Archives for March 2016

The colorful, engaging new website extends all the fun and adventure from the popular animated TV series, airing on Disney Junior’s Disney Channel block, with an array of interactive sections, including:

• “Meet” – THE online destination for young fans to discover all they want to know about our three PJ Masks heroes and their vehicles! Baddies coming soon!
• “Make” – A collection of PJ Masks coloring pages and activity sheets that help bring out the inner “superhero” of little ones – inspired by their favorite PJ Masks heroes!
• “Watch” – A selection of action-packed PJ Masks videos and clips from the show!

Special PJ Masks online games and a dedicated parents section are also set to launch this spring!

Produced by eOne and Frog Box, in collaboration with the award-winning French animation studio TeamTO, along with Disney Junior and France 5, PJ Masks is based on French author Romuald Racioppo’s popular picture book series “Les Pyjamasques.” By day, 6-year-olds Connor, Amaya and Greg go to school like kids everywhere. But when they put on their pajamas and activate their animal amulets, the crime-fighters magically transform into their dynamic superhero alter egos and become the PJ Masks: Catboy, super-fast and agile; Gekko, super strong and able to scale walls; and Owlette, with the power to fly and see great distances. In each episode, the three heroes embark on exciting adventures and work together to solve mysteries and learn valuable lessons along the way.

We encourage you and your little superheroes to check out the brand-new site together and help spread the word to fans all across the country about all the fun that’s in store for them, too! You can also get the latest PJ Masks news on Facebook and Twitter.

In any of your posts, please use the hashtag: #PJMasks!  And don’t forget to tune-in to PJ Masks on Disney Channel’s Disney Junior block!

It’s time to be a hero!

Credit: Disney Junior.

Join Little Nutbrown Hare and his father, Big Nutbrown Hare, as they romp through more charming adventures! Fun-loving Little Field Mouse, mischievous Little Grey Squirrel and tricky Little Redwood Fox are back, as well as Little White Owl with her tales of mystery. Together the friends explore the meadows, forests and streams and on to Cloudy Mountain…playing, laughing and discovering the wonder that the world holds.

Guess How Much I Love You: The Song of Spring
By Abigail Zoe Lewis, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, 8 years old

The animated DVD, Guess How Much I Love You: The Song of Spring is really wonderful. It is super cute and has lots of life lessons to learn. I especially like the main character, Little Nutbrown Hare because he is always so curious. If there is a problem he tries to figure it out.
There are 7 different stories on this DVD based on the classic books by Sam McBratney. In each of the stories there is a mystery to solve and important lessons to learn. Every episode is about growing up and learning life lessons by friends helping each other.
One of the episodes I especially like is the Busy as a Bee story. In this fun episode Little Nutbrown Hare makes a promise to help his father but really wants to play with his friend, Little Field Mouse. Little Nutbrown Hare learns a valuable life lesson; in this case, even when you may want to do something else like play with your friends, if you have already made a promise it is important to keep that promise. Another episode I really like is Little Green Worm. Here we learn some science facts such as discovering how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. We also learn some cool science vocabulary like chrysalis, which means cocoon.
The message of this film is to feel free to explore, don’t be scared and how having a friend at your side helps you get through anything. I love that this message is told through heartwarming stories about friendship, family science and more.
I think the character voices are amazing and fit the characters just perfectly. The animation is simple, but very believable. The animated characters are adorable and all the stories take place in an animated forest and meadow that are beautifully colorful.
I think viewers will love this DVD released by N Circle Entertainment because, overall there is a lot of heart, great messages and lots of educational lessons. It is a fun and an entertaining DVD. N Circle offers a nicely package product and they even include a fun craft activity. The animation and stories are simple enough for little ones to understand and, at the same time, offer good learning lessons for older kids. I give this DVD 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 8. Check it out!
Guess How Much I Love You: The Song of Spring
Morgan Bertsch, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11

This collection of TV episodes is adorable. The hand drawn features are exquisitely detailed. It looks like just what I pictured it would in my head when I read the stories on my Leapster when I was younger. It has a quaint fairy tale feel to it with huggable characters. It is a fun collection to watch. The DVD comes with seven episodes that flow flawlessly together and it is easy to sit and watch the whole collection although your face might hurt from smiling and giggling too long. It was refreshing to sit back, chill and watch a DVD that was easy to watch and made me smile.
The Little Green Worn is my favorite episode because I laughed out loud while watching the animals investigating their newfound insect.
My favorite character is Little Nutbrown Hare. I like seeing how he interacts with all the different animals. His relationship with his father is adorable. He spends his days playing in the meadow and discovering mysteries and, with the assistance of his father and the other animals, they learn many new things and solve mysteries. They think up different ways to express their love for each other – “as much as all the insects in the meadow,” “bigger then the moon,” and things like that. I find this to be a cute game that all parents should play with their children. This game applies to any relationship. It is a fun way to express our feelings towards others and is very fun and loveable.
One of my favorite things about this series are the voiceover talent. They are perfect. They matched the characters wonderfully. For example, the tiny characters have small, squeaky and adorable voices.
All the animals are cute, huggable and each one has a different personality that makes you love them and smile each time you meet another one. It makes you want to jump through the TV and play in the meadow. This is a perfect way to get into the spirit of the spring season after a long winter.
Easter is on its way and these hare-based stories are perfect for the holiday. They offer a good refresher course on basic science and have many learning lessons. The best lesson is that things change.
I recommend these stories for kids age 3 to 9. Older kids might like it as well because, although they already know the lessons this DVD teaches, many kids might enjoy remembering what life was like when they were younger and seeing how much they have learned.
I give this movie 5 out of 5 sparkling carrots.

Credit: KIDS FIRST!

VAMPIRINA – (Disney Junior)

Disney Junior has ordered two new animated series, “Vampirina,” executive-produced by “Doc McStuffins” creator Chris Nee, and “Puppy Dog Tails,” created by comedian Harland Williams. Both series have begun production and are slated to premiere in 2017.  Disney Junior, which includes a daily programming block on Disney Channel and a 24-hour channel, #1 among all preschooler networks in Total Day, Kids 2-5, Girls 2-5 and Women 18-49 for three consecutive years, has also ordered second seasons of its hit animated series “The Lion Guard” and “Goldie & Bear.” The announcement was made today by Nancy Kanter, executive vice president, Original Programming and general manager, Disney Junior Worldwide.

Kanter said, “Five years ago, we launched Disney Junior with the goal of providing inspired storytelling and aspirational characters that would resonate with our young audience and their parents and caregivers, while also introducing age appropriate social-emotional concepts and other key learnings relevant to kids age 2-7. Our programming has upheld these values and we are pleased to introduce two new series that are sure to do the same.”

“Vampirina,” inspired by Disney Publishing’s popular children’s book series “Vampirina Ballerina,” tells the story of a young vampire girl who faces the joys and trials of being the new kid in town when her family moves from Transylvania to Pennsylvania. Many of the key creative professionals behind Disney Junior’s Peabody Award-winning series “Doc McStuffins” are at the helm, including executive producer Chris Nee and co-executive producer Norton Virgien. Nicky Phelan (“Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty”) is directing the series, and the Academy Award-nominated animation studio Brown Bag Films is producing in association with Disney Junior.

“Puppy Dog Tails,” created by comedian and actor Harland Williams, centers on two fun-loving pug puppies, Bingo and Rolly, whose thrill-seeking appetites take them on daily adventures around their neighborhood and beyond. Williams also serves as consulting producer with Sean Coyle (“The Awesomes,” “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”) as executive producer and Dean Batali (“That ’70s Show”) as story editor. The series is a production of Wild Canary in association with Disney Junior.

PUPPY DOG TAILS – Disney Junior has ordered two new animated series, “Vampirina,” executive-produced by “Doc McStuffins” creator Chris Nee, and “Puppy Dog Tails,” created by comedian Harland Williams. Both series have begun production and are slated to premiere in 2017. (Disney Junior)

Disney Junior’s newest hit series “The Lion Guard,” continues the epic storytelling of “The Lion King” and follows the adventures of Kion, the second-born cub of Simba and Nala, and his diverse group of friends as they unite to protect the Pride Lands. The story of Kion and his friends was introduced in the animated television movie “The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar,” which premiered on Disney Channel in November 2015 and became the #1 primetime cable TV telecast of 2015 among Kids 2-5.
“The Lion Guard” series premiered in January 2016 and, for the second consecutive month, ranked as the #1 series across preschooler networks in Total Viewers and key target preschoolers 2-5. In February 2016, the series placed among the month’s Top 10 series with Kids 2-5 across all cable TV networks for its airings on both Disney Junior and Disney Channel. Ford Riley (“Special Agent Oso”) is executive producer and Howy Parkins (“Jake and the Never Land Pirates”) is co-executive producer and supervising director. The Education and Science experts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park serve as consultants and author and Swahili expert Sarah Mirza is the language and cultural advisor. “The Lion Guard” is a production of Disney Television Animation.

“Goldie & Bear,” 2015’s #1 series across preschool networks, chronicles the adventures of best friends Goldie and Bear following the story of “Goldilocks and The Three Bears.” The series was developed for television and is co-executive produced by Jorge Aguirre (“Giants Beware!” graphic novel series); Chris Gilligan (“Frankenweenie”) is executive producer and director. “Goldie & Bear” is a production of Titmouse in association with Disney Junior.

About Disney Junior

Disney Junior reflects the emotional connection generations of consumers have to Disney storytelling and Disney characters, both classic and contemporary. It invites mom and dad to join their child in the Disney experience of magical, musical and heartfelt stories and characters, while incorporating specific learning and development themes designed for kids age 2-7. Disney Junior’s series blend Disney’s unparalleled storytelling and characters kids love deeply with learning, including early math, language skills, healthy eating and lifestyles, and social skills. In the U.S., Disney Junior is a daily programming block on Disney Channel and a 24-hour channel reaching over 74 million U.S. homes. In total, there are 35 Disney Junior channels in 27 languages around the world.

Credit Disney Junior.