GRAND Magazine - November/December 2008 - (Page 23) s p ec i a l pa rT n e r s h i p s ec T i o n Kids First! What will we watch today? The best of DVDs and television shows for the grandchildren Jacob two-two. based on mordecai richler’s delightfully irreverent books, Jacob Two-Two is an animated adventure series featuring globetrotting, freewheeling international spies, mysterious neighbors, revolting cafeteria food, treacherous teachers and one very spirited boy. The youngest of five children, Jacob is nicknamed Two-Two because he sometimes has to say things twice just to be heard! small for his age, Jacob nonetheless has a big heart and a heaping helping of determination. The series is funny and well written and teaches valuable pro-social lessons such as believing in yourself, honesty and dealing with bullies. TV series. 30 min. ages 5-8. qubo. Preschool elmo’s christmas countdown. “it’s a christmas miracle” when elmo and abby cadabby attempt to save the holiday from disaster after oscar the Grouch throws the magical counting blocks (key to the official countdown to christmas) into the air and—poof—they disappear! story features guest appearances by sheryl crow, Jamie Foxx, charles Gibson, anne hathaway, Jennifer hudson, Kevin James, alicia Keys, Brad paisley, Ty pennington, steve schirripa, Tony sirico, and Ben stiller as stiller the elf. DVD. $14.93. ages 2-5. Genius products. wow! wow! wubbzy! a tale of tails. wubbzy is a fun, lovable, curious little guy who likes to play, play, play with his friends in the fun and wacky town of Wuzzleburg. Whether he’s riding his tooterscooter, baking a chocolate doodle-berry cake or playing a game of kickety kick-ball, Wubbzy just wants to have fun. Wubbzy and his best friends, Widget and Walden, work to solve everyday kid problems through humor, cooperation and teamwork. DVD. 92 min. $16.98. ages 2-5. anchor Bay entertainment. Grade school dear america: the royal diaries. based on the best-selling book series of the same name, the film follows the adventures of three princesses in different eras of history—egypt’s cleopatra Vii, isabella of spain, and england’s elizabeth i—as they struggle to balance their many responsibilities as part of royal families with the more difficult challenge of remaining true to themselves, an issue that is relatable to today’s teen girls. DVD. 80 min. $14.95. ages 8-12. Genius products. tV shows dora the exPlorer. new for season five: in every episode Dora will meet a friend from a different cultural background (French, Mayan, Guatemalan, German, etc.) who will teach Dora a special skill. Dora will also use math to solve problems and teach viewers two or more word phrases in spanish. ages 2-5. nickelodeon. team umizoomi. they’re mini, they’re mighty and they’re built for math! in the heart of Umi city, a team of miniature, animated, math-powered action heroes await their next mighty mission. each episode features hip, original, curriculum-driven songs that will get kids singing along. The show is designed to develop and enhance kids’ interest in math as they learn and practice mathematical skills. ages 2-5. nickelodeon. toot & Puddle. this new, original, half-hour animated series follows the adventures of very different best friends who find adventure wherever they go: Toot, the world traveler; and puddle, the backyard explorer. each story line encourages young children to recognize and value other people’s feelings and perspectives as well as their own and demonstrates attributes of friendship. ages 2-5. noggin. Jane and the draGon. based on a series of children’s books written and illustrated by Martin Baynton, Jane is the tale of an adolescent girl who wins the chance to become an apprentice knight. Jane and her friend dragon get into scrapes within the castle walls but always end up fine, learning lessons of integrity, loyalty, friendship and courage along the way. Jane’s relationship with the dragon models good behavior. summaries underline how to deal with difficult situations in positive ways. 30 min. ages 5-12. qubo. the secret saturdays. a new comedyaction series created by Jay stephens. World-saving adventure scientists Doc, Drew and Zak saturday live in a hidden base as part of a network of scientists who protect against underlying evil in a world where folktales are real-life mysteries. Traveling from the Gobi Desert to the MarianaTrench, the saturdays explore ancient temples and bottomless caves and tangle with twisted villains (including the masked madman V.V. argost and his half-human/half-giant spider). and yet, at the end of the day, the saturdays and their exotic pets, Fiskerton, Komodo and Zon, are just a warm, loving family getting through everyday life. ages 12-18. cartoon network. KiDs FirsT! is a project of the coalition for Quality children’s Media, a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to empower children to make wise media choices and to promote quality media products that enrich their lives. www.kidsfirst.org. http://www.kidsfirst.org
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