Favorite Family Media during a year of the pandemic

 

 

It's been about a year since our family started staying home full time to stay healthy and stop the spread of COVID-19 the best way we know how.  And in that year, we have consumed a LOT of media as a family -- TV shows, movies, podcasts, apps... I've talked a lot about apps elsewhere, but I don't think I've ever given TV show recommendations and I've only done a few podcast reviews, but those are TOTALLY media and as a librarian, media is my jam, so why not extend recommendations for those as well?  In that spirit, here are my family's favorites from the past year (or so) in the order in which we discovered them:

TV Shows (all animated)

Hilda -- based on a graphic novel series starring a blue haired girl tuned in to the supernatural creatures around her, this was a great adaptation for television. Some of the situations she encounters are genuinely creepy, so if you've got really young kids or kids who are prone to nightmares, pre-watch a few episodes in the middle to make sure your kid can handle them.

Avatar: the last Airbender -- the longest series we watched and probably my kids' favorite, this tells the epic tale of three kids (2 siblings and one friend) trying to save the realm. In this realm, there's a nation for each of the 4 elements -- air, water, earth, fire -- and when the story starts, the Fire Nation has conquered pretty much the entire realm, but then the last Airbender (a person who can wield Air Magic) returns.  This series has a lot of battle scenes and intense action (so again, consider pre-watching a few episodes to make sure your kids can handle it) but also a lot of humor and friendship and even some elements of light romance. This series also has some related graphic novels!

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts --  This one is my personal favorite. Eternally optimistic, pink-haired Kipo explores her post-apocalyptic world, populated by sentient animals. I love how in this show even the most evil antagonists have fully developed storylines that make them into sympathetic characters by the end and while not all of them may change their behaviors at the end of the story, they are all given a chance to do so.  Plus, the illustrations are lush and imaginative and weird and delightful.

Podcasts

The Imagine Neighborhood -- I discovered this one after it won the Excellence in Early Learning Digital Media Award from ALA and my daughter and I both love it! While I normally wouldn't be excited to listen to a kids podcast about socio-emotional learning, these guys have spun together the PERFECT balance of silly characters, ridiculous storylines, music (not "kids" music--stuff you'd hear on the radio) and just enough talk about emotions that we keep wanting to come back and listen again.  We laugh out loud together AND STILL when asked to tell her grandparents what the show was about, she talked about the emotion content, not Princess Donnasaurus or Macho Supreme (two of my favorite characters). 

Discover the Forest -- My family had made big plans to travel to see some National Parks for Spring Break 2020 and although those plans were cancelled, we were able to enjoy "traveling" to some National Parks through this podcast.  I love that this podcast stars a Latino family, complete with Spanish phrases sprinkled throughout and their family dynamic is so joyful (ahhh... something to aspire to when we're all getting on each other's last nerve here at my house). This podcast is only available through a Pinna subscription.

Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest -- Grimm Fairytales retold in podcast form by Adam Gidwitz, author of  A Tale Dark and Grimm and other Grimm retellings. Adam knows his way around 3rd graders and doesn't shy away from the gross, weird elements of the original Grimm fairytales. The podcast is even better than the books because he breaks off to have conversational asides with a class of 3rd graders and get their feedback about the story (which is sometimes the funniest part of the episode). I also appreciate that he ranks each story as "Grimm" "Grimmer" or "Grimmest" so that listeners can choose which stories are best for them to hear and he suggests that if a story starts feeling too intense that they skip ahead 30 seconds until the story is less intense.  These are GREAT self-regulatory suggestions for kids to try out! This podcast is most fully accessed through a Pinna subscription, but some episodes are also available for free on other podcast apps and websites -- search your favorite podcast source to see if you can access it there.

Recommended Podcasts: just in time for winter break travel

UPDATE:  Pinna has shared a promo code with us!  If you'd like to try out the Pinna subscription podcast app, use the code HOLIDAY to receive $5 off your first payment.  (Not sure when this expires, so if you try it and it doesn't work, please leave a comment here and I'll take this little update off the post.)

It's time for another podcast round-up!  My kids are ages 5 & 9 this year and enjoy listening to funny things and don't mind intense storytelling.  If you've got kids with similar tastes, here are a few of my family's favorite listens from this year (in order from best for oldest listeners to youngest):

Six Minutes:
Each episode is only 6 minutes long and strung all together they tell an epic tale full of intrigue, adventure and suspense.  Heads up: these do get a little intense at times (at least one character dies), and there are a lot of characters to keep track of, but in 6-minute doses it's not too bad.  You'll definitely want to start at the beginning of the series with this one and there's over a year's worth of episodes to catch up on at this point, so it should last you awhile on your next road trip.

Grimm, Grimmer, Grimmest:
This podcast is based on the books of the same title by Adam Gidwitz.  The podcasts may be even better than the books because he includes interjections from 3rd grade classes that he visits and they break up the weirdest, most intense parts of the tales.  He also tells listeners at the beginning whether each tale is rated "Grimm" "Grimmer" or "Grimmest" and encourages them to choose for themselves what they're ready to listen to.  Also, they're funny.

Pants on Fire:
A gameshow where one authentic expert and one person posing as an expert on the same subject try to convince a kid judge that they're both telling the truth and are the expert on the topic.  An excellent introduction to learning how to decide whether someone is telling the truth or not (an important skill in this digital age especially!).

Don't Break the Rules:
Another game show (exclusively available through the subscription app, Pinna) where four voice actors are assigned characters that they must develop a voice for (e.g. a lazy lollipop!) and then maintain throughout the rest of the show while competing in improvisational exercises.  Truly hilarious fun, even for adults to listen to.

Molly of Denali:
Based on the same world as the PBS show of the same name, this podcast follows the adventures of Molly, an Alaska Native.  It includes snippets of the Gwich’in language and elements of her culture in light-hearted stories about her day-to-day life.

Remy's Place:
Another Pinna original only available through their app, this one follows Remy, whose parents own a cafe called Remy's Place.  It's a hopping establishment, but his gentle parents (and the staff of the cafe) always find time for a kind word or interaction with Remy.  Fun side-note: his "aunt Norah" is Norah Jones.

Bonus: This Podcast Has  Fleas
I realized that I've never reviewed this podcast on the blog and wanted to remedy that situation.  My daughter was OBSESSED with this podcast for a long time and unfortunately, this podcast has only 6 episodes (wah!!).  It is quick-paced wit featuring a dog and a cat who each host their own podcast-within-a-podcast, perfect for listeners of all ages. I can vouch that the humor stands up through at least the first 5 or 6 repeat listens (by the 10th I had whole episodes memorized, I think). It features some fantastic voice actors including Emily Lynne, Jay Pharoah, Eugene Mirman and Alec Baldwin.

Be sure to check out my past podcast reviews here, here and here.

You can see my review on the NBC15 newscast here.

Win a Pillow Play Set from Sago Mini!

 

Hey everybody!  Have you ever used Madison Public Library's App Recommendation Page?  Or gotten other app advice from me in other ways (App Fairy Podcast, The Supper Club App Storytime, etc.)?  I'm looking to streamline and improve the library's app recommendation services and would love your feedback. 

Please take a moment to complete this survey before January 31, 2019 and you could be entered to win one of these fabulous Sago Mini Pillow Playsets (or other app-related goodies)!

Thanks a bunch!

Podcasts for Families: The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian

I'm a little late posting this one, but... here's my hilarious interview with Jonathan Messinger of The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian.

We were so excited to welcome him to Madison for a live show on June 30th of this year.  85 people came to the Memorial Union to see him, some even wore costumes!  He did a live, choose-your-own-adventure Finn Caspian story, then everyone got a chance to come try out a voice effect on his microphone and take home a Finn Caspian button or sticker. 

Podcasts for Families: The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel

There's a new podcast interview up on the Joan Ganz Cooney Center blog.  Check out my chat with Chris Tarry, creator of the atmospheric and eerie Mars Patel podcast.

Locals: If you love kids' podcasts, you're probably familiar with The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian.  We're hosting a LIVE RECORDING of the show right here in Madison on Saturday, June 30th as part of the Click! Youth Media Festival!  Get more information and register for this event right here.

Podcasts for Kids: Wow in the World!

Check out the second installment of my Podcasts for Families series on the Joan Ganz Cooney Center Blog--an interview with Mindy Thomas from Wow in the World!

The App Fairy interviews Toca Boca!

image from: Target

You guys.  THIS is the episode I've been dreaming of ever since I started this series.  I interviewed TOCA BOCA!  Read more about it here.  Listen to the show and see photos and downloads here. 

YAY!!

p.s. This will likely be my last App Fairy episode ever.  If you want to see more App Fairy content, please take a moment to fill out the survey here and I'll send you lots of free stuff as a thank you!

New blog interview series: Podcasts for Kids!

Hey everyone! Does your family listen to podcasts in the car together? Mine does!  I'm starting a new monthly blog series over on the Joan Ganz Cooney Center blog where I interview some of our favorite podcasters.  January featured an interview with the creator of the Eleanor Amplified podcast.  Check it out!

New book (and podcast episode) about kids and screen time

I've got a new episode of the App Fairy in the works (so exciting!) but while I'm polishing it up, here's a great podcast interview about kids and screen time.  I've been reading about this issue for YEARS, but learned a few new things from this author, so give it a listen!

https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/find-right-amount-screen-time

It's based on a new book (which I haven't read yet) called The Art of Screen Time: how your family can balance digital media and real life by Anya Kamenetz

Don't forget!  Although I'm not doing a regular monthly app storytime this season, there will be a few app storytimes (called the Supper Club) at other branches.

April 3, Pinney Library, 6:00

May 3, Central Library, 6:00

App Fairy interviews Tinybop

I was very excited to have the opportunity to interview Tinybop -- one of my favorite app developers for elementary school kids!  Check out the recording plus a TON of extra resources here.  

Several of their apps are currently on sale in iTunes and one is free for the next few days -- this is a rare treat, so snap them up soon!

App Fairy interviews Originator (of the "Endless" apps)

I'm a little behind on posting App Fairiy episodes here on the blog, but here's a link to the App Fairy's conversation with Originator.  Enjoy!

Nosy Crow!

There's a new podcast episode from the App Fairy, featuring an interview with Kate Wilson of Nosy Crow.

You can also watch a review of their app, "Complete FairyTale Theatre" on NBC15 by clicking the photo above!

Read my review of the FairyTale Play Theater app here.

App Fairy, episode 2: Ahoiii!

My second episode of the podcast is up! It's an interview with the makers of the apps about the little sailor named Fiete.  You can read more about the episode here or just listen to the recording right away at www.appfairy.org.  The website now also has links to the App Fairy on iTunes, Stitcher and TuneIn in case you prefer to listen to podcasts on your phone.  Don't miss the exciting episode extras!

The App Fairy Podcast

You.

Guys.

I. have. a. podcast.

Sponsored by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.

What??

This has been a brainchild wish of mine for almost two years and it is FINALLY coming true and I am SO geeking out over it.

Check out my blog post on the Cooney Center's site here.

Check out the podcast here.

Then, leave me a review in iTunes (or wherever you get your podcasts from) or leave a comment here on this post and tell me what you think!  Do you have a favorite app developer you'd like to see interviewed?  Do you have a burning question you've always wanted to ask app makers?  Do you think I giggle too much during the interviews (hint: yes)?  Chime in!

Special report: Podcasts for Kids!

I've been listening to podcasts in the van with my kids lately.  They are ages 2 & 6 and now whenever we get into the car, they both loudly request that we listen to their current favorite (whichever that is).  I learned about our favorites through the ZooGlobble blog (also an excellent resource for discovering great kids music), but I thought I'd share our favorites in case you, or your library patrons, are seeking something different to listen to on an upcoming road trip (or just across town to get some groceries).  All of these podcasts are free to download and listen to and you can subscribe to them so that you get notifications when new episodes are available.

These are ranked in order of preference of my 6 year old son:

#6 -- Story Pirates Podcast
"Kids write stories, we act 'em out and kids write more" says their theme song and that's pretty much what this podcast is all about.  Kids' original tales (complete with ridiculousness and non-sequiturs) read in their original form, then dramatically re-enacted by the Story Pirates cast, often with extra music and sound effects and sometimes story details added in.

#5 -- Gather 'Round Kids
An improv group tells kids stories around the microphone.  The recording quality on these is uneven (some voices are often louder than others), but my kids both enjoyed this whole series.

#4 -- Shabam!
Hilarious, fast-paced science drama adventure!  Learn interesting scientific information within a storyline about a zombie epidemic.  This is one of my favorites to listen to!

#3 -- The Radio Adventures of Eleanor Amplified
Retro-styled antics of a radio reporter named Eleanor Amplified.  Follow her adventures as she is aided by a motley crew of characters (including "Captain Conn Seannery") in their attempts to thwart and expose the evil plottings of Angela Brandt and her corporation MegaBlurg.

#2 -- The Imaginary Accomplishments Podcast
Silliness in the extreme! A variety show being broadcast from a rocketship exploring the galaxy, hosted by two large space bunnies, Marvy and Finch.  My favorite feature are the ads for things like "Holitos, the snack that's only holes." Tons and tons of puns, you might need to listen to this one more than once to catch all the jokes as they're often quite subtle and I'm guessing that many go over my son's head, but I still enjoy them.

#1 -- The Alien Adventures of Finn Caspian
This is the podcast that my son asks about every day when I pick him up from school.  "Is there a new Finn Caspian yet, mom?" (New episodes come out each week!) An original space adventure written and hosted by Jonathan Messinger and his "editor" and son, Griffin.  We are huge fans of the robot character (I won't spoil the surprise of his name which we don't learn until a few episodes in).  My librarian self LOVES that this podcast includes tons of literary references, not only to classic kid lit but also to really great fresh, current books for kiddos.  Top marks!

Do you have favorite podcasts for kids?  Please share a link and description in the comments section below!  I hope you discover a new favorite here on this list!