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  Holiday Videos | Great DVD's | Educational Videos & DVD's

Go Diego Go! — Moonlight Rescue, Nickelodeon, NR, $14.49
Fans of Diego will enjoy this story where he and Tuga (a leatherback sea turtle) have to rescue hatchling turtles. When a lightning storm breaks Luna (the moon) into four pieces, Diego and Tuga spring into action. They know that the baby turtles need the moonlight to find their way to the ocean, so they work to put Luna back together. Also on the DVD are “Rainforest Rhapsody,” with Puma and three lost red-eyed tree frogs, and “Rhea Is an Animal Rescuer,” about an injured bird who is no longer able to fly but finds other talents. We love the bilingual 8-year-old Diego (Dora’s older cousin) and his lessons for children, including counting, puzzles, movement, animals, and songs!

Dora the Explorer — Saves the Mermaids, Nickelodeon, NR, $10.49
Fans of Dora will love this bilingual aquatic treat. In this special adventure, Boots and Dora help save Mermaid Kingdom from a evil octopus who is dumping garbage into the ocean. Dora has to save the kingdom by finding a magical mermaid crown and returning it to Mariana the Mermaid. Dora even earns her own fins and becomes a mermaid herself. It’s a cute adventure that girls in particular will enjoy. The DVD also features “Fish Out of Water,” where Dora and Boots have to save baby Red Fish from the Big Clam and Swiper, as well as “Treasure Island,” where they are in search of Pirate Pig’s treasure. This interactive DVD also features lots of bilingual dialogue, and songs that your grandkids will love.

Dan in Real Life, Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone, PG-13, $17.99
Funny man Steve Carell plays a sad, lonely newspaper columnist whose features are about family and relationships. He’s a widower raising three girls, and he’s put to the test when he takes his kids on a family gathering and falls in love with his brother’s new girlfriend, Marie (Juliette Binoche), during an excursion to a bookstore. The movie is cute, lighthearted, and fun. It’s definitely for the older grandkids set, since the younger ones will find it boring. It was enjoyable seeing Carell play a more serious role, but it’s too bad that Binoche doesn’t have the same chemistry with Carell as she did with Johnny Depp in Chocolat.


August Rush, Warner Home Video, PG, $19.99
This sweet musical tale is about an orphan, Evan (Freddie Highmore), his musical talents, and his yearnings to play music and find his parents. It’s a bit like a modern-day Oliver Twist, and geared more for the tweens and teens audience, but will have all who watch tapping their feet to the rhythm and praying for a happy ending.




Bob the Builder Building Bobland Bay, HIT Entertainment, NR, $14.98
According to our mom-reviewer, “this is a great DVD.” Reviewed by two 6-year-old boys and a 2-year-old daughter, she said they were all “mesmerized”. This new Bob video introduces some new members of the "Bob family" including Tumbler, a very large cement mixer and Flex, a large bucket truck. They were a big hit!. This DVD contains 6 Bob the Builder stories and 4 special feature stories, that were enjoyable, but not related to Bob the Builder.


Mrs. Doubtfire Special Edition behind the Seams, 20th Century Fox , PG-13, $19.98
Both grandparents and grandchildren will love this classic story about Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams), who dresses up as the perfect nanny in order to win back his family during a bitter divorce. A cross between Tootsie and Mary Poppins, this 1993 heart-warmer also hits all the comedic marks. The “Behind the Seams” edition includes deleted, extended, and alternate scenes, a featurette, and more.

Nancy Drew, Warner Home Video, PG, $29.98
You’ll certainly notice that Nancy Drew has changed to keep up with the times, but you’ll also see that she’s stayed true to her character. In this story, small-town Nancy (Emma Roberts) moves to Hollywood, where she lives in a house embroiled in mystery. Nancy tries her best to resist the temptation to solve it, but in the end her curiosity wins. This is great movie to introduce your tween granddaughter to Nancy Drew; then take her to your local bookstore and get her reading the books!

Bee Movie, Dreamworks Animated, Rated PG, $29.98
The theatrical version of the Bee Movie has been reviewed on Grandparents.com and can be read here. According to our younger kid reviewers, this movie was laugh-out-loud funny, and they have already watched it more than once. Older kids disagreed. Some disliked the fact that the main character, Barry, had a relationship with the human Vanessa (Renée Zellweger), and didn’t think the bees were depicted true to their species. Some silly movies don’t work for all smart kids. Despite our particular test audience, this is a hugely popular DVD that your grandchildren will probably want to watch, but not over and over again.

Horton Hears A Who, Warner Brothers Video, Not Rated, $14.99
You might be planning to see the theatrical remake of this movie on March 14 (featuring the voices of Jim Carrey and Steve Carell), but make sure you see the original first — it may prompt some critical discussion between you and your grandchildren. This is the story of Horton, an elephant who unwittingly discovers a city called Whoville in a tiny speck on a flower. Horton eventually saves the Whos from virtual destruction, and of course utters the famous line “A person’s a person no matter how small.” The themes in this movie can inspire older grandchildren to ask about life, an infinite universe, and all sorts of philosophical questions, but it’s the classic Dr. Seuss brand of comedy that will have grandchildren of all ages rolling.

The Easter Bunny Is Coming To Town, Warner Brothers Video, Not Rated, $14.99
Created by the same people who did Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, this is the story of Sunny, an orphaned rabbit who finds a home in Kidville, a little town solely inhabited by children. Despite its fun-loving population, all is not well in Kidville, as a monster named Gadzooks is trying to get his big, mean hands on Sunny’s eggs. Sunny colors and decorates his eggs in order to disguise them from the monster, and thus creates Easter eggs. It’s an entertaining movie for younger grandchildren, and a fun backstory for any egg decorating you’ll do together this month. Watch a clip of the video now.

Enchanted, Disney, Rated PG, $29.99
This sugar-coated fairy tale starts as an animated story in Andalasia, where Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) meets and falls in love with Prince Edward (James Marsden). When Edward's traditionally evil stepmother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), hears about the enamored couple, she decides to get rid of Giselle by pushing her down a magical well. Once Giselle pops out the other end of the well, she’s a real woman — no longer a cartoon character — and is smack in the middle of New York City's Times Square. The rest of the movie is live-action, but that’s not to say it isn’t animated. Chock full of song and dance and every whimsical fairy-tale staple, it’s sure to be the next DVD your younger grandkids insist on watching repeatedly.

101 Dalmatians, Rated G, Walt Disney Studio Home Entertainment, $29.99

For the first time in nearly ten years, Disney has released 101 Dalmatians on DVD. This timeless 1961 classic is packaged in an all-new two-disc “Platinum Edition.” It has been fully restored with enhanced picture and sound; a must-have addition to your DVD vault. The story features Pongo, Perdita, and their 99 puppies, as well as one of Disney’s most evil villains — Cruella De Vil. This special edition also includes some fun bonus features including Disney’s “Virtual Dalmatians,” where you can adopt, name, train, and care for your very own virtual puppy. A “Puppy Profiler” finds out which dog you’re most like, and for the biggest fans of all, the “101 Pop-Up Trivia Facts” will test your Dalmatian savvy. Watch it with your grandchildren and discover more than 200 things you never knew about the movie!

Jakers! Treasure Hunt on Raloo Farm, NR, Paramount, $14.99

Grandparents: Here’s a toddler DVD that you’ll enjoy, rather than just tolerate. Based on the hit PBS show, Jakers! features Piggley Winks, a spunky 8-year-old pig. The stories are told by Grandpa Piggley to his grandchildren Seamus, Sean, and Meg, about Piggley’s adventures with his friends Dannan, Wiley, and Ferny on Raloo Farm in Ireland. This DVD features four stories, “Treasure Hunt,” “Our Dragon’s Egg,” “Dannan Does a Jig,” and “Growing Pains.” What makes this series so special is that at the end of each episode is a “Meet the Grandparents” feature, in which children are encouraged to ask a grandparent “their story.” This DVD features four “Meet the Grandparents” segments, and will provide a great opportunity to get you and your grandchildren talking. Perhaps you’ll all learn something unforgettable!

Handy Manny — Fixing It Right, NR, Disney Video, $17

Manny is like a bilingual version of Bob the Builder, but instead of construction, Manny solves problems with his talking tools to get the job done. This DVD features Manny, who is voiced by That ’70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama. The songs are upbeat with a slight Caribbean flair, and the talking tools are cute and energetic. Manny’s tasks in this DVD involve solving the proverbial sock-eating-dryer problem, repairing a jungle gym, fixing a flashing light on a fire truck, and more. Manny educates grandkids how to count in Spanish with his tools and also teaches conversational phrases. But the best part is that Manny is nice and respectful to everyone, a message that comes across loud and clear despite Manny’s soft-spoken nature.

DVD's For Older Grandkids, Their Parents and Grandparents

Les Misérables: 10^th Anniversary Concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall, BBC Video, Not Rated, $34.98
If you were fortunate enough to see Les Misérables on stage and are a fan you will LOVE this DVD.  If this show escaped you, but you’d like to learn more, this is a great way to do it.  This fabulous DVD features the top stars from the London and Broadway productions of the world’s best-loved musical, all in costume as well as 150 chorus members and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.   If you watch PBS then you have probably seen this during their fundraising – it seems to be a big draw and it’s easy to see why.  This gala performance is incredible.  Not only is the story and music captivating, but this performance features all of the Jean Valjean’s that appeared around the world – 17 of them singing  "Do You Hear the People Sing?" each sings a line in his native language. 

Riverdance - Live from Radio City Music Hall (Two-Disc Collector's Edition), BBC Warner, Not Rated, $34.99
This performance filmed at Radio City Music hall in 1996 is a good way to introduce your grandchildren to Irish hard-shoe dancing – especially if you aren’t able to catch an actual performance.  You might recall Michael Flatley in “Lord of the Dance,” this DVD features Colin Dunne and Jean Butler well know Celtic dancers.  The dancing is energetic, exciting and brilliantly choreographed.  It’s a fun introduction to this a new type of dance that kids will enjoy.  The second disc also features a few documentaries including "Riverdance: The Documentary—10 Years" which is a look at how the show started and evolved.

Helen Mirren at the BBC, BBC Warner, Not Rated, $79.98
I have been a huge fan of Helen Mirren since her days as DCI Tennyson in Prime Suspect,  and The Queen.  This DVD features some of her earlier work at the BBC, films that haven’t made it across the pond until now.  Included in this five DVD set are The Changeling, The Apple Cart, Caesar and Claretta , The Philanthropist, The Little Minister, Miss Rhinehart, Soft Targets, and more.  To watch these DVD’s you definitely have to set aside some time, but it’s worth it to see how Helen Mirren’s impressive career began and evolved.  If you’re a fan of her work, you’ll enjoy this DVD collection.