GIVEAWAY: New Curious George Feature Film, A Very Monkey Christmas

The winners are Tracy and Laura - thanks everyone!

Ladies and gentlemen, set that DVR:  A new feature length film from PBS Kids is premiering on PBS Kids this Wednesday, November 25 (the day before Thanksgiving.) ) Check here for your local listings channel numbers and air times.  

(If you tape it, you'll have something for the kids to watch on Thursday when your buttered arms are lost in a naked, dead turkey's most private of body cavities.)

The movie is A Very Monkey Christmas starring good old Curious George and The Man With the Yellow Hat.

My kids and I were happily asked to preview the film with a screener copy that made us feel like members of the Academy.  My children loved this sweet, calm tale about how neither guy can figure out what to give the other for Christmas.  The Man is having trouble reading George’s wish list and George doesn’t have a clue about what to get for The Man who has everything. In the meantime though, they have fun trimming the tree.  There are elements of The Gift of the Magi and A Christmas Carol for the parental units, and lots of George's sweet and silly antics to entertain even very young kids in PBS Kids' educational media style. 

The PBS peeps also kindly tucked in a pack of microwave popcorn, some fun holiday recipes, a couple coloring pages and other fun stuff.  You can get many of these freebies in the Curious George area of PBS Kids, and if you leave a comment below you'll also be entered to win one of two fun prizes:

• a brand new DVD (fancy consumer edition that will make a super holiday gift, not our screener copy) of A Very Monkey Christmas 
  
• a brand new CD featuring all the holiday music and original tunes from A Very Monkey Christmas (sadly, there's no Jack Johnson this time but all the songs are still pretty cute) 

AND I also have 3 coupons for $2 off your purchase of the DVD, so email me if you are going to be buying this flick and I'll send you a coupon to use.

I'll draw the winner of the DVD and CD in one week, but the in meantime, don't forget to watch s A Very Monkey Christmas  on Wednesday, November 25 (the day before Thanksgiving.) Check here for your local listings channel numbers and air times.

Giveaway - Barney: Jungle Friends, The Movie (DVD & CD Set)

Congrats to winner Kristin D!

Barney, The Movie. These words may strike fear into parents' hearts and joy into toddlers'. Before becoming parents, my husband and I were totally prepared to be anti-Barney. I had lived through my much-younger brother's Barney obsession and blatantly laughed at the earnest, robotic kids on the show.

But then we had our own kids. And Barney was on Sprout. And you know, he's a pretty nice dude. The lessons are all about manners and being kind to one another...and there ain't nothing wrong with that.

So, I give the Barney & Friends™ brand new DVD & CD set Barney™: Jungle Friends two thumbs up. The movie and songs are all about the rainforest with lots of animal fun, not just the usual supsects of Barney, Baby Bop and the yellow one whose name escapes me. The rainforest the dancing dinos and singing smiling kids visit is enchanted, which means the monkeys and other new friends sing and dance too.

There's also special features on the DVD for your older child, like the interactive Safari Match Game, crafts and gardening how-tos. The accompanying CD has all the songs sung on the DVD.

If you have a Barney lover in your family and you've already memorized the entire Barney lexicon, this is the first time new programming has come out with that super-dee-duper purple dinosaur in seven years. That means an entire brand new hour of Barney, never seen before, can be yours. Incredible.

Cost: $9.99 on Amazon & eligible for free shipping

Leave a comment here to be entered in the random drawing for your own copy of this DVD/CD Barney set!

GIVEAWAY: PlainTales Children's Stories on CD

UPDATE: The winners are Mirielle and Tech Savvy Mama!

My kids always want to listen to tunes or stories in the car. Unfortunately, their CD choices do not include Death Cab for Cutie or the latest Anita Shreve book on tape. We've been through the Raffi, Laurie, Milkshake archives and have listened to dozens of Disney stories. I can sing and recite their favorites in my sleep. Check this out: "You can read along with me in your book. You will know it's time to turn the page when Tinker Bell rings her little bells like this ding. Let's begin now."

Thank goodness we have some new stories in the rotation now: PlainTales. This series offers classic kids stories on CD. And thanks to the PlainTales folks, I have two different CDs for two different age ranges to give away!

The first CD is PlainTales First Tales, which includes the timeless stories of The Gingerbread Boy, The Billy Goats Gruff, The Frog Prince, Little Red Hen and The Bremen Town Musicians. All are told with simple, engaging language perfect for kids 0-6 years.

Next is PlainTales Explorers Animal Tales. This CD tells the longer, more mature and nature-focused stories of three brave animals. Kids 4 and up, especially Animal Planet devotees, will love learning of how Hazard the coyote must find food for his pack, how a young raccoon named Lotor needs to find a new home and how Osa the brown bear builds the perfect winter den. These stories about fictional animal friends are rich with detail about real animal behaviors, so children learn as they enjoy the fun.

I have one of each CD for giveaway, so leave a comment with the one you'd prefer! I'll randomly draw the winner in one week.

Check out the other cool PlainTales offerings on the website!