March 2009 Notable Toys — Videos & DVDs

This program introduces students to professionals who have chosen to work in the visual arts and related fields. The thirteen careers described and visually illustrated include Architect, Art Educator, Fashion Designer, Framer, Gallery Owner, Graphic Designer, Industrial Designer, Interior Designer, Metal Sculptor, Painter, Photographer, Publication Designer and Urban Planner. "Each career is introduced in a concise manner," President Amy Woodworth of Crystal Productions told TDmonthly. Launch date: January 16, 2009.

This DVD program features a full exercise routine coupled with mathematical concepts from lines to numbers. The exercise program is for kids of all ages, with math concepts ranging from 2nd to 5th grade. It was named 2009 DVD of the Year by Creative Child Magazine and one of Dr. Toy's 2009 Best Vacation Children's Products.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

The Breadheads, Personalized Learning Cartoon is a personalized learning cartoon where a child's name will be heard 50 times throughout the educational DVD cartoon. Designed to have children sitting and dancing in front of the TV, learning and hearing their own name

The AdoraPet Puppies DVD shows 5 puppies, Watson, Bela, Dart, Oliver and Raleigh, playing and romping, set to beautiful music. Suitable for all ages, the DVD is 40 minutes long and will delight children and parents. Minimum retail price of $12.99.

Baby Signing Time sets your baby's day to music with signs and songs for everyday events - playtime, getting dressed, going places, getting ready for bed, manners and more. Baby Signing Time is a great first step into signing or add Baby Signing Time to your existing Signing Time collection for new songs and reinforcement of those beginning signs. Created specifically for babies as young as 3 months old up to 3 years. Features Emmy-nominated host Rachel Coleman, along with animated Baby Alex, Baby Leah, and Baby Hopkins.

Everyone loves rapping along and learning multiplication with D.J. Doc—the Hip Hop Hamster. Positive lyrics, super-cool rap music, and high-energy action make these multiplication rap songs irresistible. Multiplication facts through 12 are easy to learn and remember with these fun rap songs — a different one for each set of rap facts. The DVD run approximately 50 minutes and now includes Skip Counting songs. Choose from DVD video or audio CD & book programs. Launch date: November 2008.

Peggy Flores explains and demonstrates relief printing by using flat cardboard, small pieces of corrugated cardboard, styrofoam and string, which are glued onto cardboard, painted, and inked. She also carves images on vinyl blocks to create images which she then prints. The film also demonstrates a variety of simple tools such as brayers, carving tools and bench hooks. Many student examples are shown. Running time is 26 minutes. "An art teacher actually demonstrates how these particular prints can be made simply with basic techniques and shows actual student work," President Amy Woodworth of Crystal Productions told TDmonthly. Launch date: November 17, 2008.

The theme of this DVD is about dinosaurs. Your children will be delighted with the dinosaur story and will want to see it over and over and again. Also, you will finds songs that will have your children moving, learning and burning calories. Counting to 100 is also a favorite of many teachers as well as children. This DVD will keep children occupied and delighted as Shawn Brown, the Pied Piper of Early Childhood, strikes it big with this first DVD project.

Blending watermelon with imagination, learning, and fun, each Wumbler DVD and CD centers itself upon lessons critical to nourish the "whole and balanced" child. The Wumbler Patch's goal is to help parents raise children that understand the many responsibilities they have to "human kind and the world" in a way that leaves a positive impression on them and remains a lifelong goal.

"The Riddle in a Bottle," filmed by award-winning wildlife filmmakers Laura Sams and Robert Sams, shows how life on earth is connected through moving water. The Riddle Solvers try to solve a puzzling riddle that mysteriously floats to their inland riddle stand from the far away ocean. Kids can join them as they meet sea turtles, a singing pirate and more. Launch date: October 1, 2008.

From the leader in language instructional videos for children, Language Tree introduces Italian to kids in a way that engages them from start to finish. Blending 3D animation, sing-along songs and interactive games, this DVD clearly demonstrates conversational Italian used in everyday situations. Topics include meeting and greeting, counting, colors, eating and playing. "To enable children to learn faster, we employ a unique methodology,the Multi-Cognition Approach, developed by a Stanford University PhD in Cognitive Sciences. Our DVDs also makes learning fun by incorporating 3D animation, original sing-along songs and interactive, remote-control games," Ana Leung, president of Language Tree, told TDmonthly. Launch date: October 6, 2007.

This documentary follows the story of Jane MacLaren Walsh, a curator at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., and her journey to discover the origins of a 31-lb. quartz crystal skull that was sent to the museum in the early '90s. In her quest, she visits ancient Mesoamerica and studies archives in the Americas and Europe, eventually discovering, along with her colleagues, the truth about crystal skulls. Launch date: October 14, 2008.

These animated stories from the "Book of Virtues" originally ran on PBS. Stories include "A Christmas Carol for Annie," in which Annie's desire to make a profit for her drama club blinds her to the true meaning of Christmas. "The Gift of the Magi" teaches kids the difference between true generosity and giving for the sake of taking credit for being "good." As a bonus, the DVD can be watched in Spanish, too. Approximately 75 minutes. Launch date: September 3, 2008.

This DVD follows 11-year-olds Zoe and Alex on a thrilling, beantifully animated CGI adventure, as they are swept from their local library into Animalia — a unique world of speaking animals. The four great adventures were first seen on PBS Kids Go and are based on teh bestselling picture book by Graeme Base. Launch date: 2008.

Smithsonian Networks, a partnership between Showtime Networks Inc. and The Smithsonian Institution, reveals never-before-seen footage of Japanese kamikaze training. Conceived by the Japanese in a frantic effort to avoid defeat during the final months of World War II, suicide attackes resulted in more than 150 allied ships damaged and more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed. Although ultimately unsuccessful, the strategy was an effective demoralizing campiagn that left American troops uneasy. "Day of the Kamikaze" documents the origins of kamikaze battle and shares eyewitness acocounts of the biggest and bloodiest suiceide attack over two days in 1945, when the Japanese launched "Operation Heaven" against the allied fleet in the Pacific. Another CD, "Eyewitness Kamikaze," shares personal stories of young WWII crewmen under kamikaze attack. Each program is available separately and runs for approximately 2 hours. Launch date: November 11, 2008.

This two-disc collection features 10 episodes of "The Magic Garden" television show that was a hit with parents and children in the 1970s. It stars Carole and Paula along with friends Sherlock and Flapper, and comes with a bonus CD of songs and a story.

This 7-disc set contains the entire final season of the classic TV series "Daniel Boone" starring Fess Parker as the legendary frontiersman, who lived from 1734 to 1820. The hour-long show ran from 1964 to 1970, Thursday nights on NBC. The plots and themes of the socially conscious show were often inspired by real-life historical figures and events. The final season (1969-70) features appearances by Jodie Foster in one of her earliest acting jobs, sausage king Jimmie Dean, and James Doohan, who played Scottie on "Star Trek" as well as numerous others over the 22-episode program. Launch date: 2008.

This fitness DVD gives offers parents a way to work out with their children from birth to 6 years old, while having fun at the same time. It features real moms and kids alongside cartoon scenery background to catch children's attention. There are three workout options: cardio; toning and abs; and cardio, toning and abs. Launch date: 2008.

In this two-episode DVD, characters Walker and Ping Ping take boys and girls on a tour of the Great Wall of China, and journey to the desert and the sea, eventually ending up in a Chinese street market. The story imparts bits of history and culture as they meet a Silk Road merchant and dumpling maker, and learn about calligraphy and the theater of the lantern shadows.