also known as subtitles, caught the attention of educator Dr. Helen Hoffner, associate professor of education at Holy Family University in Pennsylvania. Hoffner serves as the faculty advisor to Alpha Upsilon Alpha, the honor society of the International Reading Association and has dedicated her life to studying English and language arts. Now Hoffner has teamed up with 20th Century Fox to make kid-friendly DVDs available in a series entitled Follow Along. This series uses karaoke-style captioning that appeals to children (I tested it on some local children). The captions in the two titles my team reviewed had blue print, which turned to orange as each word was heard in the audio, making it easier for them to read than normal subtitles.

Dr. Hoffner, who studied closed-captioning for her dissertation, has written many articles on the subject and believes that it is to the student’s benefit to see the words in context through familiar programs. Children can supplement their reading lessons by watching television shows with subtitles both in school or in their own home, reinforcing sight vocabulary and adding new words to their existing vocabulary.

Many children are already familiar with films such as “The Sandlot” and “”Thumbelina” and “Ferngully: The Last Rainforest.”  Now, as they view the captioning in conjunction with the images, children get more of an understanding of what these words mean and how they they appear in print. Teachers and parents might appreciate the fact that unlike normal closed-captioning, in the Follow Along series, the words do not disappear when you put a DVD on pause. This way, viewers can press the pause button and study a word if they desire. 

According to Hoffner, titles such as “Garfield: The Movie” are perfect for helping children build vocabulary because they consist of basic language, but the viewer will occasionally be presented with more difficult words such as "infuriating."  In over 20 years of studying closed-captioning, Hoffner has seen many positive changes in student’s learning. One day, her five-year-old nephew told in her one day how to spell the name “Meg.” He remembered that from when he was viewing the movie, "Hercules."  When she talks to older students, Hoffman finds that they like to use closed-captioning to help them focus on shows such as the news.  The captions help them get the news straight.  Other viewers comment on how using captions helps them follow a story line, especially in titles such as "Phantom Menace," where the subtitles help keep characters and backgrounds straight.

Watching closed-captioned programming helps develop fluency in the reading, according to Hoffner. The Follow Along series is especially helpful because, contrary to the old style in which captions summarized what actors were saying, in the Follow Along series, the dialogue is typed word for word. 

Fox Titles from the Follow Along series will be available on Amazon July 10, 2007. The first tiles out will be: "Anastasia," "Ferngully: The Last Rainforest," "Garfield: The Movie," "Good Boy," "Ice Age," "Miss Spider’s Sunny Patch Kids," "Robots," "The Sandlot," "Stellaluna," and "Thumbelina." Check them out for a treat for your entire family and enhance your child’s learning experience.

CRAFTS AND ACTIVITIES
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Ice Cream Uncle Sam Hat

Ingredients: vanilla ice cream; wafer ice cream cone; red frosting; white frosting; blue frosting; whipped cream; red and blue candies

1. Put one scoop of ice cream on a plate.
2. Put cone upside down on top of ice cream.
3. Put blue candies on for eyes.
4. Put red candy on for nose.
5. Use whipped cream to make a beard
6. Use blue frosting to make a bar around the base of the hat.
7. Use red frosting to paint vertical stripes down cone from top to blue.
8. Finish off by painting white stars around the blue base of hat with white icing.

For other craft/activity ideas, go to our craft index.


EVENTS
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July 2 - August 30 - Hollywood, CA. The International Family Film Festival Presents the FreshiFilm Camp and FreshiFilm and Screenplay Festival this summer. Application information or call for information at 661-257-3131 Patte Dee McKee or 661-993-3152 Kim Turney.

July 9 - 13 - Ithaca, NY. Project Look Sharp is offering a 5-day intensive media literacy workshop includes both the theory of media literacy and hands-on practice with digital/computer technology (Mac-based). More.

October 7 - 11 - Mesa, AZ. The 29th National Media Market will be held at the Hilton Phoenix East/Mesa. 50 producers and distributors will showcase new educational programming and related technology. Discounts and special pricing pay for most of the cost of attendance. Information here. or contact Ursula Schwarz at (520) 743-7735.

 
SPECIAL OFFERS
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KIDS FIRST! Cares
Through the combined efforts of Corporations for Character, KIDS FIRST! , and your generous donation, we can fulfill our mission to provide positive, encouraging movies into each of more than one million children's hospital beds. This effort will provide entertainment for children while they are confined in a hospital. To support KIDS FIRST! Cares, go to www.kidsfirstcares.org. All credit card transactions are secure.

SUPPORT THE COALITION
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Become a Member - If you've found our e-zine and web site helpful, please consider becoming a member of KIDS FIRST! By doing so, your contribution helps help underwrite the various projects of this organization. The Coalition relies on the generous support of its members and donors to support its programs. An individual/family membership is only $25/year. An organizational membership is $100/year. An independent producer membership is $200. To join, visit our site or contact our office at 505.989.8076. KIDS FIRST! Travel Site - Support KIDS FIRST! by booking your travel on our travel website. Prices compare with those of Travelocity and KIDS FIRST! earns a commission on any travel booked here. What a great way to support a nonprofit without having to write a check. Become an Affiliate of the KIDS FIRST! Web Store - By linking with our online store which sells films from our independent producers, you can earn a commission off of each sale.

VISIT OUR MEMBERS' SITES
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Support our members. Visit their sites by visiting our members' page.

ABOUT CQCM AND KIDS FIRST!
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The Coalition for Quality Children's Media is a national, nonprofit organization founded in 1991 whose mission is to teach children critical viewing skills and to increase the visibility and availability of quality children's media. More.

Our Ratings:

*** = Titles receiving the highest scores are given a three-star rating. ** = Titles that meet or exceed the criteria receive a two-star rating. * = Titles that meet the baseline criteria but require some extra consideration on the part of the viewer receive a one-star rating.

Coalition for Quality Children's Media, 112 W. San Francisco St. , Suite 305A, Santa Fe, NM 87501. Subscribe to KIDS FIRST! free monthly e-zine for news and specials:

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