Illustrated Apps We Love: “Petting Zoo by Christoph Niemann” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Friends Stickerbook”

Sometimes the life of a blogger is VERY easy: the products we come across are so good, the only problem is finding enough synonyms for the word wonderful. I’m happy to report that this is one of those times. So out comes the old thesaurus, because these apps are stupendous, remarkable, thought-provoking, delightful, and endless fun. And as if that isn’t enough, I’ve come across a top-notch iPad case that you should not do without.

The Crummy and “The Croods”

Movie Review by Jack Silbert
I wish I hadn’t watched the credits. Based on its own merits, The Croods is an entertaining-enough movie for you to take the kids to on a weekend afternoon if there’s nothing better playing. (Hint: Oz the Great and Powerful is still in theaters.) But, I’m a fairly obsessive credit reader—blame Ferris Bueller for me always staying till the theater lights come back on—and there it was. A “story” co-credit for John Cleese. The John Cleese? One of my Monty Python heroes?

Win Personalized Gifts, Room Décor, and Party Stationary Featuring the Beloved Classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar™

This is our week for giveaways! MyChronicleBooks.com is pleased to offer one of our readers a $40 promotion code to spend on their new collection of personalized products featuring The Very Hungry Caterpillar. For a chance to win, just leave a comment to this post with a way to reach you (email preferred) by 5pm EST on Sunday, March 31. And please note, prizes ship to US addresses only! And all of our readers are welcome to 25% off the entire Very Hungry Caterpillar Collection. Just use the promotion code VHC2013 when ordering. The code is valid until April 7, 2013. And good luck!

Win a 3-Month Subscription to Conscious Box!

Subscription boxes have become big news. And Conscious Box has agreed to give one lucky reader a free 3-month subscription. That’s a $59 value. And all of our readers can have a 50% off discount on any Conscious Box subscription right now. Just use the code DISCOVERNATURAL. Enter to win the 3-month subscription by leaving a comment to this post with a way to reach you (email preferred) by 5pm EST on Sunday, March 31.

Win "The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey" Blu-Ray Combo Pack!

Just leave a comment to this post with a way to reach you (email preferred) to win The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Blu-Ray Combo Pack. Enter by leaving your comment to this post by 5pm EST on March 31, 2013.

Finally I See the Emerald City! “Oz the Great and Powerful”

Movie Review by Jack Silbert
With Great and Powerful comes great responsibility. Spider-man trilogy pals Sam Raimi and James Franco team up again for the daunting task of making a Wizard of Oz prequel. And of course you’re not going to match one of the Greatest Screen Achievements of All Time—you’re not only competing with the actual film itself, but with people’s nostalgic attachment to it. And a great and powerful nostalgia it is! Luckily, your kids won’t be carrying too much of that baggage as they follow the yellow-brick road. So I think they’ll have a lot of fun on this trip.

It’s Like Goodreads for Kids: Meet the Creators of Kidsmomo.com

Interview by Jack Silbert
If your 8-to-12-year-old kids love to read, you may want to introduce them to Kidsmomo.com! The site, launched by children’s publishing professionals Karen Wang and Nancy Tsai in 2009, has a brilliantly simple concept: Recommendations of kids’ books from fellow kids. Who better to suggest a great read than your peers? In addition to kid-written reviews (330 and counting), there are author interviews; Karen and Nancy’s book suggestions, movie reviews, and blog posts; sweepstakes for signed books; teacher-friendly content packages (book list, podcast, and video) on a wide variety of themes; and plenty more. And the site practically bursts with a genuine sense of fun and an unbridled enthusiasm for the world of reading. I recently sat down with Karen and Nancy to discuss their website, trends in middle-grade literature, and recent children’s books that they think are awesome.