With a Parents’ Choice® Award for their 2012 album Playing in the Band proudly in hand, New Jersey’s The Little Rockers Band takes the next step in their rise to national prominence with the band’s third kids’/family CD, Count Me In!, set for an April release.

I received this CD to review and it’s energetic and fun! It’s perfect for young children ages 2-6! Very catchy songs with simple fun lyrics!

It’s a rocking dance party all the way on this album.  Count Me In! stays the course, with The Little Rockers Band remaining true to their commitment to creating music that speaks to children’s real life experiences through songs as varied in style as their subjects.  On Count Me In! families will hear a ’90s rocker, a ’50s style rave up, a honky-tonk country tune, a Motown scorcher, a beachy/acoustic cover of a Paul Simon classic, and more.

Co-founders Chris & Jessie Apple bring a little bit of Broadway (Jessie) and a little bit of rock & roll (Chris) to The Little Rockers Band.  Both worked extensively as performers by night and pre-school music teachers by day before teaming up to create music for kids and their parents as full-time teaching artists and family musicians.

Count Me In! greets listeners with the album’s enthusiastic title track, a spoken word chant used in Little Rockers, cool kids music classes™and at concerts to help kids with counting and rhythm.  “1234 Go!”–  a ’50s style rocker with a nod to Ricky Nelson and The Everly Brothers — is next, followed by still more rockin’ rhythm on “Fortune Cookie,” a tune reminiscent of an early Dinosaur Jr. song.  “Hi, Hi, Hi,” a musical tribute to the fabulous Motown girl groups, features terrific vocal work paired with a driving tenor sax solo that recalls the early days of rock ‘n roll.  Other highlights include “Old Mick Jagger” (a takeoff on “Old McDonald”), an acoustic duet cover of the Paul Simon classic “Me & Julio,” and “Little Deer” (vaguely inspired by The Pixies and The Cars).

The husband-and-wife team of Chris & Jessie Apple started Little Rockers, cool kids music classes™ in 2009, beginning with about 30 families.  More than 500 families now take their classes (35+ classes a week in 13 locations, and counting), and they employ 16 additional Teaching Artists.  Chris & Jessie teach together during the day, deal with administrative matters in the afternoon, and write at night.

The Little Rockers Band, which also began in 2009, was originally conceived as a laboratory ensemble that would design music and curriculum for Little Rockers music classes.  The band has since grown to become the focal point of a number of creative/educational projects, including live shows, webisodes, and school assembly programs.

Count Me In! will be available at LittleRockersMusic.com,amazon.com, and iTunes.

Check out The Little Rockers Band website at http://littlerockersmusic.com.

Self Disclosure: I received the CD to facilitate this feature.

Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, this film is an action drama focusing on an unlikely WWII platoon, tasked by FDR with going into GErmany to rescue art masterpieces from Nazi thieves and returning them to their rightful owners. It would be an impossible mission with art trapped behind enemy lines and the German army under orders to destroy everything as the Reich fell. What a wonderful story to share with your kids and grandkids. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Keefer B says, “I loved every minutes of it.” See his full review below.

The Monuments Men

Reviewed by Keefer C. Blakeslee

Video review available here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amzgQDk9xVM

This is a dramatic film, with some humorous moments, that shows the importance of human achievement and I loved every minute of it. The story is based on true events that center on the ending of World War II, when Nazi troops hid artwork from around Europe for Chancellor Hitler. President Roosevelt lets Lt. Frank Stokes (George Clooney) gather an unlikely squad of museum directors, curators and art historians to enter Europe and save, not only art, but people’s history.

What makes this film strong is its story and how it shows the characters’ passion for their goal. I’m not an art critic, but I recognized some of the artists and their work. But I’m not into art like these people were. However, when you see the soldiers torching the art, my heart broke and my stomach tied in knots. Watching this film reminds me that art isn’t just paintings or sculptures, it’s about people’s accomplishments and, if that’s gone, what do we have?

The screenplay is beautifully written by Grant Heslov and George Clooney, who also directs this movie. This film can be humorous, but it also shows the reality of war. For example, they talk about concentration camps and that’s a risky move. It refers to the inhumanity that happened, but they balance well so it’s not “Shindlers List.” This dream cast includes Bill Murray (Sgt. Richard Campbell), John Goodman (Sgt. Walter Garfield), and more memorable actors that play fantastic people. Just watching them interact is entertaining enough.

My favorite character is Pvt. Preston Salvitz (Bob Balaban). I pick this character because when I see Bob play Preston he becomes a little ball of fire and I love this person’s passion for art.

My favorite scene involves Sgt. Campbell (Murray) receiving a recording from his daughter while he’s fighting in the war. Preston plays the recording on the announcement intercom and your heart turns to mush as Bill sits by himself smiling with tears in his eyes while listening to his daughter’s voice.

The moral of the story is, “Sometimes our achievements are worth dying for.” “The Monuments Men” love art and that’s why they are picked for this team. They are willing to die to protect it.

I give this 5 out of 5 stars and recommend this for 12 to 18-year-olds. There’s some action, blood and language that younger kids shouldn’t experience, however the film shows our human side and how we live to create achievements.
Credit: KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions

Season two of Disney Junior’s hit animated series “Sofia the First,” 2013’s #1 TV series among Girls 2-5 and the #2 cable TV series overall among Kids 2-5, debuts FRIDAY, MARCH 7 (9:30 a.m. ET/PT) on Disney Channel. A special episode featuring Snow White will premiere FRIDAY, APRIL 4 on Disney Channel (9:00 a.m. ET/PT) and Disney Junior (6:00 p.m. ET/PT). A preview of the episode will be available for verified users on WATCHDisneyJunior.com and the WATCH Disney Junior app for smartphones and tablets beginning Tuesday, March 25 and will become available on iTunes beginning Saturday, April 5.

The new season includes appearances by Disney Princesses Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen), Tiana (voiced by Disney Legend Anika Noni Rose) and Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore). The guest voice cast for season two includes Alyson Hannigan (“How I Met Your Mother”) as a young faun who always felt she wasn’t special enough; Ginnifer Goodwin (“Once Upon A Time”) as the castle’s kitchen maid who aspires to be an inventor; Melissa Rauch (“The Big Bang Theory”) as Ruby’s fairy godmother; Anna Camp and John Michael Higgins (both of “Pitch Perfect”) as a charmingly sinister princess and a tall fire-breathing dragon; Isla Fisher (“The Great Gatsby”) and Sean Astin (“Lord of the Rings”) as two adventurous young sprites; Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”) as a well-connected fox who reigns over Enchancia’s woodland creatures; Robert Morse (“Mad Men”) as an elderly retired sorcerer; Christian Borle (“Smash”) as an ambitious, young castle steward out to take Baileywick’s job; Oliver Platt (“The West Wing”) as a sickly old dragon; Tracey Ullman (“The Tracey Ullman Show”) as a happily wicked witch; and Phylicia Rashad (“The Cosby Show”) as a cranky ice witch who eventually allows her heart to be melted by the power of music.

Created for kids 2-7 and their parents/caregivers, “Sofia the First” tells the story of an ordinary girl who becomes a princess and, throughout her journey, learns that possessing the characteristics of a true princess – honesty, loyalty, compassion and grace – is what makes one truly royal. The series stars the voices of Ariel Winter as Sofia, Sara Ramirez as Queen Miranda, Wayne Brady as Clover, Tim Gunn as Baileywick, Darcy Rose Byrnes as Amber, Zach Callison and Tyler Merna as James, Travis Willingham as King Roland II, and Jess Harnell as Cedric. Recurring guest stars include Eric Stonestreet, Ellie Kemper, Viola Davis and Bonnie Hunt.

In the season two premiere episode, “Two Princesses and a Baby,” Amber asks royal sorcerer Cedric to cast a magic spell that will give her and twin James separate birthdays so that she can celebrate the day all by herself. After the spell accidentally turns James into a baby, Sofia helps Amber realize how special it is to have a twin, and then they work together to help Cedric reverse his spell. The episode features the songs “Sisters and Brothers” performed by Sofia and “Two By Two” performed by Amber.

Then, in “The Enchanted Feast,” Snow White appears to help Sofia learn the importance of trusting one’s instincts after she suspects that a visiting sorceress is not who she says she is. Snow White is voiced by Katie Von Till and Megan Mullally (“Will and Grace”) recurs in the episode as Miss Nettle, an evil fairy who disguises herself as a powerful sorceress to attempt to steal Sofia’s magical amulet.

On Saturday, March 1, DisneyJunior.com/Sofia will launch the game “Sofia’s Royal Bubble Rescue.”

“Sofia the First” is executive-produced by Craig Gerber (“Pixie Hollow Games”) and Jamie Mitchell (“Special Agent Oso”), who also serve as story editor and director, respectively. John Kavanaugh (“Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo”) serves as songwriter/music director and Kevin Kliesch (“Tangled Ever After”) is the composer. “Sofia the First” is a production of Disney Television Animation.

The second Sofia the First “appisode” is now available on the Disney Junior Appisodes app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.  In “The Great Aunt-Venture,” Sofia reluctantly agrees to help her Aunt Tilly (voiced by Bonnie Hunt) bake a pie, but this is no dull day in the kitchen.  In search of the perfect apples, Sofia and Aunt Tilly end up on a journey full of unexpected obstacles that kids can help Sofia navigate.  The Disney Junior Appisodes app offers true interactive viewing for young fans to touch, tap, swipe, tilt, shake and talk their way through various fun-filled activities embedded into full episodes of some of their favorite Disney Junior shows.

 I had the opportunity to check this out on my iphone. The Disney Junior Appisodes app is a free to download in the app store but the  “Sofia the First”, “The Great Aunt Venture” 2nd appisode isn’t free.  It costs $4.99. We had the opportunity to download it for free and we also downloaded Sofia The First-The Big Sleepover for $4.99. “Sofia the First”, “The Great Aunt Venture” is so much fun especially for younger girls. They can try jumping shoes, use the locus pocus map, and even feed the Wombeast!  The Sofia The First-The Big Sleepover is a fun Royal sleepover with puppet shows, makeovers, puzzles and a whole lot of fun!

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.  There are 33 Disney Junior channels in 24 languages around the world.

Self Disclosure: I received  iTunes credit for free to facilitate this feature/review.

“The Lego Movie” comes out this weekend and we can’t say enough good things about it. The story is a simple one about how an ordinary guy behaves extraordinarily. What’s cool about this film is that everything in the movie is designed to look as if it was built out of Lego pieces – water, fire, laser bolts, explosions and smoke amongst them. The animation is a combination of stop-motion and CGI that looks like Lego-mation. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Keefer B says, “I love this movie! Just watching it makes me wonder what you can’t make out of Legos.” Gerry O adds, “This great film has comedy, adventure, suspense, music, romance, Legos and a great story line.” See their full reviews below.

The Lego Movie

Reviewed by Keefer B, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic age 13.
Full video review here.

This is a fast pace action, comedy, that shows that Lego’s are more than just plastic bricks. The story is about Emmet (Chris Pratt) who is just an ordinary guy that always follows the instructions. However, once he finds a magical relic, he is now known as the special person who is supposed to defeat Lord Business (Will Ferrell) from launching an evil plan. So with the help of Wildstyle (Elizabeth Banks), Vitruvius (Morgan Freeman), and more hilarious characters, he sets out to save the world.

I love this movie! It has a “Toy Story” atmosphere to it that makes it entertaining. The writers don’t try to hide the fact that the Lego people are plastic figures, they just write it in the way that Lego figures would move and act. Even the characters sort of know what they are, although they don’t know everything. The jokes are always thrown at you and all of them get a laugh. It has a parody element to it that is surprisingly funny for kids and adults. When a company that has been around for generations and has so much merchandise, you can’t help but admire the creators for making fun of their toy. It does is heart-warming how creativity is important. The animation is marvelous – the way the characters build structures, vehicles and double-decker couches is an experience to see. Just watching this imaginative universe makes me wonder, “What can’t you make out of Legos”?!

My favorite character is hard to pick out of dozens of lovable characters. I would have to choose Good Cop / Bad Cop (Liam Neeson). I love this character’s double personality and he cracks me up every time I see him.

My favorite scene is when Emmet talks to Lord Business about how you don’t how to follow the instructions all the time. This scene shows and proves how Legos are important to people. How the simplicity of building a spaceship or anything, can spark inspiration for kids and adults to build.

The moral of the story is that everyone is special. Emmet does not think he has the mind or experience to fulfill his prophecy. He soon learns that if you believe in yourself you can do extraordinarily things.

I give this 5 out of 5 stars and recommend this to 5 to18-year-olds. This film reminds us on how Legos can change our lives. We all had Legos once in our lives, whether you follow the instructions, build or just played with them, it does not matter. Legos have been around for generations and these bricks have shown us new worlds to explore and enjoy. This film is timeless and I hope it will be know for a long time.

The Lego Movie

Reviewed by Gerry O, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11

This movie is something special. This movie will make kids’ dreams come true everywhere. What movie I’m talking about?  Well it’s “The Lego Movie” of course.

This great film has comedy, adventure, suspense, music, romance, LEGOS and a great story line.

The story is about an unlikely hero, who turns out to be part of a big prophesy and a lot of exciting battles and adventures. But, is this just all a part of a kid’s imagination or do Legos truly come to life when we are not looking?

I love so many things about this movie! A very unique part is the animation. It’s plastic, smooth and looks a lot like real Lego pieces. At parts it feels like its stop motion but it’s not. Most of the sets where were made out of hundreds of Legos. Imagine it, five adults playing with a whole bunch of Legos for work. I am sure most kids would wish to be a part of such production. If you add to the mix the voice-overs by amazing actors such as Morgan Freeman, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett and Will Ferrell – you get an animated film that will captivate your heart for sure.

I have a couple of favorite scenes. First, when Batman, Emmet, Wyldstyle, the Wizard and Benny are all stuck in the ocean on a ‘double decker couch.’ Batman says “It’s not like a gigantic ship will show up” and right when he says that, a ship comes out of nowhere. Then later, when they need a part and he says “It’s not like there’s a spaceship or anything” and what do you know, the Millennium Falcon drops by!

I recommend this movie to ages 2 to 17. Older people may not enjoy the humor as much as younger kids. I also give it 5 out of 5 stars.

Credit: KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions