Bill Harley: Win a CD!

Posted on March 3, 2013 at 4:00 pm

Here is how much my family loves the brilliant and hilarious singer/songwriter/story-teller Bill Harley. Even though we played and played and played his music until we all knew it inside out, we would still sit in the driveway until the end of a song or story. Many of our family’s most-beloved catch-phrases and in-jokes are inspired by Harley. Favorites included You’re in Trouble with “Dad Threw the TV Out the Window,” “When You Don’t Know What It Is,” the title song, and “I’m Busy,” Dinosaurs Never Say Please, with the title story about a boy who turns into a T-Rex and the very funny “Bojabi” and the classic “Master of All Masters.” We also love “You’re Not the Boss of Me,” “50 Ways to Fool Your Mother,” “Cool in School,” and many, many more.

It was a great treat to see Harley perform live at Sirius/XM’s Kid’s Place with Keith Munslow, accompanied by Harley’s son Dylan on drums. Harley has a gift for putting the biggest and most complicated and universal experiences into the most accessible terms. It is not just the simplicity of language, but the humor that he uses to make scary situations and feelings like jealousy and insecurity more manageable. The title of his new CD comes from a song named by a Kid’s Place contest: “It’s Not Fair to Me,” and the children in the audience shrieked with laughter at the familiarity and silliness of the claims. Munslow’s “My Eraser” is not just a tribute to the very useful pink spongey part of a pencil; it is an astute and reassuring observation about correcting all kinds of mistakes. Possibly the biggest hit at the performance was the very funny “Hideous Sweater,” a tribute to the articles of clothing we love beyond (and without) reason.

I am delighted to have two Harley CDs to give away, It’s Not Fair to Me (with Munslow) and the story collection High Dive & Other Things That Could Have Happened. If you’d like to enter, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Harley in the subject line and tell me your favorite silly song. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only) I’ll pick a winner at random on March 10.

The Red Hen..And More Cooking Stories: Scholastic Storybook Treasures

Posted on February 13, 2013 at 3:59 pm

MPAA Rating:	Not rated
Profanity:	None
Alcohol/ Drugs:	None
Violence/ Scariness:	None
Diversity Issues:	None
Date Released to Theaters:	2013
Date Released to DVD:	February 13, 2013
Amazon.com ASIN:	B009O07NHK

The latest from my very favorite series for families is Scholastic Storybook Treasures’ The Red Hen and more cooking stories. I have one copy to give away! Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with Hen in the subject line and tell me what you like to cook. Don’t forget your address (US addresses only).

These adorable stories with lessons about food, friendship, and manners include:

HE RED HEN (Written and illustrated by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley, narrated by Walter Mayes) Filled with humor and sparkling illustration, this is the classic story of Red Hen and her adventures in baking (and cooperation).

BREAD COMES TO LIFE (Written and illustrated by George Levenson, narrated by Lily Tomlin) Watch each step of how to bring bread to life, from the sowing of the seeds to the shaping and baking of the bread dough.

HOW DO DINOSAURS EAT THEIR FOOD? (Written and narrated by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague) These mischievous dinosaurs show that burping, spilling and playing with one s food are not the best ways to enjoy a meal.

ARNIE THE DOUGHNUT (Written and illustrated by Gerald McDermott, narrated by Michael McKean) When Mr. Bing buys Arnie in a doughnut shop, Arnie realizes he must persuade Mr. Bing that a doughnut can be more than just a sweet snack.

In case your children are inspired to make their own food, it also includes an easy-to-Follow Recipe for Simply Splendid Cake.

A Valentines Lesson Plan for Grade Schoolers

Posted on February 6, 2013 at 8:00 am

A savvy teacher found a wonderful way to turn Valentines Day into a lesson in math — for constructing a box to receive the valentines and for processing the votes on “prettiest” and “neatest” and “most valentine-y.” And of course the most important lesson for grade school valentines is that EVERYONE gets one, right?

Celebrate Black History Month with “March On!”

Posted on February 1, 2013 at 1:00 am

My very favorite DVD series for kids is Scholastic Storybook Treasures and their new release for Black History Month is a special treat. It is called “Stories about African American Heritage Featuring March On!” The title story is written by Dr. Christine King Farris, who tells the story of her brother Martin’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. It also includes the popular “Martin’s Big Words,” stories about Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, the classic folk tale “Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears,” and “Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad.”

I have one copy to give away. Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com and tell me about an African American you admire. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only.) I’ll pick a winner at random on February 5. Good luck!

New From Scholastic: Stone Soup…and Other Stories from the Asian Tradition

Posted on January 30, 2013 at 8:00 am

My very favorite series for kids has a new release, Stone Soup…and Other Stories from the Asian Tradition from Scholastic Storybook Treasures. Scholastic takes the very best in children’s literature and makes them into DVDs that gently animate the original artwork with top voice and music talent. Here actor B.D. Wong (“Law and Order: SVU) reads the title story and “The Five Chinese Brothers” (it takes each one’s special talents to work together to rescue a sibling), “Lon Po Po: A Red Riding Hood Story from China,” and “Stonecutter” (one of my very favorite stories — about the foolishness of envying the power of others and overlooking your own). The read-along captioning is a splendid way to encourage beginning readers.

I have one copy to give away. Send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with “Stone Soup” in the subject line and tell me your favorite kind of soup. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only.) I will pick a winner at random on February 3.