Author: cvegnad

October 12, 2016

Skylanders Heroes Come to Life in Skylanders Academy

How many of you have children that are obsessed with Skylanders? Our kids LOVE the video game! They even play with the character figure pieces even when they aren’t playing the video game. And now your little ones can watch their favourite heroes come to life in Skylanders Academy premiering on Netflix on October 28th.

About Skylanders Academy

Skylanders Academy follows the heroic adventures of the Skylanders team, a ragtag group of heroes with unique elemental skills who travel the vast Skylands universe, protecting it from evil-doers. They achieve victory by setting aside their egos, learning to trust one another and fighting as one to maintain harmony and balance in the land. Led by showrunner Eric Rogers (Futurama), the animated action-adventure series features the voices of Justin Long (Dodge Ball) as Spyro, Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical, Phineas and Ferb) as Stealth Elf, Jonathan Banks (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) as Eruptor and Norm MacDonald (Saturday Night Live) as Glumshanks. Additional voice talent includes Susan Sarandon, Daniel Wu, Parker Posey, James Hetfield, Catherine O’Hara, Chris Diamantopoulos and Harland Williams, among others.

Netflix members worldwide will learn the “Skylander way” –and enjoy all of the humor and heart in between– starting with 12 episodes this Fall and continuing with a second season in late 2017. Skylanders Academy is the first project from Activision Blizzard Studios.

Trailer

Get ready to have fun and watch our heroes protect the universe from evil!

Disclosure: I am a StreamTeam Member and receive perks associated with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 12, 2016

Blinky Bill: The Movie DVD Giveaway

Get ready to venture across the exotic Australian outback with the world-famous Australian koala Blinky Bill when the highly anticipated animated feature BLINKY BILL: THE MOVIE arrives on Blu-ray™ , DVD, iTunes, and VOD on October 11, 2016 from Shout! Factory Kids.

About Blinky Bill: The Movie

Blinky Bill (voiced by Ryan Kwanten) is a little koala with a big imagination. An adventurer at heart, he dreams of leaving the little town of Green Patch and following in his missing father’s footsteps. Mr. Bill went missing in the Outback some time ago and Blinky is the only one who believes his father is still alive. When Blinky discovers a mysterious marker that hints at his dad’s whereabouts, he embarks on a journey that takes him beyond the boundary of Green Patch and into the wild and dangerous Outback. He quickly makes friends with Nutsy, a zoo koala, and Jacko, a nervous frill-necked lizard. Pursued relentlessly by a vengeful cat (voiced by Rufus Sewell) who has a personal score to settle with Blinky, the trio must learn to work together if they ever want to survive the rugged Australian landscape and find Blinky’s father!

Blinky Bill is one of Australia’s most recognized characters and a bona fide icon. The lovable antics of the mischievous koala have captured the hearts of millions since the release of The Adventures of Blinky Bill book series in 1933. In 1992, the first feature film Blinky Bill, The Mischievous Koala was released in major territories. This was followed by several successful TV series and movies which continue to air around the world today.

Bonus Content:

music video
The plot
The Characters
The Evolution
The Voice Actors
What’s Your Favourite Aussie Animal?
What’s Your Favourite Aussie Food?

Our Thoughts

Blinky Bill is an absolutely adorable must see movie! We were giggling at his antics (he tries so hard to be just like his Dad!) and his adventures. He is adventurous, loving, caring and kind koala bear who wants to be an adventurer. When he decides to go out into the world to find his Father, he meets a fantastic new friend, a relentless foe and a world he could never have imagined. His first encounter of the human world is interesting – I felt sad for the way we have taken over their environment and made it so difficult for them but at the same time they added in some humour as Blinky Bill tries jelly beans and other sweets for the first time!

Nutsy adds in a whole new level of humour to the movie – she just wants to get back to her zoo, maybe have a spa day. She is just too precious in this movie but I love watching her change and grow as a koala as she travels with Blinky Bill.

Blinky Bill: The Movie is an exciting, humourous family fun movie that everyone in the house will love. It had us giggling and wondering what Blinky Bill and his friends would get up to next.

Make sure you print out this colouring page, connect the dots and activity page all on Blinky Bill.

Trailer

The Giveaway!

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Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 10, 2016

Michelangelo’s Ghost

In Michelangelo’s Ghost, a lost work of art linking India to the Italian Renaissance. A killer hiding behind a centuries-old ghost story. And a hidden treasure in Italy’s macabre sculpture garden known as the Park of Monsters… Can treasure-hunting historian Jaya Jones unmask a killer ghost?

About Michelangelo’s Ghost

Filled with the unexpected twists, vivid historical details, and cross-cultural connections Pandian is known for, Michelangelo’s Ghost is the most fast-paced and spellbinding Jaya Jones novel to date.

When Jaya’s old professor dies under eerie circumstances shortly after discovering manuscripts that point to a treasure in Italy’s Park of Monsters, Jaya and her brother pick up the trail. From San Francisco to the heart of Italy, Jaya is haunted by a ghost story inexorably linked to the masterpieces of a long-dead artist and the deeds of a modern-day murderer. Untrustworthy colleagues, disappearing boyfriends, and old enemies—who can Jaya trust when the ghost wails?

My Thoughts

An exciting, adventure and educational full novel that demands your attention and leaves you never wanting to put it down.

I love history, I took the majority of my university electives in anthropology and history while studying for my Bachelor’s degree. I loved learning about people that lived hundreds of years ago, their culture and their beliefs. This story is based on one of the greatest artists in history – Michelangelo. In this novel, we find missing art, unfinished manuscripts, deception and a murder.

Jaya, a strong, intelligent young woman who I admired throughout the novel, heads to Italy with her brother and his new girlfriend to follow the missing trail of art. This is when the story gets very interesting! We find a town wrapped up in superstition (not uncommon for these parts), secrets, lies and a garden full of mystery. Every layer of this novel is intricately woven and revealed to us slowly. The path the novel follows is not one I had expected! I definitely was not expecting the ending that happened but it was perfect and fit the book excellently.

Michelangelo’s Ghost is a well written novel that draws you in chapter by chapter, as you follow Jaya as she seeks to help discover a possible lost art treasure and hiding spot of the great artist. It is full of mystery, suspense and leaves you on the edge of your seat to the last minute. You will not regret one minute of this novel!

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian is the child of cultural anthropologists from New Mexico and the southern tip of India. She spent her childhood being dragged around the world, and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Gigi writes the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mysteries, the Accidental Alchemist mysteries, and locked-room mystery short stories. Gigi’s debut novel, Artifact, was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant and named a “Best of 2012” debut by Suspense Magazine. Her fiction has been awarded the Lefty Award and short-listed for Macavity and Agatha Awards. Sign up for her email newsletter at www.gigipandian.com/newsletter.

You can connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 10, 2016

Killer In the Band Spotlight

It’s the summer of love and murder in Killer In the Band.

About Killer In the Band

Joshua’s eldest son, Joshua “J.J.” Thornton Jr., has graduated at the top of his class from law school and returns home to spend the summer studying for the bar exam. However, to Joshua’s and Cameron’s shock and dismay, J.J. moves into the main house at Russell Ridge Farm, the largest dairy farm in the Ohio Valley, to rekindle a romance with Suellen Russell, a onetime leader of a rock group who’s twice his age. Quickly, they learn that she has been keeping a deep dark secret.

The move brings long-buried tensions between the father and son to the surface. But when a brutal killer strikes, the Lovers in Crime must set all differences aside to solve the crime before J.J. ends up in the cross hairs of a murderer.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the Author

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real Gnarly) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with Lauren: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Book Trailer!

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this spotlight and review later this month. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 7, 2016

Fall Activities with Raincoast Books #PlayTestShare

As we enter back into school and the cooler weather, it becomes time to be more creative with our indoor play and activities with our children. We want to keep them entertained, learning and having fun all at the same time. Raincoast Books has an excellent section of activities for your child to learn and have fun with. We were able to try out their Animals Matching Game and Make & Move: Monsters over the last few weeks and had a blast trying out the game and creating puppet shows.

Alain Gree Animals Matching Game

It’s an animal menagerie! Kids will delight in this classic matching game, featuring the timeless art of beloved French picture book illustrator Alain Gree. It’s the perfect opportunity to identify favorite animals, and to discover new ones. Large, sturdy cards are ideal for small hands, and the game play of discovering 18 different animals builds memory, concentration, and matching skills.

Our Thoughts

Our family LOVED this matching game! There were plenty of cards, which were made out of a sturdy material so you know your child wont be able to rip them or bend them in their excitement – which can happen! The cards were brightly coloured, easy to recognize pictures and also contained the name of the animal, which is great for learning. When we first opened up this activity, we ended up playing five games in a row – our youngest LOVED it that much! The rules came with the game but our youngest seemed to enjoy making up his own rules to this game (pretty much every turn is his turn!!!). Even with these little game alterations we had a super fun time with the matching game.

You can purchase a copy of this game on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

Make & Move Monsters

Have fiendish fun with this collection of creepy critters, from graveyard ghouls and villainous vampires to spooky skeletons and slippery deep-sea monsters. Create fantastic model comes with easy-to-follow assembly instructions, and no scissors or glue required! Contains nine ready-to-play monsters, plus three to color in with your own fantastic designs.

Our Thoughts

Pop up monsters that your child can make move – all of which can be created without glue and scissors? YES PLEASE! There are nine monsters that you can make in this activity book. There are instructions in the beginning of the book, these are very easy to follow but I think this activity would definitely be geared to a slightly older child. While our youngest couldn’t wait for his monster to be made, he definitely would not have been able to make it himself. While made out of paper, the ways the monsters are folded and bend into place made them quite sturdy for play and less likely to rip. The monsters also moved when you pulled on one section of them to create a pretty cool open mouth or a lifting arms effect. The monsters took probably about ten to fifteen minutes to put together and then we were able to act out monster attacks after, our youngest loves Hotel Transylvania so this was just like bringing the characters to life for him!

You can purchase a copy of this activity book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

What are your favourite fall activities to do indoors?

Disclosure: I received each of the above mentioned activities in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.