"All year round,
there are special months, weeks and days to celebrate—but
is there anything more rewarding than sharing time with family? August is Family
Fun Month and a good time to consider putting aside the many things that interfere
with quality family time to celebrate the joy of being together with family… and
friends too!
Family Fun Month just happens to coincide with the August 6th
DVD release of the multiple award-winning half-hour animated family film, Room
on the Broom, from NCircle Entertainment. Based on the #1 best-selling
children’s picture book in America, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel
Scheffler (the same author and illustrator team that created the critically acclaimed
The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s
Child), Room on the Broom
is filled with humor and adventure, and teaches the importance of family,
friends and teamwork!
Room on the Broom DVD
Cover
Room on the Broom
Picture Book Cover:
"Why
not kick-off Family Fun Month with Family Movie Night? In Room
on the Broom, the
witch and her cat couldn't be happier, flying through the sky on their
broomstick—until the witch drops her hat, then her bow, then her wand! Luckily,
three helpful animals—a dog, a parrot and a frog—find the missing
items and all they want in return is a ride on the broomstick. But is there
room on the broom for so many new friends? The kindly witch thinks there is—much to the frustration of her
cat. But when disaster strikes, and the witch is about to be eaten by a
fearsome dragon, she is saved by the gang of animals, all working
together. The witch’s cat learns the importance of friends and
family, and the witch rewards her new friends with a magnificent broom that
is big enough for everyone!
Beautiful
CGI animation brings the book’s drawings to life under the direction of Max
Lang. Gillian Anderson (The X Files) provides the voice of the witch;
while Timothy Spall of Harry Potter fame, lends his voice
to the dragon. Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead)
narrates the story which also features the recognizable voices of Martin Clunes, Rob Brydon and David Walliams
portraying the helpful animals that comprise the witch’s family. Room on the Broom is produced by Magic Light Pictures (the team behind
award-winning animations The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s
Child).
Complete
Family Movie Night by enjoying
together the fun-filled activities available for FREE for download
at NCircle Entertainment’s activity site, EntertainmentThatEducates.com, including a coloring page featuring all of the
endearing characters from the film; the “find the…” challenge that incorporates
counting skills; templates for creating your own Room on the Broom
finger puppets; and the elements for creating your very own magical wand!
There’s also a word search puzzle and a dizzying maze to navigate.
The Room on
the Broom has already earned numerous awards and accolades, including
Britain’s Royal Television Award for “Best Children’s Program” and France’s
Annecy Animation Festival’s Crystal Award for “Best TV Production.” It has been
named “Best Animated Short” by the Toronto International Film Festival Kid’s
Festival; was the “Audience Choice” at the Cleveland International Film
Festival; and was the winner of the Curtinhas Competition for children’s
programming at the Curtas Vila do Conde Film Festival
in Portugal.
And now for even
more family fun! Get a jump-start on Halloween this August by creating
a witches costume with your child. Most people have the basics they need right
at home, except for the broom, which you may have to purchase:
To make the
witches magic wand:
Click on the below picture, print out and follow directions:
To make a witches
hat, you will need:
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Pencil
• Ruler
• String
• Glue
• Compass
• Stapler
• Things to decorate your hat
with:
glitter, craft foam, felt
sheet, etc.
Note:
•
Kids 8 years and
younger should use child-safe scissors.
•
Keep the stapler out
of young children's reach.
See
complete details here:
To make a
costume:
You can create the costume using a black
top, skirt and tights, or even a black trash bag! Cut out the head hole and
arms, then try on the bag for size to see how much of the bag to cut. Cut the bottom of the trash bag off in
zig zags or v-shapes. The part of the bag that was cut off can be used for the
belt, or use some rope. Add black plastic over any pair of shoes!
For the broom:Use any old broom you have at home, or check out how to make these fun mini-brooms: http://www.makeandtakes.com/
Need more Family Fun
Ideas for the month of August? Here are just a few:
August 23 is Ride the Wind Day
No broom is required as you can catch a ride on a
gentle summer breeze by flying a kite, riding a bike, standing on a hill or
just driving in the car with the windows down!
August
26 is National Dog Day
Where
would our witch be without the help of a dog? This day, organized by the National Dog Day Foundation, honors
dogs everywhere for all that they do for us – love, companionship, protection,
service, safety and so much more. Get your kids involved by playing a little
longer with your family pooch, by volunteering at your local animal shelter,
donating unwanted blankets to OperationBlankets of Love or by
making a family donation to one of the many worthy animal rescue groups.
August
27 is Just Because Day
As the
final days of summer get swept into the early days of Fall, this holiday gives
us all a chance to do something special
“just because.” Replicate the kindness of the witch and the helpfulness
of the dog, bird and frog. Open your heart as the cat ultimately did—and before
you know it… iggety, ziggety, zaggety, zoom … you’ll be falling in love with Room
on the Broom!
Planning
ahead for Halloween gifts? Although the Room on the Broom book is not a
traditional Halloween story, it is Penguin Publishing’s best-selling Halloween
title, selling over 500,000 copies in 2011/2012. So stock up on Room on
the Broom to share with your friends and family! Room on the
Broom DVDs are available at Target, Walmart, Toys”R”Us, amazon.com,
Kmart, and many other retailers (SRP $9.99); Room on the Broom books
are available everywhere books are sold (SRP: 16.99)."
---
My Thoughts:
I don't know about you, but I love being able to read a book and then watch a movie based on the book, and then compare the two to see which was done better, or if certain points were left out of each. So, when I was recently contacted from the folks at NCircle Entertainment to review their recent release, "Room on the Broom" in both DVD and book format, I couldn't resist. Having never read the book or seen the movie, I had no idea what it would be about. When I received the book and DVD to review, I first read the book, and then watched the DVD, before sharing both with the girls and my niece and nephew.
Usually you associate witches and cats with Halloween, but this book and movie can be enjoyed year road, as it deals with some great lessons about friendship and family. I was happy to see the book and movie were the same. As for the book, it had a nice rhyming scheme to it, which kept the kids engaged, as they listened and looked at the beautiful illustrations. My youngest was a little scared of the hungry dragon, but perked up when she saw that the witch was fine and was able to cast a spell and make a broom that would fit both her and her new friends. Everyone enjoyed the 60 minute video, which also included some great extras including an artwork gallery, Julia Donaldson Live Performance (my personal favorite) and behind the scenes feature.
We have only had the book and DVD for a couple weeks, but they have already become favorites in our house, which the DVD being watched a few times a week, and Savannah asking me to read the book to her, so that she can point out the cat, dog, bird, frog, as well as the silly witch with the wart on her nose. She gets a kick out of the wart, and calls it a big boo boo. :-)
So, if you are looking for a great movie/book combination to pick up and share with your children, this would one to consider. And, even though it can be enjoyed year round, it would also make for a great segway into the upcoming Halloween season.
Don't forget to follow NCircle Entertainment and Room on the Broom through their social pages below --
NCircle Entertainment Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/
Room on the Broom website: roomonthebroom.com/us
Room on the Broom website: roomonthebroom.com/us
Penguin website: http://www.us.penguingroup.
Room on the
Broom Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/
Room on the
Broom Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/NCircleE/
--GIVEAWAY--
One lucky reader will win a copy of the recent DVD release of "Room on the Broom," thanks to the folks at NCircle Entertainment. To win, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!
Disclosure: I was sent a DVD and book to review from NCircle Entertainment. The views shared are mine and mine alone.
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