Kids & Family

Goodnight Moon and Other Sleepytime Tales

Featuring performances by: tony bennett natalie cole billy crystal lauryn hill patti labelle aaron neville and susan sarandon. Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 11/14/2006 Rating: Nr

Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd's bestselling children's book headlines this winning 25-minute collection of sleepytime tales from HBO. Susan Sarandon narrates the simple story of a bunny readying for bed. Other top entertainers lend their voices to the tape: Tony Bennett sings the story of "Hit the Road to Dreamland"; Lauryn Hill brings rhythm to "Hush, Little Baby" (the best segment); Billy Crystal lends many voices to Mercer Mayer's "There's a Nightmare in My Closet"; and singers Natalie Cole, Aaron Neville, and Patti LeBelle sing other tales. A dandy video for the youngster, punctuated with "interviews" of real kids answering a host of bedtime questions. --Doug Thomas

Classical Baby: The Music Show

Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 09/26/2006 Rating: Nr

Classical Baby: The Dance Show

Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 09/26/2006 Rating: Nr

Classical Baby: The Art Show

Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 09/26/2006 Rating: Nr

Happily Ever After Collection: Fairy Tales For Every Child (Mother Goose/Pinocchio/The Pied Piper/The Golden Goose)

Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 08/09/2005 Run time: 120 minutes Rating: Pg

The award-winning HBO series Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child provides updated cartoon versions of the classics that will hold your kids' attention without banging them on the head with themes. Four half-hour tales are included, each with a bevy of well-known vocal talent. A very sweet version of Pinocchio features a star-studded voice cast, including Will Smith, Chris Rock, Charles S. Dutton, and Della Reese. Although this may make the take sound strictly African American, the spin is decidedly multicultural. Geppetto becomes "George" and Pinocchio, being "chips of pine and oak off the old block" is called "Pinoak." The big spin is on Pinocchio's insect friend, who in this version is a termite named "Woody," played with a rascally style well suited to Chris Rock. For Mother Goose Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Smits, and Denzel Washington lend voice as the merriment takes place in Mother Gooseberg Land, where Old King Cole reigns over the likes of Little Miss Muffet, Georgie Porgie, and the rest of the gang who take their poetic direction from the grand dame of rhyme herself, Mother Gooseberg. Creativity oozes from this rollicking rhyme fest, an animated retelling of some well-loved classic nursery rhymes. A simple chore of chopping trees turns into a life lesson for a trio of peasant brothers in this fresh take on The Golden Goose. Drexel, Axel, and Simpleton are three strapping boys who live with their father and mother in a small kingdom. When father sends the older sons to clear the forest, they encounter a wizard--dressed as a beggar--who asks them for some food. Woven throughout this simple tale are subtle messages of the benefits of faith and kindness in everyday living, best understood by children ages 4 and older. The seductive music that the Pied Piper played to woo the children of Hamelin was jazz. At least, that's the take in retelling as old tales mix with new world vision. Here, the selfish King of Hamelin (Samuel L. Jackson) loves to dismiss all politics so he can count his money. Unfortunately, the rat problem becomes so severe that plans must be put into action. When a smooth, jazz-playing stranger (Wesley Snipes) wanders into town proclaiming that he can address the problem, the city council is ready to give him riches.

Zeus and Roxanne

Zeus is a rowdy little ruffhouse of a dog roxanne a delightful dolphin. What happens when the two come together and the effect they have on the people who love them is an exciting and unexpected tale of freedom friendship and love. Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 02/03/2004 Starring: Steve Guttenberg Mike Hughes Run time: 98 minutes Rating: Pg Director: George Miller

Too bland for any kid over age 7, Zeus and Roxanne is one of those utterly formulaic family movies that is so harmless it could put even younger kids to sleep. It's really about a cute dog (Zeus) who develops a fun-filled friendship with a clever dolphin (Roxanne) along the tropical coasts of the Bahamas. Zeus's owner is a kid whose bachelor father (Steve Guttenberg) is trying to compose a rock opera, and Roxanne is being lovingly studied by a single marine biologist (Kathleen Quinlan) who's got two young daughters. In true Brady Bunch fashion, they all get together to form a family, but there's danger afoot when another scientist threatens to use Roxanne for unfriendly research. There's plenty of surf and sun to go with this save-the-dolphin sentiment, so Zeus and Roxanne score a few points for being good-natured and adorable. Whether any kid will watch it more than once is another matter entirely. --Jeff Shannon

'Twas the Night: A Holiday Celebration

Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 11/14/2006

Babar - King Of The Elephants

For over sixty years children have enjoyed the richly entertaining tales of Babar the elephant and his jungle full of friends. Now these wonderful stories have been brough to animated life in an enchanted and delightful new movie BABAR KING OF THE ELEPHANTS. While still a young elephant in the wild Babar is orphaned and flees the jungle to the big city. There his presence causes an uproar until he is taken in by a thoughtful and sweet-hearted old lady. Educated into the ways and manners of humans it isn't long before Babar becomes a sophisticated elephant-about-town. But Babar is soon drawn back to the jungle where -- with his new education he becomes King of the Elephants making Celeste his queen and building the town Celesteville in her honor. Together they will share many adventures as the story of their lives unfold.Running Time: 79 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY UPC: 026359156724 Manufacturer No: 91567

The elephant king with the upright stance and smashing wardrobe finally has a movie to tell his story from the scampering days of his youth through his adventures in Paris to his days as husband, father, and king. Based on the popular HBO series--which in turn is based on the books of Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff--this 75-minute film features pleasant animation, a quasi-adult contemporary soundtrack, and adventures culled from several of the classic books, including "The Story of Babar" and "Babar and his Children." Celeste and the triplets, as well as Arthur, Cornelius, and Madame, all figure prominently. The resilient elephants face a series of mishaps, including fires, illness, and the battle with the rival rhinos. All tends to end well, except for the initial death of Babar's mother, which happens Bambi's-mother-style about 10 minutes into the movie. (Ages 2 and up) --Kimberly Heinrichs

I Spy - Four-Pack Collection

Studio: Hbo Home Video Release Date: 09/21/2004 Rating: Nr

I Spy - A Mumble Monster Mystery and Other Stories

Animated series produced by Scholastic Entertainment, award-winning producers of Clifford The Big Red Dog, Dear America, Goosebumps and Scholastic's The Magic School Bus. This new interactive stop motion animated series airing on HBO Family, inspired by the magical book series, brings I Spy to an entirely new audience. Two delightful new "claymation" characters, Spyler and CeCe, lead young viewers through search and find adventures set in an imaginary world. The series' eclectic soundtrack musically complements the visual assortment of bright objects in the series, incorporating sounds made by everyday objects as musical notes, further encouraging young viewers' imaginations and engagement in the game. Includes: A Mumble Monster Mystery; CeCe's Special Scrapbook; A Bike I Like!; A Tick-illy Hiccup; A Broom, A Whistle and A Drum; Sky High