Charlie & Lola: Volume 1  No Rating, $9.95
Charlie and Lola is a wonderful British children's series shown on the Disney channel. Charlie is the older brother of Lola a precocious little sister who is very cute and very smart. Charlie is Lola's favorite person in the universe and he spends most of his time creatively helping the ever-curious Lola. He uses his imagination to come up with all sorts of explanations, remedies and time-passing solutions to Lola's antics and they get along wonderfully. Our tester's favorite episode is I Don't Like Tomatoes where Lola lists a bunch of foods she doesn't like to eat and Charlie figures out a way to get her to eat almost everything she says she doesn't like. Beautifully animated with good storylines and promotes healthy relationships between siblings. Highly recommend.
 

Ant Bully (Warner Home Video)  Rated PG, $29.98
Everyone knows a story about a bully, some kids may have been bullied, others are the one doing the bullying.  Well, this is a good story for both kids.  The movie features an A-List of voices including Julia Roberts, Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Ricardo Montalban and others.  The story is about Lucas, and how he is bullied by the bigger kids in his neighborhood.  As expected, Lucas takes out his frustration on the next smallest thing, which happens to be an ant hill on his front lawn.  This is the story of how the ants, and ultimately Lucas fight back.  The story is good, the lessons are important and kids will definitely enjoy it.  Younger kids will probably be scared of the idea of shrinking during the night, and the exterminator, voiced by Paul Giamatti is a bit creepy too!  Kids who have been bullied will definitely like the outcome of this movie!

Cars (Disney/Pixar) Rated G, $29.99
Cars shines brighter then the wax applied to its characters' NASCAR counterparts! Many of our kid reviewers saw this in the movie theaters and loved it. Now that it's out on DVD, it's an at-home treat that kids can watch again and again. The kids just think it's funny: From Lightning McQueen's snowboarder moves to the tractor-tipping in the fields, everything about this movie makes them crack up. The parents enjoy the little subtleties that the kids just don't get — like the fact that one of the racecar sponsors is htB (hostile takeover bank), and the appearance by "Click and Clack" from "Car Talk." It's these little things that make this movie a treat for all.

The storyline is fairly simple. Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is the over-confident rookie who thinks he's won the Piston Cup only to find it's a three-way tie. To McQueen's shock, the winner is to be determined at a tie-breaker race in California. On the way to California, he gets stranded in Radiator Springs, a sleepy town on the old Route 66. There he meets Sally Carrera, a hot Porsche (Bonnie Hunt); Mater, a tow truck (Larry the Cable Guy); and Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), and finds everything he's been missing. The movie features great music by Rascal Flatts, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, James Taylor, and more. The DVD has some fun extras, too, including deleted scenes, sneak peeks, and a couple of shorts.

The DVD has some fun extras too, including, the necessary deleted scenes, sneak peeks, and a couple of shorts. 

Curious George (Universal Studios) Rated G, $29.98
I am crazy about this movie. I loved it in the theater and I still love watching it at home. I brought it on a recent road trip as a surprise for the children and they watched it again and again, all weekend long. Even for those of you who weren't big fans of the original Curious George story of the man in the yellow hat bringing back a monkey from the jungle will like this version. It's a much more humane story and the character of George is completely endearing, sweet and lovable. As expected, George gets into a lot of inquisitive trouble trying to help the man in the yellow hat (Will Ferrell) while songs from Jack Johnson play in the background. The Jack Johnson songs are fun and catchy, leading children to recognize them on the radio and them wanting to sing along.

Educational Videos & DVD's

Man Who Walked Between Two Towers DVD (Scholastic Video) Not Rated, $14.95
This is another great Scholastic video. The first movie is about Frenchman Philippe Petit's tightrope walk between the World Trade Center's twin towers. My son watched this movie over and over again, amazed and fascinated that it was true. When he discovered that the other stories on the video (Snowflake Bentley, Miss Rumphius & The Pot that Juan Built) were all true stories as well, this quickly became one of his favorite DVDs. In an age when it is getting harder and harder to impress young children, it is nice to see a child enthralled and inspired by people who have followed their dreams, regardless of what other people think.

All About John Deere DVD-part 4 (TM Books & Video) Rated G, $14.95
"Any child who loves "diggers" will LOVE this DVD," our mom tester reports.  "We happen to have a son who loves trucks & tractors so needless to say this DVD is a part of our daily routine now. The footage and language is perfect for small children. The movie bops along with catchy songs as your child is able to see tons of John Deere vehicles up close and personal."

The Money Mammals (Snigglezoo Entertainment) Unrated, $14.95
If your kids are going to sit in front of the television, you want it to be educational. Well, this new DVD is the answer! Four furry friends that decide the right way to spend their money is what this 30 minute show is about. It teaches the value of money, the value of friendship and how not to be selfish. Our mother of three comments, "I try to instill these values in my children, so when 4 animated, singing and dancing puppets can assist me - I am a huge fan. My five year old daughter told me how nice she thought it was that the friends bought Clara (who is a camel) a hat for her birthday. She learned the value of doing for others, which made me very happy. This DVD is filled with high energy, great songs and loveable puppets."

Juno's Rhythm Adventure (Juno Baby) Ages 0+, $20.00
"This vivid 40 minute DVD is fresh and exciting!" reports our mom tester.  "The sights and sounds are captivating. Colorful little puppets and catchy little tunes. It truly entertained the whole family, From my youngest at the age of 1 to my 5 year old daughter. Juno encourages participation and helps with the development of music appreciation and rhythm . We are lucky that educational programs are so readily available for our children, but this one stands out in the crowd! Do you and your child a favor and check this one out, you won't be disappointed!"  Note, as an added bonus for any bi-lingual families or families teaching their children a second language ..... it can be played in English, French and Spanish!  Fans of Juno baby will also love the cute little plush "Juno" that comes in a cute red dress, with a big J and upturned pigtails.  If you're looking to send a gift, you should also consider the clothes, which are well made and all adorable!

ELMO's World -- Reach for the Sky! (Sony Wonder Video) $12.98
"Can you put the school one on again mom?" was what our mom tester reported hearing after viewing Reach for the Sky.  "This was my three-year-old son's reaction after watching Elmo's World: Reach for the Sky DVD two times! He laughed out loud to Mr. Noodle's responses to the question "how do you ask a question in school?" and after watching the children on screen talk about what they do each day, my son proceeded to tell me how he does almost all the same stuff too (hanging up his backpack at school, learning about reading & writing, and how much he loves going to school too). He said he likes the school segment so much because he likes that everyone in Elmo's family goes to school and all of them love it. These Sesame Street videos helps preschoolers learn more about subjects they encounter in everyday life and this video follows suit. This one covers jumping, school & sky."

Scholastic Video Collection Chicka Chicka 1 2 3 (Scholastic Video Collection) $14.95
Our tester reports, "My four year old  loves the Scholastic Video Series and this one is no exception. Almost every mother knows the Bill Martin, Jr. classic Chicka Chicka 123 and this video version of the story is delightful. It's wonderful to see the story come to life in a song and is a great introduction to the two other stories on the tape, David Schwartz's How Much is a Million? and If You Made a Million. We enjoyed these additional stories so much that we went out and bought the books right away. If your pre-schooler has any interest in numbers and money, then this is the perfect addition to your educational video library."

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