VeggieTales in the House — A New Series on Netflix

Posted on April 14, 2015 at 7:00 am

Bob, Larry and the Veggie crew are back in five all-new, 22-minute episodes of the Netflix original series VeggieTales In the House! The brand-new episodes will be available for Netflix members to watch instantly this Friday, April 17.

We are delighted to be able to present an exclusive clip:

The newest episodes of the Emmy® Award-nominated series include “The Birthday Thief,” in which LarryBoy (that’s Larry the Cucumber’s super-hero alter ego) has to defeat the nefarious Motato; “Cool as a Cucumber,” which finds Larry donning a pair of sunglasses to fit in; and “Junior Gets a Pet” – the world’s first-ever television appearance by a Buffalorange!

Every episode also includes brand-new songs and, of course, the famous closing phrase that has been at the heart of VeggieTales from the beginning: “God made you special, and He loves you very much.”

Google’s YouTube Kids is Saturated with Stealth Ads

Posted on April 11, 2015 at 3:37 pm

In February of this year, Google launched the YouTube Kids app, specially designed for “little thumbs” to get kids hooked on devices and videos as soon as they can hold an iPhone. They assured parents that the app was completely safe to use and that all content was family-friendly.

I support the policy of the pediatricians’ association of no screen time of any kind under age two and strictly limiting it thereafter, but I recognize that there are times when it can be handy to have a way to distract and entertain a child. And I can appreciate how important it is for parents to have some way to allow kids to get what’s best on the internet without the risk that a search for say, “dolls” or “spanking” will bring up something disturbing or inappropriate.

Unfortunately, Google and YouTube Kids have saturated the app with commercials, including channels devoted to brands like McDonalds, Barbie, Fisher Price, and LEGO. A detailed complaint filed by a coalition of public interest groups representing children and consumers calls on the Federal Trade Commission to give parents the same kinds of protections that they have imposed on television programming directed at children, requiring a bright line demarcation between advertising and programming, for example.

YouTube Kids is a long way from that now. Much of the advertising is “native” and completely integrated with the other content. While some ads on the app have disclaimers noting, for example “compensation provided by McDonald’s,” this is a problem in an app for kids, who are (1) too young to understand what “compensation provided” means, (2) too young to comprehend the difference between sponsored and un-sponsored content, and (3) TOO YOUNG TO READ.

I was quoted in this SFGate article about advertising on YouTube Kids. “Google has said they are curating material they guarantee is OK for children, so they have to do better than this.”

Google says that they need advertising in order to keep the app free for all families. I appreciate that. But, as they say, on the internet, if you’re not the paying customer, you’re the product. We should not be selling our children to advertisers, and Google should not be acting as broker. Visit the FTC’s website to file a complaint.

Contest: Win a PBS Kids Prize Pack! Peg and Cat, Caillou, and WordWorld!

Posted on March 2, 2015 at 11:04 pm

PBS Kids has three magnificent new DVDs, and I have two prize packs to give away!

Peg + Cat: Peg Rocks features seven stories from PBS KIDS’ popular PEG + CAT series. Solving problems is even more AWESOME when music is involved! This new toe-tapping DVD features fun-filled musical escapades, including “The Girl Group Problem,” in which Peg’s girl group, the Pentagirls, has its biggest show ever, and “The Mega Mall Problem,” which features Peg and Cat searching the mall for the teens, so they can all enter the Zebra Guy dance contest! Each PEG + CAT adventure features a story in which Peg and Cat encounter an unexpected challenge that requires them to use math and problem-solving skills in order to save the day. While it teaches specific math lessons, the series also emphasizes resilience and perseverance.

Caillou’s Can Do Collection is a 3-DVD collection featuring 30 classic stories which will have any preschooler taking on life’s small challenges and feeling they Can Do with Caillou. The three fun-filled DVDs featured within this set are “Big Kid Caillou,” “Caillou, The Everyday Hero,” and “Caillou’s World of Wonder.” Lovable four-year-old Caillou has a boundless imagination that makes every experience an opportunity for fun and play. By sharing in his incredible adventures, children can “make believe” along with Caillou and find new ways to understand and enjoy the world around them. CAILLOU is designed for preschoolers and focuses on role-playing and “make-believe.”

Wordworld: Birthday Party This fun-filled DVD includes five birthday-themed adventures, the first of which, “Happy Birthday, Dog,” features a surprise party for WordWorld’s friendly canine. Can Frog get the C-A-K-E safely to Dog’s party without ruining the surprise? Also included on this DVD is “Bugs to the Rescue!” In this story Ant builds Bear a hot-air balloon for her birthday. When Dog accidentally floats away in the B-A-L-L-O-O-N, Ant gets help from other insect WordFriends to save the day. Join the lovable WordFriends for these and three other educational birthday adventures as they playfully demonstrate the connections between letters, sounds, words, and meaning in order to empower children to advance from learning letters to learning how to read. “WordWorld,” which won the 2009 Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding children’s animated program, is designed to introduce, support, and foster literacy skills in children ages three to five. Young children explore the colorful, vibrant world of words with the lovable, legible WordFriends – animals whose bodies are made up of the letters that spell the word they represent. In each story, the WordFriends go on adventures and face challenges that can only be resolved with the right word. That word is built letter by letter, sound by sound. Once the word is built it “morphs” to become the spelled item – C-A-K-E, becomes a cake!

To enter the contest, send me an email at moviemom@moviemom.com with PBS in the subject line and tell me your favorite PBS show. Don’t forget your address! (US addresses only). I’ll pick a winner at random on March 10, 2015. Good luck!

Recess Monkeys for Fire Safety Month

Posted on October 2, 2014 at 3:16 pm

The Recess Monkeys and Sparky the Fire Dog are here to help families learn about fire safety.

Kellie Pickler Joins the Veggie Tales in Beauty and the Beet

Posted on September 15, 2014 at 3:30 pm

Country star Kellie Pickler joins the cast in “Beauty and the Beet,” from the Veggie Tales folks, coming out October 14, 2014. (With a name like that, it was just a question of time!) BEAUTY AND THE BEET, a brand-new VeggieTales musical that premieres Oct. 14 exclusively on DVD and digital download.

She plays Mirabelle, a sweet-potato singer whose family band is on the brink of superstardom. The companion CD features 10 brand-new songs, including an all-veggie rendition of the classic Christmas carol “Deck the Halls.”

Mirabelle’s family car breaks down en route to their biggest concert ever and they end up staying with Finnegan J. Beet, the bitter and lonely owner of a rundown mountaintop resort. Matching the Beet’s heartless actions with her own genuinely sweet nature, Mirabelle proves that just as God loves us all whether we deserve it or not, unconditional love is its own reward.