Vegbooks reviews of movies, music, television, and board games.
I loved “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” so I was excited to check out the sequel (on DVD) with my family for movie night. Unfortunately, I think this series lost its groove after the initial hit. That’s not to…
Tags: Animated MoviesDepictions of AnimalsDepictions of Meat in FilmFamily MoviesFishing
I have friends that I can’t trust for movie reviews because they love everything —which is great when you need a movie buddy! I am usually more selective, but when something I am a fan of hits the big screen my…
Tags: Building BlocksFamily MoviesHoma WoodrumLegosRole of WomenWill ArnettWill Ferrell
I received an advance review copy of “In a Heartbeat” by Laura Doherty and have played it several times for my children (ages 3 and 5) since. Ms. Doherty’s voice is lovely and the accompaniment, though sparing, makes…
I must confess, I hadn’t heard of The Dirty Sock Funtime Band before receiving the CD to review. The CD is a quirky compilation of original children’s songs that defies categorization into any one genre. After…
Tags: CatsDirty Sock Funtime BandEarly ElementaryHumorLaurie BerknerMusicPreschoolersSandi Lancaster
There once was a lady in waiting Let’s call her Jane. That girl wasn’t ordinary- No way for me a lady stuck in waiting I’d rather battle fire-breathing dragons I knew I could prove that a girl could be a Knight…
Tags: CourageEarly ElementaryFeminismFriendshipJennifer KaliLoyaltyPreschoolersPrincessTelevision
Wow, I was blown away by this Disney movie. My daughter and I enjoyed this as a movie night feature. It is an intense movie and she reacted strongly to it, but days later she was still talking about it and she says…
Tags: BearsEarly ElementaryFamily FilmsJennifer KaliPreschoolers
I have fond memories of watching the animated “Charlotte’s Web” movie as a kid. In particular I’ve always remembered Templeton at the fair gorging himself on everything in sight. I promised my four-year-old daughter…
Tags: DeathEarly ElementaryFamily MoviesJennifer KaliJulia RobertsOprah WinfreyPigsPreschoolersRobert Redford
Food, fun, games, and culture fill the three episodes on Mama Doni’s latest DVD, “Jewish Holiday Party.” While it will seem overly simple to families who have always been steeped in traditional holiday celebrations,…
Tags: Early ElementaryHanukkahHoliday MoviesHolidaysJewish CultureJudaismMama DoniMusicOlder ElementaryPassoverPreschoolersShabbat
With high hopes, kiddo and I went to the theater to see the new animated family flick “Free Birds” on opening day last Friday. We knew from the previews that it would be funny, and sure enough, that’s what attracted…
Tags: Animated MoviesEarly ElementaryFamily FilmsFamily MoviesOlder ElementaryThanksgivingTurkeysVegetarian Thanksgiving
With summer quickly becoming a memory, families may want to find ways to hang on to the beachy fun of hazy days before they fade completely. Recess Monkey’s latest offering, “Desert Island Disc,” will keep kids and…
Tags: BeachEarly ElementaryGood for ToddlersKristin WaldMusicOlder ElementaryPreschoolersRecess Monkey
In the age of buying songs piecemeal, there’s still something satisfying about listening to an album all the way though. I was lucky to receive an advance review copy CD of Frances England’s “Blink of an Eye” a while…
Tags: BirdsEarly ElementaryFrances EnglandGood for ToddlersHoma WoodrumMusicPreschoolers
A friend with 2-1/2-year and six-month old daughters told me to check out singer/songwriter Frances England’s CDsfrom the library and I’m so glad I did. The first CD to come up on reserve was her 2010 album “Mind of…
Tags: BicyclesCookiesEggsFrances EnglandFriendshipHoma WoodrumMusicMusic for BabiesNature
When kiddo expressed an interest in jazz music (read: she was listening to Ella Fitzgerald’s Christmas album year-round), we were delighted to find that the world music compilation “Jazz Playground” both appealed to…
Tags: Don SpencerEarly ElementaryGood for ToddlersMusicMusic for BabiesPreschoolersSnakesWee Hairy Beasties
India seems to be calling the Vegbooks team. VB Founder Jessica Almy just returned from a trip to this land of enchantment, and I discovered a great new title, Peaceable Forest: India’s Tale of Kindness to Animals,…
Tags: Carolyn M. MullinCheetahsChristopher LloydCourageFamily FilmsFamily MoviesFriendshipHabitat DestructionIndiaJane LynchJason AlexanderVanessa WilliamsWildlife
When you first hear that “The Secret World of Arrietty,” is a hand-drawn Japanese film based on an English novel (The Borrowers) dubbed by American actors, you may wonder about its authenticity. Just go with it, I…
Tags: Animated MoviesEarly ElementaryEnglandJapanKindnessOlder Elementary
Following a loggerhead turtle from her hatching on a Florida beach until she returns 25 years later to lay eggs of her own, “Turtle: The Incredible Journey” is a visual feast, with beautiful images of life underwater…
Tags: Atlantic OceanEarly ElementaryFamily FilmsFamily MoviesFloridaGood for ToddlersMarine AnimalsOlder ElementaryPreschoolersTurtles
Looking for a kids’ CD featuring a range of musical styles and a strong, positive message of marine conservation? Then The Banana Slug String Band’s album “Only One Ocean” is definitely for you! The copy of this CD…
Tags: Banana Slug String BandConservationEarly ElementaryEcosystemsJennifer GannettMarine AnimalsMarine MammalsMusicOceanOceansOlder ElementaryPollutionPreschoolers
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not!” – Dr. Seuss For anyone who is already a fan of The Lorax book by Dr. Seuss, “The Lorax” movie lives up to the hype. There…
Tags: ActivismAmy SharpAnimated MoviesDr. SeussEarly ElementaryEnvironmentEnvironmental Kids MoviesFamily FilmsFamily MoviesOlder ElementaryTrees
Ever since I learned that Universal Pictures was making a film recounting the rescue of a family of Alaskan whales in the 1980s, I’ve been looking forward to seeing it. Happily, “Big Miracle,” starring Drew…
Tags: 1980s CultureAlaskaAnimal RescueEarly ElementaryFamily FilmsFamily MoviesMarine AnimalsMarine MammalsOlder ElementaryWhalesWhaling
Surprisingly dark for a family film, “Babe: Pig in the City” didn’t please all the fans of the first “Babe” movie who had so eagerly awaited the sequel. Still, animal rights advocates will find much to like in the…
Tags: 1990s MoviesCatsDiscriminationDogsEarly ElementaryFamily MoviesHomeless AnimalsPigsVivisection
When a mama mouse living in a field must save her family from the plow, including her son who is stricken with pneumonia, she discovers a secret world of super-intelligent rats who have suffered at the hands of…
Tags: 1980s Childrens MoviesAnimal Researchanimal rightsAnimated MoviesDon BluthEarly ElementaryFemale ProtagonistMiceOlder ElementaryRatsVivisection
“Born to Be Wild” is an IMAX film focusing on the conservation efforts of two women working a world away from each other in different conditions but with aligned goals. Both have set up systems of caring for and…
Tags: Animal RescueBiographyBirute GaldikasConservationDaphne SheldrickEarly ElementaryElephantsIMAXIndonesiaJennifer GannettKenyaMorgan FreemanOlder ElementaryOrangutans
Dora’s cousin Diego is also an adventurer, but Diego is a boy with a mission. At the beginning of each episode, Diego announces, “Hi! I am Diego and I am an animal rescuer!” Then he goes on to exclaim, “I love…
Tags: AdventureAnimal RescueAnimal WelfareEarly ElementaryGood for ToddlersJennifer KaliPreschoolers
Anyone who believes the old adage that publishers and producers can make works featuring male protagonists because they will appeal to both boys and girls (in contrast to female protagonists, which allegedly are of…
Tags: 1980s CultureEarly ElementaryFamily FilmsFamily MoviesHumorMuppetsMusicOlder ElementaryPop Culture