Goodnight Moon and Other Stories by HBO

“Does everybody dream?” asks a little boy in a studio interview.  “We all dream, every night, even though you may not remember it. But, hey, I mean, like, dreams are very important,” answers another one.

My question is, “How does HBO know kids so well?!”

This charming DVD has been one my Maya’s favorites this past year so we decided to gift all her little friends for the holidays.

I had originally recorded the half hour special from HBO. Around the time we ran out of space on our DVR, I realized I could buy the DVD from Amazon.

In its core, the performances bring together childhood classics like Goodnight Moon and There’s a Nightmare in My Closet with Hollywood stars like Susan Sarandon and Billy Crystal. You’ll also hear Tony Bennett, Aaron Neville and Lauryn Hill singing.

What makes the DVD so special for everyone, parents and kids, are the studio interviews with children peppered throughout the program. These kids are so smart, so perceptive, so special — like most kids are! Their interpretations of life lessons are charming, laughter-inducing, truly magical. We never tire of watching this! It is the perfect end to many a busy day.

You can now buy it on Amazon for an unbeliavable $6.47. Money well spent!

Eloise’s Infectious Christmas Spirit

You gotta love 7 am requests to watch TV. As I crawl out of bed at my daughter’s request, all I can think about is coffee — not channel surfing.

Luckily Maya recently figured out that if she really does want to watch something first thing in the morning, it has to be a DVD, something she can choose and operate by herself.

Eloise at the Plaza has been a favorite since we brought it home a couple of months ago. Kay Thompson’s adorable six year old comes to life in this 2003 Disney release starring my personal favorite Julie Andrews as the Nanny. It’s one of those rare DVDs that I don’t mind watching over and over again along with Maya.

For the holidays, try Eloise at Christmastime. Not only will you get to enjoy Eloise’s infectious Christmas spirit but also join in on the fun as she gets involved in an elaborate wedding preparation.

A double trouble two-DVD set starring the delightful Sophia Vassilieva would make the perfect holiday gift for any five year old. (We’re participating in an obvious underage watching over in our house!) Available on Amazon.  

Laurie Berkner and Friends DVD

There’s nothing cuter than a bunch of two year olds rocking it out to their favorite tunes. The laughter and dancing are so infectious that even the most reluctant chaperone is bound to crack a smile if not get up and join the festivities himself.

Such was the scene at a neighbor’s home a few weeks ago when we all got together to celebrate Arisya’s second birthday. I first came across Laurie Berkner in 2003 through her charity work titled “Bumblebees & Googleheads: Fun Songs by Laurie Berkner,”  a CD she had recorded to help Steps to Art raise money to fund preschool arts education initiatives.

Over the last fewy ears we were able to take Maya to one live show, when she was entirely too young to enjoy it thoroughly as well as suffering from a bad ear infection, and have listened to her CDs over and over again. We even bought a VHS of a live performance but the production was so blurry that we couldn’t bear to watch it more than once.

This year Laurie Berkner and her band came out with an extremely well-though-out and well-produced DVD featuring Laurie, Brian, Susie and preschooler friends performing some of Maya’s favorite songs. Victor Vito and The Goldfish tops our list! The reviews on Amazon are a must-read and considering how many viewings it will get, the DVD is a bargain at $14.99, again on Amazon.com.