Granny Ranny's Coming Attractions

Find Out What Happens to Elmo When He’s Turned Green. Join your Sesame Street friends as they team up with Mr. Earth to host their first Earth-a-Thon in Being Green, arriving on DVD April 7. In Being Green, Hollywood star Paul Rudd (Friends) plays Mr. Earth, who teaches Elmo and Abby Cadabby how to be environmentally conscious by recycling, re-using, and conserving water and energy. In her desire to help Elmo to be more “green,” Abby accidentally turns Elmo the color GREEN and can’t remember how to change him back! Lots of fun ensues as Abby is eventually able to poof Elmo red again and Cookie Monster, Rosita, and Telly Monster pitch in, pledging to be eco-friendly, because Earth Rocks.

Kids learn how to be kind to the earth and why it is important. Kids will enjoy the music videos that feature kids sining and lyrics about how to be green – a fun way to deliver a message. This is a delightful DVD that parents will enjoy sharing with their kids and schools or museums could easily fit it into their Earth Day curriculum. The jokes are fun and relavent – such as when the actor gets hot inside his earth costume and mentions global warming, then acting as if he can’t get out of the costume.

As a special bonus feature, Being Green also contains 16 pages of downloadable activities and story sheets to extend the learning at home. Teaching budding conservationists the importance of preserving nature’s wonders, Being Green is part of Sesame Workshop’s green-friendly initiatives. In an effort to teach children to love and respect the Earth and its inhabitants, Sesame Street is increasing its environmental messages and materials for kids. In addition,

Being Green is printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper or cardstock and is printed with soy-based ink. It also uses an Earth friendlier reduced-plastic compared to other DVD cases. The Being Green DVD will be available just in time for Earth Day.

You will love meeting Snoopy’s siblings and finding out where he originally came from on the next Peanuts Deluxe Edition of Snoopy’s Reunion, the heartwarming animated prime time television special that tells the story of Snoopy’s family reunion. Available on DVD for the first time on April 7, 2009, Snoopy’s Reunion will be presented in a fully re-mastered edition, offering consumers dazzling picture and sound quality. In addition, Snoopy’s Reunion Deluxe Edition will also include a bonus episode as well as a newly created featurette.

Snoopy is homesick for his puppyhood days at the Daisy Hill Puppy Farm, so he and Charlie Brown organize a reunion with his brothers and sisters which include Spike, Andy, Olaf, Marbles, Belle, Molly and Rover. However, when Snoopy and Charlie Brown arrive at the puppy farm, Charlie Brown is aghast to find that urban sprawl has replaced it with a parking garage. Although the physical world around them has changed the bond Snoopy and his siblings share has not. They chose to celebrate their reunion by playing musical instruments they’ve each brought, thoroughly satisfied that they are together on the sidewalk in front of what used to be their home.

DVD Special Features Include:

³ It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown — A new-to-DVD bonus episode which was originally broadcast in 1984 as a television special and earned an Emmy Award® nomination for Outstanding Animated Program. It’s Flashbeagle, Charlie Brown features several clever parodies inspired by popular early 80’s dance trends ranging from disco to break dancing as well as a series of top 40 hit songs from the era.

³ Together Again: A Peanuts Voice-Cast Reunion — Features a reunion of original Peanuts cast members and includes the voices of such beloved characters as Charlie Brown, Lucy, Sally, Peppermint Patty and others.

“We think Peanuts fans will treasure Snoopy’s Reunion because it’s one of the rarer Peanuts television specials not often seen on TV and because it imparts a valuable message, the importance of strong family bonds,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President, Family, Animation and Sports Marketing. He added, “What’s unique about this special is that it allows viewers to learn more about Snoopy’s origins, his musically gifted siblings and his life before finding a home with Charlie Brown. This is a must-have title for any Peanuts fan.”

Elephants and aliens reign supreme on qubo this spring. Starting in April, BABAR, the animated series starring the internationally renowned elephant king, returns to qubo’s broadcast blocks with seven premiere episodes while the 21st century’s wackiest space team, THE ZULA PATROL, debuts nine premiere episodes. Beginning April 1, qubo will roll out a new schedule, reflecting the addition of BABAR to its line-up (see attached grid below for specific network schedules). Each of the premiere episodes of BABAR and THE ZULA PATROL will debut first on the Wednesday-Friday “qubo on ION Television” block, followed by a showing on “qubo on NBC” on Saturday mornings and “qubo on Telemundo” in Spanish on weekend mornings. The premiere episodes will also air on qubo Channel.

Providing a great opportunity for family viewing, both BABAR and THE ZULA PATROL feature entertaining stories that impart valuable life lessons while engaging young minds. BABAR, based on the beloved classic books by Laurent de Brunhoff, reinforces pro-social messages that celebrate the bonds of family while the hilarious antics of THE ZULA PATROL teach critical facts about science and astronomy.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the premiere episodes:

BABAR

ROWNG PAINS : Premieres April 1, at 3:30 PM on “qubo on ION Television”
Alexander learns a hard lesson about responsibility when he lets his rowing team and Zephir down.

THE LEAD BLIMP: Premieres April 25, at 3:30 PM on “qubo on ION Television”
Arthur becomes a hero when his “lead blimp” tops the jungle popularity polls. But the blimp doesn’t work yet and the greatly anticipated maiden voyage is only a few hours away.

EVERY BASKET HAS A SILVER LINING: Premieres May 9, at 3:30 PM on “qubo on ION Television” When Pom makes the school basketball team as “towel boy” he lets Babar believe he’s a top player. Yet Pom is in for trouble, when Babar makes plans to attend a game.

BABAR airs Wednesdays at 3:30 PM (ET) on ION Television, 11:30 AM (ET) Saturdays on NBC and 8:30 AM (ET) Saturdays in Spanish on Telemundo. BABAR also airs daily on qubo Channel at 3 PM and 8:30 PM (all times ET)

THE ZULA PATROL

FLY US TO THE MOON/ CASTAWAY ASTEROID: Premieres April 9, at 3:30 PM on “qubo on ION Television” Wizzy and Wigg want to go to the Moon to see the moon-ball championship game. / After Gorga snorts up Wizzy’s and Wigg’s toy box full of toys, Multo proposes that they make a solar sail kite to play with instead.

MY AIR LADY/ YOU’RE CRAMPING MY SPACE: Premieres May 2, at 3:30 PM on “qubo on ION Television” A windstorm knocks the electricity out at a Generator Station that powers all of Zula, plunging the Zula Patrol into a Zulean version of the dark ages. / The Zula Patrol is reunited with Buzzy the Ferret when he rescues them while they are stranded in space.

POWER FLOWER/ BLUBGLUB Premieres May 30, at 3:30 PM on “qubo on ION Television” When Zeeter finds a lone flower on a previously unexplored island on Zula, she wants to save it by bringing it home. / Dark Truder returns to his roots by starting small to jumpstart his career in villainy.

THE ZULA PATROL airs Thursdays at 3:30 PM (ET) on ION Television, Noon (ET) Saturdays on NBC and 9:00 AM (ET) Sundays in Spanish on Telemundo. THE ZULA PATROL also airs daily on qubo Channel at 4 PM and 9:30 PM (all times ET)

qubo® is a groundbreaking bilingual, multi-platform entertainment destination for children and families that focuses on literacy, values and healthy lifestyles while celebrating the unlimited possibilities of a child’s imagination. Most of qubo’s shows are associated with popular children’s books, and the network’s interstitial programming continues to reinforce messages about early literacy and healthy living. Beyond its quality television offerings, qubo utilizes its interstitial programming, website and outside partnerships (with the U.S. Olympic committee and Reading is Fundamental) to promote messages about healthy living and literacy. qubo also recently adopted a set of nutritional guidelines for acceptable foods that can be advertised on air. Formed in 2006 by an unprecedented alliance of leading distribution partners and content players in children’s television, including Scholastic, ION Media Networks, NBC Universal, Corus Entertainment and Classic Media, qubo offers dynamic content in multiple environments. Currently broadcast on NBC Saturday mornings, ION Television Wednesday- Friday afternoons and Telemundo weekend mornings (check local listings) qubo also includes a 24/7 qubo Channel and website, http://www.qubo.com/.

Check this out, a special episode of Wordgirl for April Fools Day.

WORDGIRL – The Handsome Panther – Chuck is tired of the same old sandwich-related crimes so he develops a new persona: The Handsome Panther! He’s ferocious and he even has a theme song. Will WordGirl be thrown off by Chuck’s new identity?

The Butcher, The Baker and the Candlestick Maker – Rub a dub dub! The Butcher and his old pals, The Baker and The Candlestick Maker, try to relive the good old days of pulling silly pranks. But can the Butcher resist his truly evil ways when WordGirl shows up on the scene?

Then, on April 6, new from Super Why!

SUPER WHY! – Peter Rabbit- Peter Rabbit – Red wants to find the perfect present to show Grandma she cares, but she is absolutely stumped! The Super Readers pay a storybook visit to Peter Rabbit and chase after the mischievous little cottontail bunny, who’s on the hunt for some delicious fresh vegetables for his Mama. The Super Readers must help Peter find what he’s looking for before his big appetite for veggies lands him in hot water!

As a long time fan of the outstanding literature-based films from Weston Woods studios, I have loved the new collections that Scholastic has released this year. The newest one, to be released March 31 is a collection of stories on DVD created especially for children ages 2 to 6. MY VERY FIRST TREASURY OF 50 STORYBOOK CLASSICS: PRESCHOOL STORIES features many all-time children’s classics, faithfully adapted and brought to rich, entertaining life in a brand-new 7-DVD set. Celebrity narrators (Mia Farrow, Anthony Edwards, the Bacon Brothers and others) and peerless production values combine to create a high value, long-lasting experience for young viewers.

The Scholastic Storybook Treasures series “gives viewers a new way to look at books,” says Scripps Howard News Service. And from the wild imagination of HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON and the sing-along favorite THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY to Mo Willems’ new classic KNUFFLE BUNNY, the 50 beloved, best-selling children’s book adaptations in MY VERY FIRST TREASURY OF 50 STORYBOOK CLASSICS offer more than seven hours of quality children’s entertainment, colorfully whimsically animated and kid-tested. Librarians and teachers around the country have long been using these very same productions, created by Weston Woods Studios with authors and illustrators, to enhance their students’ pre-reading experiences. And this new compilation collects the best stories that are perfectly targeted to preschool children who can already read picture books, or are just learning about letters and words.

MY VERY FIRST TREASURY OF 50 STORYBOOK CLASSICS includes the following DVDs, each of which includes several stories, with more than an hour of fun on each one:

• CORDUROY…AND MORE STORIES ABOUT CARING

• GOOD NIGHT, GORILLA…AND MORE GREAT SLEEPYTIME STORIES

• HAROLD AND THE PURPLE CRAYON…AND MORE GREAT STORIES TO SPARK THE IMAGINATION

• IS YOUR MAMA A LLAMA…AND MORE CLASSIC CHILDREN’S STORIES (New! – also available separately)

• KNUFFLE BUNNY…AND MORE GREAT CHILDHOOD ADVENTURE STORIES

• THE EZRA JACK KEATS COLLECTION (New! – also available separately)

• THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY…AND MORE SING-ALONG FAVORITES (New! – also available separately)

Aside from the aforementioned headliners, some of the wonderful adaptations featured in the set include William Steig’s “Brave Irene”, “Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel,” based on Virginia Lee Burton’s 1939 classic, Rosemary Wells’ “Nosy Nora”, Ezra Jack Keats’ “The Snowy Day,” The boisterous “Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin” and “This Land is Your Land,” featuring Arlo Guthrie’s well-loved song. Also included as bonuses are Spanish-language versions of “Is Your Mama a Llama,” “Noisy Nora,” “The Snowy Day” and “Whistle for Willie.”

Also on March 31, Scholastic Storybook Treasures will release three of these newly repackaged and refreshed DVDs individually: THE EZRA JACK KEATS COLLECTION, THERE WAS AN OLD LADY WHO SWALLOWED A FLY…AND MORE SING-ALONG FAVORITES and IS YOUR MAMA A LLAMA?…AND MORE CLASSIC CHILDREN’S STORIES.

MY VERY FIRST TREASURY OF 50 STORYBOOK CLASSICS: PRESCHOOL STORIES

Street Date: March 31, 2009
Format: DVD/7 Discs
Ages: 2-6
Sug. Retail Price: $49.95
Time: Approx. 7 hours, 30 minutes
For more information, go to http://www.newvideo.com/

The adventures continue with everyone’s Number 1 engine when Thomas & Friends™: High Speed Adventures races onto DVD March 31, 2009. Teaching timeless life lessons such as discovery, friendship and cooperation, the Thomas & Friends animated series invites children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story.

Thomas and his engine friends speed through the Island of Sodor in six spectacular stories of fun and adventure. Capture the spirit of ‘steamwork’ as Thomas learns to share his workload, Edward saves Gordon at the water works and Rosie learns to follow directions to get the job done. Future engineers will hear about Proteus the mystical engine, see Henry help woodsmen save the Sodor Wishing Tree and thrill as Thomas takes on the challenge of a high-speed race! Grab your conductor’s hat and hop on board for this action-packed collection of High Speed Adventures!

Episodes include:
“Thomas and the Billboard”
 “Steady Eddie”
“Rosie’s Funfair Special”
“Mountain Marvel”
“Henry Gets It Wrong”
“Don’t Go Back”

Genre: Children/Family/Ages 2-5
Running Time: 46 minutes
English, Spanish and French 2.0 Dolby Digital
For more information, go to http://www.thomasandfriends.com/