KIDS FIRST! News

Join Sally and Nick and the Cat in the Hat to learn about weather (and things like that)! First, the kids are painting a picture of a rainbow but can’t seem to remember all the colors to use. Lucky for them, Cat takes them to Color-ga-lore to meet King Kaleidoscope, a rainbow expert. A musical number teaches them the proper color order as well as how rainbows are actually made! Then it’s time to jump in some puddles with Nick and Sally! But wait, where did the giant puddle disappear to? With the help of Cat’s Seussian camera, they see that their puddle has turned into water vapor. So off they go to Bluey Blue Sky to follow their puddle. They learn the water cycle process and when they return home their puddle is back! Weather is just the start of this trip with the Cat so come on board the Thinga-ma-jigger and hold onto your hat!

The Cat in the Hat: Oh, Say What’s the Weather Today?
By Morgan Bertsch, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11

I think that it is quite funny that the moms let Nick and Sally go everywhere with The Cat in the Hat. I get a little worried about that. That just goes to show how trustworthy the Cat in the Hat is. The moms have to be very trusting to trust a worthy cat like that.

This 90 minute DVD is filled with seven adventures that are all about the weather which effects everyone, every day. I love that it has fun activities for children to do in between the episodes. It easily keeps you focused while teaching you about the weather in a fun and entertaining way.

Dr. Seuss is loved by all children around the world and this DVD is voiced in many different languages.  What started out as silly children’s book is something that children worldwide now share.

Sometime science can be boring, confusing and seem like a whole different language but now we have The Cat in the Hat making science and weather concepts easy to understand and remember. Learning can be fun and exciting when watching animations that make it easy to remember. I recently interviewed Julie Stall, the producer of this series and she understands what makes children laugh and smile and has done an amazing job bringing Dr. Seuss books to life in over 60 animated episodes.

Martin Short is the cat’s meow. He is the voice of The Cat in the Hat and has been in this role for over six years. His ability as a great character actor who can do many voices makes him a perfect fit for this role. I had the pleasure of meeting him in person a short time ago and found him very pleasant, easy to talk to and extremely funny.

I’m so impressed by Alexa Torrington who voices Sally, the cute adorable little girl who goes off on learning adventures with the Cat. She has played the same character for over six years and is now a young adult, yet her voice sounds the same as when she started as a young girl. Sally is kind hearted, curious, and clever and loves learning. She is endearing and cute to watch.

Jacob Ewaniuk voices Nick, the little boy who follows the Cat. He has also kept his voice consistent to his character. Nick is inquisitive, humorous and compelling to watch.

I love to learn and this DVD taught me lots of lessons such as how clouds are formed, how wind power works, what the water cycle is and much more. One of the most intriguing lessons on this DVD is Chasing Rainbows because you get to learn two lessons in one. I love rainbows and this entire lesson is all about rainbows and has a catchy song that is still stuck in my head. I learned all about the colors of the rainbow and where they come from.

Of course there is also the Fish voiced by Rob Tinkler. I adore Fish. Fish asks great question that make you think. He should hide the answers and make finding them a little trickier, although they are perfect hiding places for younger children. Then we have the cutest thing ever – Thing One and Thing Two. They always seem to be helpful and ready for The Cat in the Hat’s whistle to lend a helping hand. All three of these characters add a little something to this series and they are all adorable, quirky, humorous sidekicks for The Cat in the Hat.
I recommend this series to ages 3 to 12. Younger kids will love the animation. Older kids will have science lessons reinforced and fun, cute cartoons to watch. I rate this 5 out of 5 Thinga-ma-jigger red and white top-hat stars. The Cat in the Hat: Oh Say, What’s the Weather Today is available now from N Circle Entertainment.

In this collection of twenty episodes, Twiki and Twini take the viewer on adventures to discover new words and new sounds. Each episode features a handful of words spelled out by the Kiwi birds Twiki and Twini.  Your little one will learn how to spell fun words such as “clown” and animal words like “dog”. Get ready to enter into an unexpected universe comprised of sounds, words and images. Filmed in HD Stop Motion Animation. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Benjamin P. comments, “The claymation is very lush and colorful and stands out in this quirky series. The animation brings the kiwi birds to life and, even though they never talk, you understand their personalities and relationship. I really like watching the two buddies, the short, round and sometimes grumpy Twiki and his tall cheery yellow sidekick, the clumsy, easygoing Twini. Additional fun side characters throughout the series keep the stories lively.” KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror Juanita S. adds, “Great way to learn new language skills! Each story is simple and to the point. Twiki and Twini present the concepts, sounds and spelling in entertaining ways.  Each story introduces new words and can be viewed independently.” See their full reviews below.

Kiwi: 20 Phonics Adventures
By Benjamin P, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 10

Kiwi: 20 Phonics Adventures is a fun, educational, colorful and well-animated series on DVD that does a good job of teaching young children about phonics and word building.

Kids can learn phonics along with Kiwi birds, Twiki and Twini, as they go on adventures including making a movie and trying to find a magic compass. My favorite episode in this volume, the latest in the Kiwi series, is The Little Robot. Twiki and Twini meet a blue robot in desperate need of energy and they have to go to the moon to find moon rocks to power him.

Another episode I enjoyed is The Magic Compass. The Kiwis find a magic compass that can change the seasons but a mischievous skunk steals it and Twiki and Twini need to find it so they can change the season back.

Each short episode of Kiwi: 20 Phonics Adventures teaches a few words revolving around a specific topic. For instance, one episode centers on housecleaning and another on art. The narrators spell and sound out the words used in each episode and review all of them at the end. Every episode is very playful and bright and the words stay in your mind because they use shapes and objects from the episode’s theme to spell out the words on your screen and make it more memorable.

The claymation is very lush and colorful and stands out in this quirky series. The animation brings the kiwi birds to life and, even though they never talk, you understand their personalities and relationship. I really like watching the two buddies, the short, round and sometimes grumpy Twiki and his tall cheery yellow sidekick, the clumsy, easygoing Twini. Additional fun side characters throughout the series keep the stories lively.

Kiwi: 20 Phonics Adventures was originally a French series and it’s fun to spot clues from European culture in the animation in some of the episodes. For example, when showing you how to spell coin, they use European money to make the letter “o.”

Kids will have a great time learning about phonics with Twiki and Twini. I give Kiwi: 20 Phonics Adventures an age rating of 3 to 6 or for anyone trying to learn to read and rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Kiwi: 20 Phonics Adventures
By Juanita S., KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror

Great way to learn new language skills! This series features 20 stories following Twiki and Twini, the colorful, claymation Kiwi bird characters who help young children develop language skills using phonics. Each story is simple and to the point. Twiki and Twini present the concepts, sounds and spelling in entertaining ways.  Each story introduces new words and can be viewed independently. Each story has a theme with related sounds and words. The menu allows you to select a particular story or view them all. Children 2 to 6 years old will enjoy watching this series and their parents can easily enjoy watching it with the children.

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir is a French CGI action/adventure animated series produced by Zagtoon and Method Animation. The series features two Parisian teenagers, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste, who transform into the superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir, respectively, to protect the city from super villains. Set in modern-day Paris, the series focuses on teenage Marinette Dupain-Cheng and her classmate and crush Adrien Agreste. When evil arises, Marinette transforms into her secret superhero persona Ladybug, while Adrien transforms into his superhero persona Cat Noir, using powerful objects known as the Miraculous. Oblivious to each others’ true identities, the two work together to protect Paris from the mysterious villain Hawk Moth, who covets and attempts to steal their powers by using his akuma, butterflies infused with black energy, to influence and transform everyday citizens into supervillains.

Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir

By Morgan B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic age 11

What do a Ladybug, black cat and a hawk moth all have in common?  This new French cartoon is creative, funny, gender-friendly and visually adorable. I enjoyed it so much that I watched all seven episodes back to back. Each episode has a new villain and a creative story line. You will be totally entertained trying to guess what the new character is and what it will look like.

Cristina Valenzuela is the voice of a regular teenager Marinette Dupain. She has a ladybug in an earring and, when things go wrong and evil appears, she uses her ladybug Tikki to change into a half human and half ladybug. This new super hero, my favorite character, is adorable. Everyone loves ladybugs. Black and red might be my new favorite colors. She encompasses the virtues of saving people, helping people and compassion. As a ladybug, she is allowed one lucky charm which gives her one gadget. Then she sees in red and black which zeroes in on the different things she needs to do with the gadget to defeat the villains.

Cat Noir has super powers with the help of a ring that change him into a black cat that is Ladybug’s side kick. Of course, there a few crushes going on. Our superheroes have great best friends that help them in real life. After all, they are both shy until they become Ladybug and Cat Noir.

These two teenagers are believable, every day teens. I found this endearing since it makes them both easily relatable. The other characters are regular teens that all have issues such as jealousy, unfair treatment, anger and things we all go through. Then there is a super villain named Hawk Moth who covets and attempts to steal their powers by using his akuma, butterflies infused with black energy, to influence and transform everyday citizens into supervillains. There are a lot of messages in this film which help everyone to see how easy it is to get upset but, once you chill and think about it, it will all work out.

Time breaker is my favorite episode because this supervillain can turn back time which would be handy. We are humans and make mistakes and it would be a great to get a redo and fix them.

I found the dialogue to be realistic and amusing. It is quick witted and yet has a few clichés which will have you laughing. There is a touch of anime in the graphics and writing.  The CG animation is crisp and all the scenes pop. If it was not a cartoon, you could easily see how this could be a real world. It found it enjoyable to watch.

Ladybug and Cat Nori are high school students, but I think that younger people would love watching this so I recommend it for ages 6 to 15. Super heroes, lady bugs, cats and villains appeal to a broad range of people. There are many anime fans who would love viewing this to.  I give this series 5 out of 5 Tikki spots on! Tahdah! Ladybug stars. This DVD collection of seven episodes is brought to you by Shout! Factory and is in stores now.

This all new TV show/DVD features Mack, a lovable, moose-like lummox, and Moxy, a feisty whirlwind of a raccoon/fox go-getter, on four exciting adventures! Together with a helpful Trooper, Mack & Moxy set out to rescue another Great Helpee in a far off mystical place called HelpeeLand. Along the way, Mack & Moxy meet a new Friend in Need who ends up teaching us a new important cause. Guest celebrity, Josh Duhamel (Transformers, All My Children), helps the Heroes’ mission in support of Save the Children, providing quality preschool programs to underserved children around the world since 1932. In this DVD, Mack & Moxy introduce us to Save the Children, American Red Cross, Feeding America and World Wildlife Fund. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Abigail Zoe L. comments, “I learned a lot about different ways to care for others, compassion, important causes and the joy of helping others. In short, I learned what it is to be a humanitarian.” See her full review below.

Mack & Moxy: The Great Helpee Heroes
By Abigail Zoe Lewis, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 8

The Mack & Moxy: The Great Helpee Heroes DVD is great! It is as entertaining as it is educational. I learned a lot about different ways to care for others, compassion, important causes and the joy of helping others. In short, I learned what it is to be a humanitarian.

This DVD features four different episodes from the new children’s TV show, Mack & Moxy. In each episode the main characters go to HelpeeLand to save a “Great Helpee” from evil Shelfish Sheldon. This greedy character wants to steal all the happiness in the world just for himself.

On their journey, they always meet a friend in need who introduces them to a new and important cause. For example, in “Feeding Rainbow” we learn about the charity organization, “Feeding America” that provides hunger-relief through food banks/pantries for those who can’t afford to purchase their own food. In the episode “Always be Prepared,” we learn the importance of Emergency Preparedness and about the American Red Cross organization. Basically, we learn  things about what to do in scary situations such as, if there is a fire, we should not grab a thing, “get low and go” and have a plan of action.

My favorite episode is a “Ty-Grrrr’s Tale” because it is about saving tigers and I love animals. We also learn about the World Wildlife Fund that helps raise awareness and money to help and protect animals.

I love that each episode has a special celebrity guest. My favorite actor on this DVD is, Josh Duhamel who plays the Admirable in the episode, “Save The Children.” He reminds us the importance of early education. I really like Josh because he’s funny and entertaining.
The message of this DVD, like the show, is about inspiring children to become great humanitarians.

I actually had an opportunity to visit a live taping of the show and interview both the creator of the show, Brahm Wenger and Kelly McQuinn, the Co-Executive Producer. One of the things they shared was that the show teaches children in the language that they know. They explained that this is done with the show’s bright colored characters, fun music, songs, dance and awesome stories that teach humanitarian lessons. They also shared how excited they are to be part of America’s first kid’s TV show about causes.

I believe 3 to 8-year-olds will really like this DVD and TV show with its adventurous stories, fun music and lively characters. I give the show five out of five stars, or should I say humanitarian stars.  Finally, I hope that you too will find a cause from this DVD or in your own life that inspires you to become one of the next generation’s great humanitarians. This DVD is available in stores on May 24, 2016 so be sure to check it out.

In this DVD collection we join junior dinosaur expert Trek Henderson as he imagines dinosaurs in the real world, especially baby dinosaurs. I enjoyed the way this DVD uses CGI of dinosaurs in the story. This show is truly entertaining and educational. It is very colorful and teaches a great deal about dinosaurs and how they live in their environment. We learn all about several species of dinosaurs – Edmontosaurus, Triceratops, Brachiosaurus and Spinosaurus. Trek teaches us about what they eat, how they care for their babies, how their foot prints give paleontologist information about how they lived and more. It is also quite entertaining in the way Trek’s imagination put the dinosaurs into the world now. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Morgan B. commented, “I found this collection to be entertaining and educational. Each episodes features a different dinosaur and you get to see what a real one would look like and learn different traits about them.”

Dino Dan: Dino Babies, Trek’s Adventures
By Morgan B, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

There are a bunch of Dinosaur movies, TV shows and cartoons but it is rare to see real life like Dinosaurs. I found this collection to be entertaining and educational. Each episodes features a different dinosaur and you get to see what a real one would look like and learn different traits about them.

The dinosaurs are fascinating. Adult dinosaurs would be very expensive to feed and way too hard to keep confined so, they roam the neighborhood.  Ok, don’t worry, they are friendly.

Trek, the little boy whose these adventures are about, only keeps adorable baby dinosaurs in his back yard. His Mom tries to make sure to always have dino treats on hand so Trek can use the food to figure out different things about dinosaurs. Can they fly? Do they eat eggs? What is their favorite thing to eat? What do their foot prints look like?

Getting foot prints from a dinosaur takes a lot of hard work and “Dino Footprints” was my favorite episode. I watched the various ideas Trek used to get foot prints and found them very humorous. Hanna and her Dad help him look like a dinosaur that is a predator. The predator then gives chase and tricks the other dinosaurs into stepping into the clay and thereby, making a foot print.

My favorite character is Trek Henderson because he is hilarious. Trek is also kind, smart and curious. He has all the traits that everyone should have. I also love the fact that he cares about the different dinosaurs and their families. He has the cutest backpack that looks just like a dinosaur. This back pack will be on my birthday list this year. Trek is very creative.

When he doesn’t have Dino bait, he puts his head together and finds a way to make some. My favorite dinosaur is the baby Plesiosaur. Plesiosaur dinosaurs swim in cold water. This is another adorable baby dinosaur that is so cute and I wish I could have one as a pet. I already have a fish tank that she could live in. This dinosaur is also my favorite color – blue. It is just meant to be and I would name her Annalisa.

I recommend this DVD for ages 4 to 11.It is easy to watch although older kids might want more factual content and drama to keep them interested. I give this 4.5 out of 5 Roaring Dino egg stars. This DVD collection of eight episodes is brought to you by N Circle Entertainment and is available in stores on May 3, 2016 so, go check it out.

Dino Dan: Dino Babies, Trek’s Adventures
Reviewed by Juanita S., KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror

Dino Dan: Dino Babies uses great story lines in each episode. I enjoyed the way each episode has a real life familiarity. For example “Switched at Nest” tells us how dinos care for not only their young but other species young. “Dino Tooth Fairy” examines the various species teeth. The vocabulary and material are very well suited for the intended age group and they do a great job explaining terms and answering why dinosaurs do the things they do. I enjoyed the introduction of each episode with a situation that causes Trek to work on the solution and, in the process, he uncovers information about dinosaurs that he shares with the audience.

We see many positive role models. Trek and his friends demonstrate a friendship and willingness to work together on their school project. They all recognize Trek’s expertise when it comes to Dinosaurs.

This is exceptionally well produced. It has excellent options on the menu that are easy to use, allowing you to view all episodes or select a specific chapter.

I definitely give this 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12.