Archives for 2023

Eddie Murphy stars in this holiday comedy adventure about a man on a mission to win his neighborhood’s annual Christmas home decoration contest. After Chris (Eddie Murphy) inadvertently makes a deal with a mischievous elf named Pepper (Jillian Bell) to better his chances of winning, she casts a magic spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life and wreaks havoc on the whole town. At the risk of ruining the holidays for his family, Chris, his wife Carol (Tracee Ellis Ross), and their three children must race against the clock to break Pepper’s spell, battle deviously magical characters and save Christmas for everyone.

KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Keila V. comments, “Candy Cane Lane is the perfect Christmas movie to watch with your family and friends in 2023. Candy Cane Lane is filled with adventures, magic and laughter. It definitely brings the Christmas spirits to life!” Tia O. adds, “The humor in Candy Cane Lane is one of its biggest highlights. Eddie Murphy’s comedic timing and quick-witted performance make for some laugh-out-loud moments. He also brings charm, joy, and relatability to his character through his distinctive comedic style, making him one of my personal favorite characters.” See their full review and Connor’s interview below.

Candy Cane Lane

By Keila V., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 11

Candy Cane Lane is the perfect Christmas movie to watch with your family and friends in 2023. Candy Cane Lane is filled with adventures, magic and laughter. It definitely brings the Christmas spirits to life!

The story follows a family from El Segundo, California who live on a street called Candy Cane Lane, where every year there is a contest for the best house lit up for Christmas. During this year’s contest the competition between all the neighbors is way more intense than in previous years. To win this competition families must have the best and brightest lighting, the biggest Santas, the most colorful elves, the loudest music and the most incredible angels on their front yard. The dad, Chris Carver (Eddie Murphy) finds out about this huge contest on TV and goes crazy. He tries everything to win first place, even making a deal with a lunatic elf, Pepper (Jillian Bell), without even realizing that what he is doing would create a big problem for his family and the whole town.

The film is hilarious, has a twist on classic songs, and a family we can all relate to. Mom, Carol Carver (Tracee Ellis Ross), is a super hard-working woman who is trying to get a promotion at work during the busiest time of the year. The oldest daughter, Joy Carver (Genneya Walton), has a dream to go to college and be part of the track team. The middle son, Nick Carver (Thaddeus J. Mixxon), is not a big math student, but has a passion for music and the youngest daughter, Holly Carver (Madison Thomas), loves Christmas as much as her dad. One of my favorite scenes is when Chris and Holly Carver are looking for Christmas decorations and find a store in the middle of nowhere. The special effects in that store are super fun and magical. Another great scene is when the contest starts at Candy Cane Lane and Santa shows up in his sleigh, points his finger at every house on the street, and viewers erupt with excitement as each house brings a Christmas theme to life. You must watch and see the seasonal magic happening at Carver’s house. I know you will just love it as much as I did. 

The film’s message is that family comes first and they will always be there for you. It doesn’t matter what challenges you are facing, when you have your family by your side, you will always figure out a way to find solutions. 

I give Candy Cane Lane 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. It is available on Prime Video beginning December 1, 2023

Candy Cane Lane  

By Tia O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 14 

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie Candy Cane Lane, directed by Reginald Hudlin. The witty humor and stunning set design make this one of my new favorite holiday movies.

This adventurous comedy follows Christmas lover Chris Carver (Eddie Murphy) and his family as they compete in the annual neighborhood house decorating Christmas contest. However this year the stakes are higher; the winner of the contest will receive a $100,000 cash prize. After unintentionally making a deal with mischievous elf Pepper (Jillian Bell), she casts a spell that brings the 12 Days of Christmas to life. To prevent disaster before Christmas, Chris and his family must break Pepper’s spell before it’s too late. 

The humor in Candy Cane Lane is one of its biggest highlights. Eddie Murphy’s comedic timing and quick-witted performance make for some laugh-out-loud moments. He also brings charm, joy, and relatability to his character through his distinctive comedic style, making him one of my personal favorite characters. Chris Carver is the type of dad every kid would love to spend time with during the holidays. The set design in this film is jaw-droppingly beautiful. Set designer Adam Mull absolutely captures the wonder of the Christmas Spirit in every set design. My favorite scene is when Chris and his daughter Holly (Madison Thomas) first meet Pepper at her Christmas Shop. As soon as they both walk through the door the scene explodes with Christmas magic; each Christmas tree is decorated with beautiful unique ornaments and the environment made me feel like I was right there in the scene.  Adam Mull transformed this movie into an onscreen winter wonderland; in every scene you can see how much time and effort went into this film’s creation. 

The film’s message is that, through thick and thin, families should stick together and use teamwork when tackling a problem. This message is important for families to hear year round but especially during the holidays; a time where many families come together and spend quality time with one another. 

I give Candy Cane Lane 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 18, plus adults. Candy Cane Lane premieres on Amazon Prime Video December 1, 2023. Make sure to check it out!

Trailer:

The Pig, the Elephant, and the Wise-Cracking Bird

By: Michael Sampson and Bonnie J. Johnson

Illustrated by: Joshua Sampson

New York Times bestselling author Michael Sampson teams up with filmmaking son Joshua Sampson and award-winning education specialist Bonnie J. Johnson to pen children’s picture book about idioms.

Meet Ogden Oink, a fun-loving, adventurous, likeable piglet, in Michael Sampson and Bonnie J. Johnson’s The Pig, the Elephant, and the Wise-Cracking Bird. He dresses and speaks as humans do and gets into more than his fair share of difficulties because he interprets figurative expressions literally. This humorous book will get young readers thinking about language-and laughing, too.

Obscura the Cat Sees Beyond

By: Ben Franchi

Illustrated by: Cheyenne Bigham

A magically perfect read just in time for Halloween.

Green eyes and title font on the finished cover 

will glow in the dark!

You are in for a chill and a thrill as you read this mysterious read-aloud book that is sure to be non-stop entertainment. Join Obscura, the not-so-feisty feline, as she navigates her haunted home in search of her owners, encountering all manner of spooky sights along the way.

Let’s Play Jegi

By: Im Seo-Ha

Illustrated by: Choi Byung-dae

Let’s Play Ddakji (first book in this seires–released Fall 2022) has just been announced as winner of the following Children’s Book Council honors:

CBC Children’s Favorites Award Winner 2023

CBC Teacher Favorites Award Winner 2023

From the renowned author of Let’s Play Ddakji and Let’s Play Gonggi comes the third book in the Traditional Korean Games series, Let’s Play Jegi. With the history of jegi’s origins and detailed instructions of how to play, kids will learn about this fun, fast-footwork South Korean game through an engaging story of friendship and scrapbook-style illustrations.

Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist

Written and Illustrated by: Violet Lemay

Including art by: Alithia Ramirez

“Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist reminds us why art is so powerful-and healing.”

—Parents Magazine

Alithia drew the world as it should be- full of color and joy, creativity and fun. From her teachers to her family and friends, Alithia shared her gifts with an open heart. Written to honor Alithia and all the lives affected by the Uvalde school tragedy, Alithia Ramirez Was an Artist will help preserve the memory of this talented young girl through her story and her artwork. Author proceeds from the book will be donated to the Alithia Haven Ramirez Memorial Summer Seminar Scholarship Fund.

From Avocado Butts to Zeppelin butts and all of the wiggly jiggly butts in between, The Alphabutt Book by Huggies® ( Ages 0-4, $14.99, 9781464216565) celebrates the diverse range of baby bodies and booties that exist. Each letter is illustrated by a different artist―including Tyler Feder (BODIES ARE COOL) and Vanessa Brantley Newton (QUEEN OF KINDERGARTEN)―and the alliterative text will leave little ones giggling. Plus, a portion of the proceeds is going to the National Diaper Bank Network, a nonprofit providing diapers and other basic necessities to struggling families.

Self Disclosure: I received free copies of the above books to feature. Cover images were also provided.