A History of Christianity is a six-disc BBC documentary hosted by historian Diarmaid MacCulloch (author of a series of extensive, scholarly works on the history of the faith.  I’ve had the opportunity to review the first disc in the series – The First Christianity.  MacCulloch takes viewers to modern-day sites and churches as he follows the path of Christianity from Jerusalem to the East.

With most of us being fairly unfamiliar with Eastern forms of Christianity, MacCulloch’s exploration of the roots of various Orthodox faiths is certainly fascinating and informative.  However, if you’re looking primarily for a documentation of the spiritual life of the church, or of theology, you won’t find it here, though some major doctrinal watersheds are explored.

Personally, the lack of division between the actions and beliefs of common believers from what could very well be political machinations (as opposed to faith-based decisions) makes me slightly uncomfortable, and always has.  Admittedly, this is difficult to hash out in the history of the Christian church, as only God can truly judge the heart and the motives of man.  Perhaps wading into this fray is a place that even angels fear to tread!

Interestingly, though MacCulloch isn’t promoting Christianity as a faith, there is a fair amount of the gospel presented – sadly it is also mixed in with some ‘works-based’ beliefs such as asceticism as a way of ‘earning’ one’s way into heaven.

MacCulloch is clearly fascinated by the institution and traditions of the church (which often have a tendency towards extra-biblical injunctions), and as such the first disc in the series is geared heavily in this direction.  Like most BBC productions, Christianity is presented in a secular (though respectful) point of view, and is placed on par with other “world religions”.

Starting in Jerusalem, traveling through the Middle East, and even to China, there is a good deal of great footage of historical sites (many of which you just don’t tend to see in most documentaries profiling the early church – they tend to go towards Rome.)  Christianity’s early interactions with Islam (some of which proved to be surprisingly peaceful) are also explored.

This first informative episode runs 60 minutes in length, and subsequent discs offer historical overviews of Christianity in Rome, Orthodoxy, the Reformation, Protestantism, and an episode entitled “God in Dock” (don’t ask me what this is about!)  From what I’ve seen of this first disc, A History of Christianity is more respectful of our faith than many secular documentaries that I’ve seen – taking what Christians say at face value without denigrating it, or speaking against it.  MacCulloch does a good job of keeping the first disc fairly ‘neutral’, if you can say that there is such a thing.

I’m certainly interested in watching the rest of the series, and my husband has found this first installment absolutely fascinating!

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Dwizzle Dee: Colors, Sizes, Songs & Imagination is the first in a new educational DVD series that features muppet-like puppets to teach preschoolers basic skills.  Miss Ashley is a human-puppet who teaches her small class of three ‘monster-like’, hairy puppets about colors, comparative sizes, shapes, simple counting, and more in a simulated classroom setting.

The class also heads outside to explore the world of nature, and even delves into some very simple science lessons (learning about bees, and pretending to be bees for example.)  There is plenty of reinforcement throughout the disc, with a very strong emphasis on the primary colors (red, blue, and yellow.)

My four-year-old loves the prompts to respond and interact along with the DVD.  Miss Ashley asks simple questions and waits for your child to answer her before turning to her own ‘class’ for answers.  Rose always chimes in very excitedly, even to the mostly rhetorical questions like, “Does that sound like fun?”  She really gets into it!  cx DVD also uses real children to provide some of the prompted sounds to encourage your own children to join in.  This is definitely targeted strictly to the preschool crowd though; older children might feel like Miss Ashley is talking down to them a bit.

I do have a couple of points of concern with the DVD though.  When we get into the singing segments, the characters don’t sing well.  While this might seem familiar to children (how many of us naturally sing on-key?) it doesn’t provide a good model or standard for children to imitate.  It’s actually hard for my daughter to sing along even though the tunes chosen are very familiar, simply because the singing isn’t clear, high, harmonized, or necessarily in-tune.  Also, the character who pretends to be a Queen bee participates in visiting flowers (ostensibly to collect nectar), which is an activity Queen bees don’t engage in.

Still, Dwizzle Dee has been a hit for my little ones.  Rose compares it to “Treehouse” her favorite cable-based children’s programming station (it shows all the Nick Jr. shows up here.)  We only watch it in the city because we don’t have cable, but when she was talking about Dwizzle Dee she referred to it as “I’m watching Treehouse.” I take this as a high compliment from her.  Parents of the muppet-generation may also have a hard time resisting the shaggy, monster-muppets that are no determined kind of creature.

The DVD has a 30-minute running time, and also comes with an option that lets you watch the song segments along with sing-along subtitling.

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With vague, animated memories of certain scenes from Disney’s The Great Mouse Detective dancing through my mind, I slipped the newly released Mystery in the Mist DVD edition into my player to share it with a new generation. This old school Disney film (originally released in 1986) combines classic animation with what was then some of the earliest combinations of computer-graphics with hand-drawn characters in some of it’s most striking scenes.

My children were quickly immersed in the world of Victorian England, where a society of dignified mousies and nefarious sewer rats exists on miniature scale, complete with their own Queen Mousetoria at Buckingham Palace. When the notorious villain (and nemesis of the city’s most notable detective, Basil of Baker Street) Ratigan kidnaps the young Olivia Flaversham’s toymaking father, the mystery begins.

Basil – the Sherlockian deductive genius – combines his efforts with that of the genteel Dr. David Q. Dawson, as they spin through an ever escalating series of madcap adventures that leads to the uncovering of a scheme to unseat the Queen!

Based on the children’s book series Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus, this feature film seemed to be hinting at sequels to come, which unfortunately never materialized. This digitally restored film continues to captivate children with its nefarious plots and dastardly schemes.

Parents of children who are disturbed by separation anxiety should note the abrupt kidnapping of Olivia’s father in the opening scene – a tension that continues throughout the film. A scene in which Basil and Dawson find themselves in a shore-side pub also includes some can-can style dancing and provocative singing (the yesteryear equivalent of a girlie-bar) which parents may want to be aware of.

The original bonus features, a making of segment and a sing-along feature of “The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind” (sung by the villainous Vincent Price, Ratigan’s voice talent) are added to with a brief history of the detective and an introduction to sleuthing in “So You Think You Can Sleuth.”

This 74-minute film has been enjoying repeated viewings by my older children (my toddler finds it too dark, it is fairly intense). My seven-year-old in particularly is trying to award it 10 out of 5 stars. Not only can it still excite the imaginations of children, but adult devotees of England’s most popular fictional detective will also find many inside nods to the realm of Sherlock’s London found embedded within the film.

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It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

My Thoughts: I used to do yoga when I was younger, but after I became a Christian it was obvious that the Hindu beliefs that permeated that form of exercise now made it unavailable to me.  PraiseMoves isn’t yoga – it’s a form of stretching focused exercised that was developed by a woman who once practiced yoga and was drawn into New Age beliefs before finding Jesus as her savior.

I think this is SO neat, because my husband also practiced yoga and has been looking for a stretching/movement exercise that doesn’t lead to Hinduism.  This is a great choice because it leads to God!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

and the book:

Power PraiseMoves™ DVD

December 1, 2009

***Special thanks to David P. Bartlett – Print & Internet Publicist – Harvest House Publishers for sending me a review copy.***

Laurette Willis, the founder of PraiseMoves®, is a Women’s Fitness Specialist and certified personal trainer, as well as a popular keynote speaker and an award-winning actor and playwright. She has produced the videos PraiseMoves™ and 20-Minute PraiseMoves™ and written BASIC Steps to Godly Fitness.

Visit the author’s website.

Product Details:

List Price: $16.99
Actors: Laurette Willis
Directors: Josh Atkinson
Format: NTSC
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: CT Videography
DVD Release Date: December 1, 2009
Run Time: 120 minutes
ASIN: 0736928456

AND NOW…A SAMPLE OF THE VIDEO:

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW AT CHRISTIANBOOK.COM OR AMAZON.COM!

Thunderheads is one of the new-era documentaries that Smithsonian Networks is producing. Rather than playing canned footage spliced together with a voice-over as was typical of old school documentaries, they’ve taken a reality TV approach to documentary making, following real scientists in their quest for knowledge and discovery. Thunderheads chronicles the efforts of an international force of 250 experts (though the action is limited to a small number) who make up I.C.E. – the International Cloud Experiment.

Seeking to discover the correlations between thunderstorms and climate, scientists pair up with pilots to fly into the midst of the massive storms to be found in Darwin, Australia to put their high tech instruments and smarts to the test. With limited funding, and therefore a tight schedule, tensions run high between the scientists and pilots who struggle to understand the other side’s perspective.

Though the team does succeed in gathering the data they are in search of, the documentary remains inconclusive as to what thunderstorms and their formation of ice crystals can teach us about climate change. The action included on Thunderheads represents only the beginning of a large-scale project – the data gathering stage. An additional three years of research are planned to analyze and examine the raw data. As such, the documentary is a bit of a cliffhanger, as it doesn’t include any conclusive ending.

With a run time of 46 minutes, this is a documentary that’s hard to resist for those with an interest in aircraft, meteorology, climate change, and science and weather in general. This cutting edge research introduces viewers to scientific concepts and technologies that the general public is typically unaware of.

The visuals are spectacular, including not only typical ground action sequences, but also breathtaking sequences of massive cloud action, huge rain storms, shots from space, and dramatic in-flight action shots. The disc includes standard scene selection, and is paired with optional English subtitles, and a choice of stereo and Dolby surround sound.

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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Alvin and the Chipmunks. All opinions are 100% mine.

I grew up watching Alvin and the Chipmunks on television as a child.  Their zany antics, and of course  their enthusiastic, high-speed singing made them a hit, and of course – there were the Chipettes!  As a little girl they were my favorites, of course.

When the new CG/live-action Alvin and the Chipmunks franchise started I didn’t have a burning desire for my children  watch the new show, especially with the emphasis on hip-hop and rap style music, but when they did see it, they were quite captivated (they thought it was downright hilarious actually.)

Well, “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” is available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download so you can buy it now; the Double DVD Pack includes both the film and “The Squeak Along” Bonus Disc, with more music, mayhem and all-new singalongs! Our kids love bonus features, and this sounds like the mother-load.

I haven’t seen “The Squeakquel” yet, and neither have my children.  If you have, drop me a note and let me know what you thought!

There are quite a few chipmunk-related games and online activities up over at FoxFamilyFlicks.com, so if these are up your alley, don’t forget to stop by there for More Munk Mayhem.

So You Want to Be President? is another absolutely spectacular release in the Scholastic Storybook Treasures series of DVDs which gather groups of animated children’s book adaptations together on disc. This topically focused collection focuses upon American politics: the history of her past presidents, a modern look at Capitol Hill, a little girl’s presidential aspirations, and one woman’s journey towards voting equality.

“So You Want to be President” (26 minutes) is based upon the heavily awarded and well-loved children’s picture book of the same title by Judith St. George. The playful use of illustrator David Small’s caricatures, kid-friendly facts about past presidents, and a heaping dose of humor along with presidential trivia make this animated version an even bigger hit (if possible) than the book! Based on the 2000 edition of this title (there is an updated 2004 picture book available), this short film ends with George W. Bush’s controversial election (Election 2000).

“My Senator and Me: A Dog’s-Eye View of Washington, D.C.” (26 minutes) is written Senator Edward M. Kennedy and follows him through his daily rounds through the eyes of his loyal and affable Portuguese water dog. Splash’s playful perspective makes learning about the process of approving bills easy to understand and follow for young children.

“Madam President” (9 minutes and my six-year-old’s favorite) follows a young girl’s slightly megalomaniac aspirations to the presidency while “I Can Do That! Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote” (16 minutes) follows the true-life story of Esther Morris and her journey towards political equality for women the state of Wyoming.

The optional read-along sub-titling highlights each word as it is narrated, providing an English-rich environment for aspiring young readers. Bonuses include an interview with Lane Smith, author and illustrator of Madam President, and “Meet Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Splash” where young viewers get to see the senator and his loyal dog in live action rather than animation. A presidential timeline and simple discussion questions (very brief) are also included. The total running time of the four featured titles is approximately 73 minutes plus bonus features.

This high-interest title is a wonderful choice for some lighthearted relief in the midst of memorizing the names of all the presidents, in celebration of President’s Day, as an adjunct to learning about the political process, or just for plain enjoyment! Now for an interesting admission – we’re Canadians, but we love So You Want to Be President. Regardless of your nationality, exposing children to the ins and outs and major faces of American politics will serve them well. Best of all, my children love this disc and ask for it regularly.

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The Scholastic Storybook Treasures DVD collections of beloved picture books both old and new in animated form have proven to be an economical way to introduce my children to a wide variety of children’s book authors. While watching the massive collection of animated picture books in the Treasury of 100 Storybook Classics two new, particular favorites emerged, Doreen Cronin’s Click, Clack, Moo and her Diary of a Spider.

Needless to say, when a new disc in the series was released containing only Cronin’s stories, we were excited! Giggle, Giggle, Quack contains five full Cronin picture books as adapted for DVD: Giggle, Giggle, Quack: Dooby, Dooby, Moo: Duck for President: Diary of a Worm: and Diary of a Fly.

Like the other titles in the series, each includes the optional read-along feature that highlights words as they are narrated on the DVD, and easy to use story selection navigation, or the option to play all. Additional features include a Spanish version of Giggle, Giggle, Quack, and Duck for President – complete with optional Spanish read-along, an interview with Harry Bliss, illustration of Cronin’s Diary of a… titles, and simple discussion questions for each title. Each of the main titles is between 10 and 15 minutes in length, for a total viewing time of around one hour. When you add in the extras, you have 84 minutes of storybook goodness.

Giggle, Giggle, Quack has also appeared as the lead title on Giggle, Giggle, Quack… and More Funny Favorites, and the two sport nearly identical covers (one green, this one blue), so if you’re looking for the ‘all-Cronin’ title, you’ll want to look for the blue cover.

Cronin hasn’t disappointed us. Her Farmer Brown stories in the vein ofClick, Clack, Moo are delightful forays into the inexplicable world of ducks who write, sing, and campaign for president (not to mention the other farm animals!) Her continued exploration of the up-close and personal lives of insects blends common childhood experiences with playfully related information about insect habits, anatomy, life cycles, and much more!

Giggle, Giggle, Quack is most certainly one of my girls’ favorite DVDs from the Scholastic Storybook Treasures DVD collection. Cheerful, fun, and sneakily educational, boys and girls alike will delight in the antics of Cronin’s creatures while being immersed in a language-rich environment courtesy of the read along subtitling. My children are giving it six fingers up!

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We all have them – our top choices for babysitting DVDs. These are the ones you pop into the DVD player when you’re desperate for 30 minutes of relatively interruption-free time to get some work done. Rock ‘N Learn’s Dance with the Animals DVD for preschoolers is at the absolute top of my list for times when I need to keep my crew occupied.

My children love live-action footage of animals, and animals in general, so the combination of computer animated hosts (Katie Cat, Rex Rooster, Freddy Fox), with real footage of animals, and children dancing in front of colorful backgrounds really fits the bill in our house. They don’t need any encouragement from me they’re soon clapping their hands, imitating animal noises, and prancing around our living room to the lively songs.

Simple animal facts are related in song and through the interaction of the hosts, and animal sounds are also presented for most of the animals (it’s funny listening to my toddler trying to imitate all of their noises). The live footage includes more than 60 creatures, and when they come on screen my 20-month old squeals, points, and jabbers excitedly – this is definitely her favorite part of the DVD, though she loves the dancing songs as well. Animals are presented from the farm, forest, and zoo, as well as common domestic animals and African wildlife.

I was surprised to see how much my older children enjoyed the DVD as well. My three-year-old had actually asked for me to get her a copy, and she loves to dance with her sisters, but even my six-year-old jumps into the action as soon as I pop the disc in. Recommended for children age two and over, the children on-screen correspond with the ages and sizes of my own children – an assortment of preschool and early elementary aged little ones.

The main portion of the DVD is 35 minutes long (my toddler just watched through 27-minutes of it without needing me once.) Two bonus segments are also included, “Where are the Farm Animals?” and “The Sound Farm”. These are a bit corny as they include static images of live animals against a colorful background. These pictures are rocked back and fort to suggest movement. My kids really like “The Sound Farm Song” though the very simple animal location game in “Where are the Farm Animals?” is something of a miss.

The computer-graphics are somewhat simplistic; textures are flat, and colors tend to be simple bold blocks of color. Honestly though, I don’t care! My children adore this DVD; they go absolutely wild for it. That combined with an emphasis on education and movement makes it a winner in my book. Parents may also want to note that this disc presents no information related specifically to either evolution or creation.

This disc won’t give you a quiet time to get some work done – your children will be squealing, laughing, and making animal sounds – but it will certainly keep your children occupied, happy, and they even get to pick up some simple educational information about animal habitats, caring for pets, and other informative tidbits.

A video sample from this DVD can be found on the Rock ‘N Learn website. U.S. readers can use coupon code JQ7711 for a 25% discount there.

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CONTEST CLOSED!

Congratulations to Ed Nemmers, the winner of our Rock ‘n Learn DVD contest!  I hope you all get a chance to check these great DVD’s out – they’re really wonderful!

Life sciences are a fascinating field, and many children are entranced by the study of human anatomy – my six-year-old certainly is. However, the complex body systems, difficult to visualize positioning of organs within three-dimensions, and confusing terminology can make anatomy a difficult subject to master for children.

Rock ‘N Learn’s Human Body DVD is designed to make the study of anatomy, and the reviewing of key facts easy and fun. Designed for children in grades four through eight focuses on exploring the main body systems: skeletal, nervous, muscular, circulatory, urinary, respiratory, digestive, and an overview of the five senses.

The main portion of the DVD “Science Station” follows Kevin as Marko the talking pencil helps him study and review key facts about the human body in preparation for a test. The computer-animated models of various body systems are an incredible improvement on the flat, 2-D diagrams up using. Finally, children can easily picture the workings of the inner ear. A great deal of basic anatomical detail is covered in this 30-minute segment.

A “Practice Test” segment works students through four questions of a multiple choice sample exam (five minutes in length). The DVD’s characters reason through the questions aloud, providing a model for students to follow in their own thinking when facing standardized tests.

Along with a standard scene selection menu, a stand-alone of the “Alimentary Canal Song” which also appears in the main portion of the disc features words at the bottom of the screen. A bonus segment on the “Food Pyramid” is also included to provide basic information about a balanced diet. One of features I appreciated in the “Science Station” segment was an inclusion of health-related information and guidance there as well, expanding the versatility of this DVD beyond the realm of strict anatomy.

Concerned parents should note that no mentions of evolution or creation are mentioned – the DVD sticks to anatomical facts. The DVD also doesn’t cover or mention the reproductive system. Unlike other Rock ‘N Learn titles, there isn’t a strong emphasis on song in Human Body. The strength of this title is including spoken explanations, humor, and easy to understand visual models.

Most exciting however is how much children enjoy this DVD. Though my oldest is well below the age recommendation for this disc she repeatedly asks to watch it. That being said, the presentation isn’t childish, it is animated, and includes talking pencils and a talking butterfly, but Kevin is always treated respectfully as an independent learner.

The Human Body is an excellent supplement to any introductory study of anatomy. If a child masters the facts presented on this disc they’ll have a solid foundation of anatomical knowledge to build upon in more advanced courses of study.

A video sample from this DVD and a full list of the science vocabulary presented on this disc can be found on the Rock ‘N Learn website. U.S. readers can use coupon code JQ7711 for a 25% discount there.

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CONTEST DETAILS:

I have 1 copy of ANY Rock ‘N Learn DVD to give away to one blessed winner in the U.S. or Canada!  To enter, visit Rock ‘N Learn, and tell me which DVD you’d like to win!

For additional entries:

1. Subscribe to this blog for updates – see the left hand sidebar. Leave an additional comment letting me know you’ve subscribed (or if you already subscribe).

2. Write a post on your blog promoting and linking to this contest. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

3. Add the Quiverfull Family button (see the code box in the right hand sidebar under BUTTON UP!) to your blog’s sidebar, or let me know if you already have the button displayed. Leave an additional comment with a link to your post.

4. Digg, Stumble, Tweet, Facebook or otherwise share this post on a social networking site. Leave an additional comment indicating how you shared this post.

5. Follow me on Twitter or let me know if you are an existing follower.

Each additional step taken counts for 1 additional entry. A total of 6 entries are available if you complete all of these steps. Please leave a separate comment for each entry!

The contest will close at 12 a.m. MST on Wednesday, March 24th, 2010. One (1) winner will be randomly drawn for the Rock ‘N Learn DVD on Thursday, March 25th, 2010 and notified by email. Please fill your email address in the comment form when you are completing your comment so that I can contact you. The winners must respond with a mailing address within 72 hours of my email, or a new winner will be chosen. This contest is open to those living in the US/Canada.

I look forward to seeing God bless a reader with a great educational DVD!