Kids Go! Picture Book and DVD by They Might Be Giants
Simon & Schuster; Har/DVD edition (November 3, 2009)
Ages: 4+
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
We LOVE They Might Be Giants. Love. Love. Love. Not only have they promoted our deep and spiritual admiration for conifers, the letter E and aspiring to be mathletes, they now want us to get up off of the couch. And, you know what? Their song rocked us so hard that we can’t stop dancing. TMBG have a great way with lyrics and beats, and they are also smart enough to have an ace illustrator and a genius video producer. They are the total kid music package all wrapped up in a monkey barrel of fun.

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LeapFrog: Learning DVD Set
Lions Gate
Release Date: November 3, 2009
Ages: 3-6
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Kids flock to the LeapFrog DVDs which are appropriate for ages 3-6. These engaging DVDs keep the wee ones entertained and teach them a basic concept or two at the same time.

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SpongeBob SquarePants: Truth or Square
Nickelodeon
Release Date: November 10, 2009
Cautions: If you don’t know all about SpongeBob by now, I am afraid there is nothing else we can tell you!

Kiwi Magazine Review:
SpongeBob SquarePants has a moral dilemma in this DVD and has to figure out a way to correct his mistakes and rectify the situation. SpongeBob SquarePants manages to right all that’s wrong just in time.

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Here Comes Science CD/DVD - They Might Be Giants
Disney Sound - September 22, 2009
Cautions: None
Ages: 5-12

Kiwi Magazine Review:
My daughter learned her alphabet and at least 20 country names thanks to They Might Be Giants, so, as a parent, I am completely comfortable with my elementary-school child learning a few things about science with this adorkable band. I adored them in the 80s before they launched into kid music, and now I embrace them as a parent. The music is not that patsy twangy stuff; it’s genuine rock with talented artists creating the rhythm. Seriously, if you pulled up to my car at a light and I was rocking out to TMBG, you would never realize it was kid music until you heard the word paleontologist. Warning: after my kid fell in love with the C is for Conifers song, we had to plant about a dozen trees. So, prepare for some excavations and experimentation.  If you buy one TMBG CDs, you are going to go back for all of the others.

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Mad Monster Party (1968)
Starring: Boris Karloff, Allen Swift, Gale Garnett, Phyllis Diller, Ethel Ennis
Lions Gate: September 8, 2009
Cautions: Slightly scary

Kiwi Magazine Review:
Although animation and special effects today are out of this world, I believe some of the best story lines and characters were developed decades ago. Perhaps it’s just melancholy, but the Heat Mizer and Land of Misfit Toys have a special place in my heart. In this genre is this wonderful re-release of Mad Monster Party featuring Boris Karloff. It’s a must see just for the style of animation and characters.

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Leapfrog: LET’S GO TO SCHOOL DVD

LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. 2009
Ages: 3-6
Website: www.leapfrog.com
Cautions: None

Watch an exclusive Kiwi Magazine preview here:
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Kiwi Magazine Review:
Let’s face it: parents and kids both have jitters about starting school. I know I do. The bus alone is giving me pause! But, Tad, Lilly and Edison put our minds at ease with a classroom tour and many amazing activities. The real test will be at the end of August when the big yellow bus pulls up. The DVD is fun and upbeat, and delivers some great basic lessons to kick off a great school year. Pencils up!

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SYNOPSIS
School starts tomorrow, and Tad and Lily are nervous! Join Tad, Lily and their magical firefly Edison as he gives them a tour of the classroom and shows them that the classroom is more nervous than they are! As the twins reassure the blocks, globe, clock and more talking “teachers,” they learn key lessons about phonics, counting, days of the week and animals.

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

5 Sing-along songs
Interactive alphabet book
A sneak peek at Math Adventure to the Moon

Congratulations to Annie for winning this DVD!

Mission to the Moon: (Book and DVD) by Alan Dyer
Simon & Schuster, 2009
Ages 9-12
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Description:
This wonderful book and DVD would make a great gift for the space explorer in your family. Every possible angle is covered in this 40th Anniversary celebration of the first lunar landing. I found that the adults were just as mesmerized as the kids while watching the DVD. An absolute must-have for all home libraries.

Loose at the Zoo DVD
Infinity Entertainment/Hepcat - May 12, 2009
Ages: 5-12
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
This DVD is mesmerizing for kids and adults alike. Although tempting to personify the animals in this DVD with adjectives like ‘cute’ or ‘adorable,’ this is nature at its best, and this DVD captures the antics of a variety of animals and birds. From the tenacious tigers to the intriguing sloth bears, this DVD would make a great gift for any member of the family, regardless of age.

Synopsis:
Meet the babies at Washington D.C.’s National Zoo. But it’s more than just monkey business for these irresistibly cute and cuddly kids … Even animals have chores!

Milkshake - Screenplay DVD
Milkshake Music - 2008
Ages: Whole family
Cautions: None

Kiwi Magazine Review:
We just had the privilege of seeing Milkshake live and this band not only rocks the house (in our case, the Lyric Opera House in Baltimore), but they genuinely love kids and make music that speaks to them. Not overtly preachy, the tunes are rife with an “yay for me” theme but, more importantly, the music is danceable fun. This DVD captures the band’s talents in an ersatz rockumentary style (minus the Stonehenge) and kids jsut have to get up and dance along.

Product Description
Milkshake s first DVD release is a kaleidoscopic mix of live-action, animations and playful interviews with the band, along with two videos originally created for PBS KIDS. Bonus tracks feature live concert footage of Milkshake performing the Noggin favorite “Bottle of Sunshine.” Videos include favorites from the band’s award-winning CDs, including “Pirates,” “Baseball,” “ABC of Me,” “We Got a Band” and “Superhero.”

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From BBC Video comes Planet Earth - The Complete Series (DVD)

With an unprecedented production budget of $25 million, and from the makers of Blue Planet: Seas of Life, comes the epic story of life on Earth. Five years in production, over 2,000 days in the field, using 40 cameramen filming across 200 locations, shot entirely in high definition, this is the ultimate portrait of our planet. A stunning television experience that captures rare action, impossible locations and intimate moments with our planet’s best-loved, wildest and most elusive creatures. From the highest mountains to the deepest rivers, this blockbuster series takes you on an unforgettable journey through the daily struggle for survival in Earth’s most extreme habitats. Planet Earth takes you to places you have never seen before, to experience sights and sounds you may never experience anywhere else.

Planet Earth DVD Game

You live here…but how much do you really know about the Planet Earth? Watch spectacular footage from the epic documentary, answer the questions, and complete the puzzles to save our Planet Earth. Travel to never before seen places, witness amazing sights, and meet the world’s most elusive creatures…all while trying to save Planet Earth. Challenge your family and friends with a unique cooperative game play aspect. Educational and fun for the entire family. The Planet Earth DVD Board game is made with 90% post-consumer recyclable material. Specialty Only version comes in embossed tin with a bonus card game included!

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