PEPPA PIG: When I Grow Up Delights on DVD

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from 20^th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the delightful young piglet along with family and friends with PEPPA PIG: When I Grow Up.

In class, Peppa Pig is hearing all about the choices her classmates are making as to what they want to be when they grow up. From being a policeman to a teacher, each also likes the choice of telling people what to do. Peppa is upset because she doesn’t know what she wants to be even if little brother George wants to be dinosaur.

Peppa and her family join the local flying vet to visit sick animals and doing it in an airplane! They soon get a call from their own home as baby ducks are stuck on their roof. The vet teaches Peppa to quack at the little babies to get them home to their parents on the pond.

Ms. Gazelle teaches her students to appreciate music by using their imaginations to describe what they hear. Peppa decides that the music reminds her of jumping up and down in a puddle and her friends don’t hesitate to join her while they create their own song.

Danny the dog is having a pirate themed birthday party and Peppa is thrilled. Taking the ship up stream they are all looking for the golden treasure. Grandpa Pig helps with the game and catches Grand-dad Dog taking the treasure!

Mommy Pig is going to the local firehouse to meet with other Mommy’s and Daddy Pig is off with his friends for a bit of football. Peppa and George go with Mommy Pig and get to see the new fire engine! Peppa is surprised when they get a real life fire call and it is at their home.

Tittles the Turtle is found up a tree while Pedro and Peppa rescue him but not before he gets a bumped nose. The doctor quickly shows up to fix his nose but can’t fix Pedro’s glasses. After fixing glasses, there is trouble with the dentists’ car that Doctor Dog can fix. It seems there is someone in the town for every situation.

The class is preparing for showing talent and Peppa is having difficulty picking just one to share with her friends. Pedro shows his magic, Emily Elephant plays the flute and Rebecca Bunny shares her silly noises and all of this worries Peppa.

Peppa, George and Mommy Pig prepare to take their first helicopter ride with Ms. Rabbit and they are having a blast, well maybe not so much for Mommy Pig. Daddy pig is having a fun time at the local carnival and when its time to get home, his car gets stuck in the mud and he has to call for help.

The police come to the school and teaches the students the do’s and don’ts of bicycle riding. Even teacher Ms. Gazelle learns a few lessons about properly being safe on a bicycle.

Daddy Pig got his days all mixed up thinking it is Saturday and Mommy has to work on her computer sending Peppa off to play group. At group, they decide to open a play store and help customers with what they need or think they need. When the family comes home they discover that when work is over there is plenty of time for play.

Peppa and the class learn what an ambulance does from Dr. Brown Bear and how it helps people in their community. But what happens when the doctor needs an ambulance himself? Ms. Gazelle and the entire class step in to make sure Dr. Brown Bear gets the help he needs.

The class is making their own music with rattles, all kinds of drums, maracas, cymbals, castanets, triangles and tambourines. Ms. Gazelle must teach them the difference between a bunch of wild noise and working together to make fantastic music. The best part is playing for their parents and surprised when the parents join in.

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have please visit www.fox.com.

The DVD includes the Peppasodes of When I Grow Up, The Flying Vet, Move to Music, Danny’s Pirate Party, The Fire Engine, Doctors, Talent Day, Miss Rabbit’s Helicopter, The Police, Work and Play, The Ambulance and Shake Rattle and Bang.

Peppa Pig and her family have made their way into my family and spend every day with us. My granddaughter loves the series and even has the toys to play knowing each characters name. That is how you know that a family program has made an impact, when a child embraces each character like family.

The series teaches such valuable lessons about life, friendship, family, loyalty, learning, respect and loads of fun! That is what drew me to the series from the beginning. The fact that Peppa and her brother George have the love of an extended family is very important for kids to see – and it doesn’t matter if they learn it from a cute little pig.

PEPPA PIG: When I Grow Up give children a chance to think about that very question without it becoming too serious. Instead they learn about the choices and ask the questions that could possibly plant the seed for their dreams to one day come true.

In the end – if there is a job puddle jumping then Peppa is your pig!

ELMO’S WORLD: Elmo Explores! the Delightful World of Learning for Family’s

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to DVD from SHOUT! Kids Factory and Sesame Workshop comes the most entertaining and educational fun led by the one and only ELMO’S WORLD: Elmo Explores!

Elmo, along with friend Smartie, explores the world of painting and all the different ways to make beautiful works. Showing how much fun it can be, it is also a creative way to explore all the ways to make our world colorful. Challenging us all with colors, shapes and sizes, it is an experience for us all.

Learning is something that Elmo continues to do as he decides that he wants to learn all about cooking. Understanding that there are ingredients and what it takes to mix it all up, he becomes even more excited about the possibilities.

Wondering about the different kinds of homes there are, he and Smartie look it up to discover there are houseboats, tree houses, apartments and even ice houses in the world. Elmo creates a game that asks where certain houses belong in what part of the world. Calling on Mr. Noodle, they get to see what kind of home he would make.

Elmo learns about the word ‘habitat’ and he wants to understand more and what kind there are. He creates an amazing game that puts animals and other creatures with their right habitats.

Father’s Day is an important day for everyone and even Elmo wants to know more about how the day came about. He creates a game so that viewers can help him create a very special card for his own father. We also get to meet Mr. Noodle’s father – Papa Noodle who shows us all his moves.

Elmo learns there are all kinds of books that are printed and even on the computer. Filled with stories and people, he also learns that people can write books of their own. Creating a story, Elmo brings a selection of characters and gets creative in a story of a pirate.

This is a lesson like no other when Elmo wants to learn about skin. Smartie helps Elmo understand that skin comes in all shapes and colors! Even Elmo’s red skin gives him the idea to match crayon color to skin color on his friends. Mr. Noodle teaches us that protecting our skin is important especially when in the sun.

Camouflaging is something Elmo wonders about and Smartie shows him a little more about it. Creating a camouflaging game, we get the chance to look for animals in a picture that hides them.

Elmo learns about the possibilities of recycling! There are plastics, bottles and aluminum cans that can be transformed into other things we use every day. He also begins to understand that there are bins for different types of recycling. Mr. Noodle teaches us even more about recycling.

The change of seasons are what Elmo wonders about now. Discovering there is spring, summer, fall and winter; Elmo can’t decide which one he likes the best. He creates a game that challenges us to know the season and asks Mr. Noodle what is his favorite season.

Learning about brothers and sisters, Elmo wants to know about siblings. He learns that siblings can be younger, older and even twins or maybe no sibling at all. Elmo also learns that siblings share and care for each other which is really important in a family.

Elmo loves colors and wants to learn more about them by asking Smartie to look it up with him. They both learn that colors are beautiful like in a rainbow but also that colors can mean important things and you can mix colors to create new colors. Mr. Noodles dog Schmoodle joins in on the colorful debate.

Finally, Elmo wonders about musical instruments and the sounds they make. Smartie is pretty happy about it too and is more than thrilled to discover all the different instruments there are and what sounds they make. All around the world, they learn that every culture has their own special instruments as well. Giving Elmo an idea for a game, its time to match the instrument to the sound they make. Mr. Noodle shows how he can play several instruments at once to make a lot of music.

Learning makes Elmo do the happy, happy, dance, dance!

Hasbro Studios is an iconic brand with some of the best in animation and family programming with MY LITTLE PONY, and LITTLEST PET SHOP. Since its formation in 2009, Hasbro Studios has received seven Daytime Emmy’s!

SHOUT! Factory brings the best to fans offering up feature films, classic television series, animation and specials. For more of what they have to offer go to www.shoutfactory.com. 

Sesame Workshop is a media and educational organization behind Sesame Street pioneering educational television for children since 1969. Their mission is to help kids grow stronger, smarter and kinder meeting the needs and cultures of communities throughout the world. For more information please visit www.sesameworkshops.org.

The DVD includes the Bonus Features with two episodes of The Furchester Hotel that includes episodes The Count’s Vacation and Alien Party, and one classic Elmo’s World Episodes: Music, Pets and Drawing.

Sesame Street is in its 48^th season of educating children and has received more Emmy Awards than any other show in the history of television. The characters have become beloved as well as iconic and will continue to be so because of what they teach and how they reach so many families around the world.

Elmo happens to be one of the first characters my granddaughter gravitated towards when she was barely two. Dancing, moving, singing and learning through the kindness of the red mopped character, it became clear that Elmo was going to be the reason that she continued and still continues to watch Sesame Street daily on our public network.

Having all the episodes in one DVD is fantastic so that the wondering and learning continues for two hours of fun. Elmo and Smartie cover everything from painting, colors, musical instruments, family, change of seasons and so much more!

ELMO’S WORLD: Elmo Explores! is an opportunity for Moms, Dads and kids, as well as extended family, to learn and explore together – and nothing is more important than that.

In the end – until next time Elmo loves you!

Butterfield, Burstyn and Offerman Epically Shine in the THE HOUSE OF TOMORROW

Jeri Jacquin

Coming to theatres from writer/director Peter Livolsi based on the novel by Peter Bognanni and Shout! Studios is the ideals of the past, frozen in the present with eyes toward the THE HOUSE OF TOMORROW.

Living in a dome house in the woods is Sebastian Prendergast (Asa Butterfield), a young teenager living with his grandmother Josephine (Ellen Burstyn) studying the philosophies of R. Buckminster Fuller. Josephine has kept Sebastian sequestered from the rest of the world and it will soon become obvious to the young man.

Alan Whitcomb (Nick Offerman) arrives at the House of Tomorrow with a church group to hear all about the history of Buckminster along with son Jared (Alex Wolff) and Meredith (Maude Apatow). While speaking with the kids, Josephine ends up in the hospital and that's when Alan and Jared notice that Sebastian isn't an ordinary teenager.

Sebastian may be different but then again so is Jared. When Alan makes an attempt to help along a friendship, Jared isn't the warm and fuzzy type. Yet Sebastian takes the initiative to visit the Whitcomb home and learns that Jared is different in his own way. Meredith sees Sebastian's innocence as sweet and notices that her brother has truly taken an interest in life.

Learning about one another is awkward yet school is in session as their friendship turns to music and all the things Sebastian has been missing outside of his dome-cocoon. Josephine spends her time coming up with ideas to get more people into the dome for visits but also notices that something is changing about her grandson. Feeling him pulling away causes an emotional showdown.

When Alex and Sebastian decide to start a band and perform - they are up against a grandmother who refuses to budge from the past, an over protective father who is afraid of the present and a future that can only shine for the House of Tomorrow.

Butterfield as Sebastian has once again embraced a role that is deep, endearing and innocent. Smarter than the average teen and a vocabulary even an adult would shy away from, it is when he crosses to the outer-side that the two worlds mesh and he makes it his own. Butterfield not only has the ability to show every fiber of innocence but when he lets loose, he also has the ability to make us all cheer for him!

Wolff as Jared is a young man dealing with an over protective father and a mother with problems of her own. Finding an unusual friendship with Sebastian turns out to be just what the doctor ordered. Trying to find his own place in the world, Jared finds it in music, taking chances by breaking away bringing Sebastian with him. I truly enjoyed Wolff in this role and I admit he also made me laugh - a lot, and because just as Sebastian has a way of talking, so does Jared.

Offerman as Dad Alan is raising two teen kids who are clearly strong willed and, once in a while, cause him to cringe with things they say and do. I have to say that Offerman has the calmness of a saint with all the shenanigans happening in his home as well as finding he has another teen in his home. When Alex needs him the most, Alan kicks into over drive and starts to see his son differently. Apatow as Meredith is the girl who is irritated with Dad, insulting with brother and leery of Mom - in other words a typical teenager. She sees something in Sebastian that gives her a little more hope that life still can be surprising.

Burstyn as Josephine has lived her life attacked to that of R. Buckminster Fuller. Believing in the philosophies that the world can be a better place, she has raised her grandson to make a difference in the world. Of course when he becomes aware of the outside world, and a Pepsi, she becomes distraught thinking he will be lost to it all. I absolutely adore Burstyn, always have, and her role in THE HOUSE OF TOMORROW reminds me (as if I need it) of the astronomical level of her talent.

Writer Peter Bognanni teaches creative writing in Minnesota and won the Los Angeles Time Book Prize and the ALA Alex Award for the novel The House of Tomorrow. His second book is Things I'm Seeing Without You is a story of love, loss and loving again.

THE HOUSE OF TOMORROW is a beautiful film that wraps the past, present and future all around the heart. As someone who is well aware of R. Buckminster Fuller, I truly loved that his presence is mixed in the story and was surprised to learn the piece of footage with Burstyn and Fuller is actually real. Just that moment in the film brings the viewer into it all on an even deeper level.

Keeping the cast to a minimum is also something that I truly enjoyed about the story. Focusing on the relationship between Josephine, Sebastian and the Whitcomb's lets our hearts open to endearment, coming of age, change and even a bit of laughter. This story is about five very different people discovering that grandmothers can be sticklers, fathers know more than they say and that kids reach a point where breaking away sometimes means breaking the rules.

In the end - make your own future!