Travel With Kids London

Porchlight Home Entertainment
MSRP $14.98

Make some popcorn and toss the pillows on the floor! Join the Roberts Family, including Nathan, 7, and Seamus, 5, on holiday to the beautiful city of London, England. Our trip begins with a train ride from the airport into the city, followed by a boat tour on the Thames River, the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. The light tone of the trip is quickly set with a glossary of British equivalents, i.e. French fries called chips, and chips called crisps. Hmm, not quite our English, is it?

The self-guided tour on the battleship HMS Belfast delights with plenty of hands-on opportunities, followed by Buckingham Palace and the Changing of the Guard, then back to the hotel for afternoon tea. Other attractions include the British Museum, Piccadilly Circus at night, a ride on the famous red double-decker bus and Trafalgar Square. Further exploration takes us to see Big Ben, Hyde Park, and The London Eye, one of the world’s largest Ferris wheels where the seats are enclosed in a sort of glass bubble. The slow revolution of the Eye allows for terrific aerial views of the city.

Narration is provided throughout by a British speaker who relates the history on a variety of subjects, but with amusing graphics and special effects the factual lessons are painless. Mom Carrie and the boys often comment as well. In addition, pop-ups with the boys holding signs provide information on prices, food, and times of interesting events, making this DVD valuable for those planning a trip themselves.

Though this family has the means to travel with two children, they are by no means elite snobs. They clearly have a budget, passing up a coveted tour of Westminster Abbey due to the cost. Instead, the parents romp in a nearby park with the two boys, both of whom are normal, fairly high-spirited guys. Certainly any bad moments have been edited, but spending fifty minutes watching their activities and listening to their commentary was very enjoyable. - just the right mix of sights, history and levity to keep the interest of any age level!

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Travel With Kids:England

Porchlight Home Entertainment
MSRP $14.98

Is travel looking like the impossible dream for your family, especially with kids? Take a virtual trip to England with the Roberts Family without worrying about money, time, food or bathroom breaks!

This couple make delightful traveling companions as they head for England with sons Nathan, 7 and Seamus, 5. First stop: the beautifully historic city of Bath, SW of London. The family travels from London to Bath by Brit Rail on a very pleasant train trip. Once in Bath we are treated to scenes and discussions of architecture, Roman baths, their hotel and gardens, and various sports such as cricket. Other activities include a trip by open boat on the Avon River, and a visit to majestic and mysterious Stonehenge, not surprisingly under appreciated by two young boys!

Narration of the family activities is supplied by the parents. Historical information is presented by a British male voice, sometimes in a straightforward manner but other times amusingly presented with animation, graphics and sound effects. This is far from a dry documentary; the boys are typically high-spirited or occasionally less than awed, but overall very enthusiastic about their travels. Often, a little pop-up of either Nathan or Seamus appears in the corner of the screen, holding a sign with additional information related to the topic.

Part II follows the family to NW England and an area known as the Lake District, 4 hours from London. Once again the mode of transportation is by train. While in the Lake District, the Robertses visit an aquarium, a zoo with many free ranging animals, and take side trips by steam train and ferry. Time is spent visiting a museum dedicated to Beatrix Potter, where kids can wander past still life scenes featuring all the characters from her books or enjoy hands-on puzzles and illustrations. A day spent here can make reading the books together quite memorable.

Included on the DVD are sections identified as: More Travel Info and Trip Planner; Crafts, Recipes, and Language; Bloopers; and Chance to Jump to a Scene. Aimed at families with kids as young as three years old, this is a quality travel opportunity from the comfort of pillows on your own floor!

Adventures From the Book of Virtues: A Christmas Carol for Annie

Porchlight Home Entertainment
$14.98

Annie is the newly elected President of the Drama Club. Much to the dismay of the other actors, she unilaterally decides the club will not be performing their annual production of A Christmas Carol this year. Nor will they be donating half their profits to the local orphanage. Annie declares that this year the drama club will be run like a business!

Zach tries to talk Annie out of her crazy ideas, and back into the long-standing traditions of the Drama Club, but Annie won't hear of it. She is a tyrant running the play, yelling at the actors, focusing on making money and generally forgetting about the true meaning of Christmas.

Charles Dickens visits Annie, followed by three spirits - The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Through these visits and interaction with her friends, Annie changes both her attitude and her outlook on Christmas. Then she makes some changes to the drama club as well. A second episode, The Gift of the Magi, is also included on this disc. Zach and Annie are collecting food for a local food bank. The kids become more concerned about being recognized for their actions rather than focusing on helping others. Their animal friend Plato tells the story of true generosity to set them on the right path.

The Adventures From the Book of Virtues prides itself on teaching important life lessons and morals. This video focuses on compassion and the importance of caring for others.

Animalia: Welcome to the Kingdom

Porchlight Home Entertainment
DVD $16.98/Blu-Ray $29.98

Alex and Zoe discover a secret passageway in the public library that leads to a strange and wonderful land. Here all the inhabitants are fully articulate animals who walk upright, wear clothing and understand advanced technology. They are amused at the children's idea that humans are a more evolved species. Welcome to Animalia!

"The Core" is the key to Animalia, a big glowing mass located in the library at the center of the city. When the Core is healthy, there is positive communication and the animals co-exist peacefully. Unfortunately, the Core has cracked, which is causing the citizens to act like ... animals! Alex and Zoe must find the elements necessary to repair the Core and restore peace to Animalia.

There is a strong storyline, which means viewers will eagerly anticipate each episode as the tale unfolds and the action mounts. With the Core in disrepair, the animals are losing their refined personalities, submitting to their instincts instead. For Alex and Zoe, this means Animalia is becoming a dangerous place if they choose to remain.

These videos are absolutely spellbinding. The characters are nicely developed and the illustrations are bright and interesting. Best of all, the animals are hilarious! Each has a wonderfully quirky personality that is not dumbed down for younger children. They are attributed specific accents and mannerisms that had us laughing straight through. We loved every minute of this series!

It should be noted that these videos are intended for children ages 6 - 9, and could be a bit scary for younger children.