A Christmas in July Brother Francis Review

Today is "Christmas in July" so I'm going to tell you about another Brother Francis DVD that I should have reviewed about seven or eight months ago.  Why did I take so long?  Well, there was the pregnancy related exhaustion and the nausea which was induced by looking at any sort of screen or text, and then there was the serious strep A infection from the cut on my finger just weeks before Christmas that posed a nice threat to both the baby and my well being which pretty much limited my using my right hand for a couple of weeks.  And by the time all was once again well with me, Christmas had come and gone and Lent was on it's way.  Sigh.  So that's the nickel tour of why I'm reviewing a Christmas DVD and companion coloring book in July.

In Brother Francis The King is Born children will learn about the true meaning of Christmas.  As with other episodes of Brother Francis, I love how well our faith is explained to little ones in a way that is right on their level and in a way that they will take to heart.  In this episode, Brother Francis beautifully explains how Christmas isn't just about getting gifts and having parties, but rather, it's all about celebrating the birthday of Jesus.  The segment where he explains this is sure to reach little ones.

As children watch this DVD they will learn the story of the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah and the birth of John the Baptist, along with the stories of the annunciation, the visitation, the nativity of Our Lord and the presentation.  Throughout the episode there are some great songs some of which, you and your child may already be familiar with.

My youngest daughter was glued to my laptop when I put this DVD on for the first time since Advent.  She's seen this episode many times but I've never seen her so drawn to it like she was today.  When it was over she wanted to see more.  How awesome is that?  As a parent, you can't help but be thrilled when your child wants to watch such good program that helps in laying a solid foundation of faith.  I really can't recommend the Brother Francis series enough.

When I received the DVD of "The King is Born," I was also sent a copy of the companion Coloring & Activity Book.  The book is filled with coloring pages and activities that are appropriate for children between the ages of pre-school and second grade.

This DVD is great not only for sharing with your own children toddler through age ten, but it's also ideal for a religious education class.  I have shown several of the previous Brother Francis episodes to my kindergarten religious education classes over the years and they're always a hit with the kids. 

I was provided with review copies of The King is Born DVD and the companion Coloring & Activity Book by the publisher, Herald Entertainment, for the purpose of this review.  Visit Brother Francis Online for more information or to place an order.  Christmas will be here before you know it!  This episode will be the perfect way the help prepare the hearts and minds of little ones  for the Christmas season this Advent.

Movie Review: The Story of Saint Augustine

A few years ago I got my girls The Story of Saint Perpetua and the animated movie has been a huge hit with the girls.  It's a movie that they ask to watch as frequently as their favorite Disney movies.  For the longest time the girls have asked when there would be another saint movie like The Story of Saint Perpetua.  Just as my seven and a half year old was at the point of being exasperated that "they" still haven't made another saint movie she discovered that The Story of Saint Augustine had been released.

Since a copy of The Story of Saint Augustine has arrived at our house it has been watched more times than I can recall.  The movie gives a good child friendly account of St. Augustine's life.  We see St. Augustine go from living a life of luxury to one dedicated to Christ.  Children will also be introduced to St. Ambrose and St. Augustine's mother, St. Monica.

I liked how the movie follows St. Augustine on his conversion journey.  In that journey we see how Augustine slowly realizes that the prestige of being "The Voice of the Emperor" is not the best use of his God given gift for rhetoric and in trying to find a way to supplant Bishop Ambrose he finds himself embracing Christianity.

My seven year old really likes this movie.  She will sit and watch this movie and comment about how bad the Romans and she picks up on the good that is done by Bishop Ambrose, St. Monica and the other Christians.

Overall, I think the movie is a great introduction to Sts. Augustine, Ambrose and Monica for children.  The Story of Stain Augustine is geared to youth ages 8 and older but I think it will appeal to children as young as six.  My eleven year old was happy to sit and watch this movie several times with her younger sister.

This movie is a nice addition to the Catholic Heroes of the Faith series.  Of the two movies that are currently part of the series, I'd have to say that The Story of Saint Perpetua is still our favorite.  Already my seven year old is asking when the next movie will be out.  She can't wait to find out who the next movie will be about.

I was provided with a review copy of The Story of Saint Augustine by the publisher, Herald Entertainment, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Herald Entertainment for more information on this title.

Brother Francis Born into the Kingdom

The latest episode of Brother Francis is out and this time it's focus is the sacrament of baptism.  Born into the Kingdom is every bit as good as the Brother Francis episodes that precede it.  Since this DVD has arrived at our house it has been watched countless times by my seven year old.  Even our one year old is captivated by this show.

As always, Brother Francis explains the Catholic faith to youngsters in a way that is fun and right on their level.  In order to explain the sacrament of baptism and why we need it, Brother Francis introduces viewers to the story of Adam and Eve and the first sin.  From there, children see a few little short stories where the characters learn the importance of doing what they were told to do vs. doing what they feel like doing--such as taking short cuts that weren't short cuts at all.  It all leads up to giving them a good understanding of why we need the sacrament of baptism.   There are two catchy songs in this episode.  "I've got a Family" teaches children that they become a part of a larger family when they are baptized into the Church.  "Jesus is the Light of the World" that shows children how God is present in the world today.

My older daughters were laughing out loud over the segment where they show a baby being baptized because of the baby's funny made up last name..  They were able to recall when their baby sister was baptized a little over a year ago and point out the parts of the baptism that they remembered.  Everything about the baptism is explained so little ones who have a younger sibling who is about to be baptized could watch this beforehand and come away with a good understanding of what happens when someone receives this sacrament.

From our one year old to our elven year old, Brother Francis is well received in our home.  Our eldest daughter can't help but rush into the room to see her favorite parts of this episode when she notices her little sisters watching this DVD.  So I think it's safe to say that Brother Francis, despite being geared to preschool and younger elementary school aged chidden, can even appeal to some middle schoolers (provided they have younger siblings, I think).

I was provided with a review copy of Born into the Kingdom, by the publisher, Herald Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Brother Francis Online for more information or to purchase a copy of this DVD.

DVD Review: Stories Jesus Told

I recently had the opportunity to review Stories Jesus Told: Parables for Kids from Pauline Kids.  I knew that Pauline Kids had some great children's books but I had no idea that they also had some animated DVDs.  Stories Jesus Told is a collection of ten parables.  Each parable is four minutes in length making them perfect for viewing in a religious education setting.  They're also great for kids with short attention spans, too.

The animated stories remind me a bit of some story books that we have.  Instead of having a cartoon like feel, the animation has more of a story book illustration with some moving parts type of feel.  At first I wasn't sure if my girls would go for this type of animation but they happily sat and watched the entire DVD in one sitting.  When it was over my seven year old wanted to know if there were any more parables.

I like how each parable is explained so there's no confusion as to what the meaning of the parable was when all is said and done.  Some of the parables found on this DVD are The Good Shepherd, The Prodigal Son, and The Lost Sheep.  As I watched this DVD with my children, I thought that it was perfect for children who are preparing for first penance given that there are a few parables that are often told to children preparing for this sacrament on this DVD.

I was provided with a review copy of Stories Jesus Told by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Pauline Media for more information on this DVD.

DVD Review: Saints for Kids

Saints for Kids: 32 Friends of Jesus is an animated collection of saints stories geared to kids in the pre-school through third grade age range.  Each saint story is just four minutes in length making it the perfect run time for use in a religious education class where every minute of instruction time counts.  Because of the short length of the stories, it's also ideal for children with short attention spans who might grow weary of a longer story.

The collection of saint stories spans two DVDs with a combined run time of over two hours.  I found it particularly helpful that the menu for the DVD actually has the saints stories listed by month for their feast days.  That's incredibly helpful if you intend to use this DVD set to celebrate the liturgical year with your children or to aid you in planning your lessons for a religious ed class.

The animation of these stories reminds me of several story books that we have.  There were a few stories where the animation looked so much like the pages of some of our favorite  Maite Roche books. While the animation has a story book page come to life type of feel, it's worth mentioning that this isn't high tech animation.  My children enjoyed watching the stories, just the same, but they did comment a few times that some of the characters only had three fingers.  Despite a few missing fingers here and there the stories are still enjoyable.

I was provided with a review copy of Saints for Kids by the publisher, Pauline Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Pauline Media for more information on this DVD.

DVD Review: Brother Francis Forgiven!

For the past two months the latest Brother Francis episode entitled Forgiven! has been a heavily requested DVD in our house.  Forgiven! teaches young children about the sacrament of reconciliation.  As with other Brother Francis episodes, this episode beautifully explains the sacrament of reconciliation in a way that is easily understood by children and will reach them.

As with the other episodes of Brother Francis, this DVD contains two catchy songs.  The first song is called God is a Loving Father and teaches children that God wants to help us.  The song is accompanied by a fun little cartoon of children playing on a swing set.  My seven year old really enjoys this song and the cartoon.  The other song is called "Praise God, I'm Forgiven!"  It's an upbeat song celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation.  The visual accompaniment for this song is scenes of the sacrament and the children and Brother Francis joyfully singing about how happy they are to have received God's forgiveness.  This particular song is probably my favorite part of the episode, but that probably has something to do with the song getting stuck in my head.

Just like the other Brother Francis DVDs, the show flips between standard animation and CGI.  I like how they use both of the mediums because I think it adds interest to the way the show is presented. 

Brother Francis gently teaches children about sin, conscience, and what exactly the sacrament of confession is and why we need it.  His approach is such that children should come away with a good understanding of the ways in which we can sin (thought, word, deed and omission), why we should listen to our conscience, and how we can obtain God's pardon when we fail to do what we should by going to confession.

I was really happy to see the Parable of the Tax Collector in this episode.  I like that it shows children that they should approach the sacrament with a humble heart and not an inflated ego.

Brother Francis also tells children how to prepare for confession, gives them the steps for the sacrament and explains what a penance is.  I think children who are nervous about their first reconciliation that watch this episode of Brother Francis will feel a lot less anxious about this sacrament after watching this.  My seven year old who will make her first confession in six months is finding herself more at ease with the idea of going to confession the more she watches this DVD.  Hopefully by the time the date of her first reconciliation rolls around she will feel very comfortable with this sacrament.

Brother Francis easily captures the attention of children from preschool age up to about age nine.  Our ten month old will happily sit and watch an episode of Brother Francis with her big sisters.  The show appears the have the biggest appeal with our middle daughter who is now seven.  She's been hooked on Brother Francis since she was five, and is always asking if there are any new Brother Francis DVDs out yet.  

I heartily recommend this episode of Brother Francis for anyone who is preparing a child for first reconciliation.  This DVD would be perfect for religious education classes, too.  I have shown other episodes of this series to my kindergarten religious education students and they have all been well received.

I was provided with a review copy of Brother Francis: Forgiven! by the publisher, Herald Kids, in exchange for my honest review.  Visit www.brotherfrancisonline.com for more information on the Brother Francis series.

Movie Review: Brother Francis The Rosary

Over the past several months my six year old has been enjoying the third episode in the Brother Francis series, The Rosary.  In this latest episode of Brother Francis, young viewers are introduced to the rosary.

Just like the other Brother Francis episodes, this latest DVD is filled with catchy songs and lots of colorful imagery. Children are introduced to the prayers of the rosary.  Many of the prayers are presented in catchy songs that little ones will find fun.  Brother Francis explains the concept of the rosary in a way that will make sense to children.

This episode is a bit different from the structure of the first two.  My six year old pointed out that this one didn't do a saint story like the other two did.  I had to explain to her that our Blessed Mother is a saint, and this entire episode was essentially all about her and Jesus.  This episode clearly has more of a focus on prayer, than the previous ones.

All mysteries of the rosary are explained.  The joyful mysteries are presented in more detail than the other three sets.  The luminous, sorrowful and glorious mysteries get a very brief run down, but the pictorial representation for each of these mysteries lay the groundwork for your child to ponder the mystery and ask questions.

Overall, I think this latest episode of Brother Francis is yet another winner.  It is perfect for introducing young children to the rosary.  I think it would easily appeal to children between the ages of 2-8. This DVD would be a great way to introduce the rosary to a religious education class with children ranging from preschool through second grade.  Brother Francis gets my six year old's stamp of approval and my recommendation.

I was provided with a review copy of Brother Francis: The Rosary by Herald Entertainment in exchange for my honest review.  Visit Brother Francis online to purchase or see previews of this episode.

Movie Review: Brother Francis The Bread of Life

Ever since seeing episode 1 of Brother Francis, Let's Pray, my five year old daughter has been hooked on Brother Francis.  For what seemed like an eternity, she asked to watch the DVD every day and then moved on to asking when we could get the next Brother Francis DVD.  I can only blame myself for tipping her off that there was another episode in the works.  I had heard about a preview of the new episode and I had her watch it.  After seeing just the preview she began to ask daily if we could get it.

Pure delight is how I would sum up Ellie's reaction when I informed on one day after school that a review copy of the new Brother Francis had arrived at our house.  As soon as she walked in the door she ran to get the DVD player ready.  I'm happy to report that Ellie felt the new episode was well worth the wait.  Since that eventful day when the new DVD arrived at our house, Brother Francis The Bread of Life has played in our house somewhere between three and five times a week.

As you can probably guess from the title of this episode, Brother Francis teaches young children about the Eucharist.  The Bread of Life is packed with plenty of stories and songs to entertain and catechize children.  Children will learn Blessed Imelda Lambertini who is the patroness of First Communicants.  The story of the Last Supper is presented, along with a rather amusing story about a grape who decides he's going to cut himself off from the vine despite being warned that he needs the vine to live.  The grape story is a hit with not only my younger daughter but also my nine and a half year old. The songs "What More Can He Give" and "I am the Bread of Life" are both very beautiful and catchy.

I think this video is great for teaching young children about the Eucharist.  In fact, I played several scenes from this DVD for my kindergarten religious education class last week when I presented a chapter on the Mass.  The children really enjoyed watching the DVD and some of them even asked if we were going to watch Brother Francis again when they came to class today.  I'd say Brother Francis is very well received by five and six year old children.

I would strongly recommend this DVD for children who are preparing for First Holy Communion.  In a religious education classroom, this DVD is no doubt a half hour well spent.  There's just something about Brother Francis that makes learning the faith fun.

As a mother and a catechist, I highly recommend the Brother Francis series of DVDs.  They're fun, they're a great vehicle for teaching children to understand and appreciate their Catholic faith, and they're a treat for the eyes.  The animation is fun a bubbly.  Some portions are a CGI animation that reminds me of the Backyardigans, and other portions are your standard two dimensional animation.

If I had to say anything negative about this episode, I'd have to say that I didn't like that Brother Francis was jumping on a trampoline while eating an apple.  Am I being picky?  Maybe.  All I know is I cringed as I watched Brother Francis bounce up and down while taking a bite from an apple.  I hope in future episodes Brother Francis will not do anything that could lead to choking.  Yes, I know he's an animated character, but I worry that his example will lead to a child thinking that he or she can eat an apple while playing on the trampoline, too.

Just like the first episode of Brother Francis, The Bread of Life has downloadable activity pages that you can print from the Brother Francis website.  I really like this thoughtful feature.  It's a great way to help children remember what they learned about from this episode.

In all, I'd say this DVD was well done and gets two thumbs up from me and my little Brother Francis fan.  We're already looking forward to the next episode in this series where Brother Francis will teach us about the Rosary.

To learn more about Brother Francis, The Bread of Life, visit Brother Francis Online.  I was provided with a complimentary review copy of this DVD from Herald Entertainment in exchange for my honest review.

Movie Review: Ben-Hur A Race to Glory

The girls and I have enjoyed watching CCC of America's Ben-Hur: A Race to Glory over the past several weeks.  The movie has elements of excitement, faith and best of all, educational value.  At just 30 minutes long, this movie manages to get across the same powerful message as the well known epic motion picture Ben-Hur starring Charlton Heston.  

I was amazed at how well this animated film mirrored Ben-Hur.  From the tile falling off the roof, to Ben-Hur encountering Christ on multiple occasions this film presents that same amazing story line on a level that children will take to heart.  And best of all, it's a short film so your children won't lose interest half-way  through the story.

Observant children will recognize Jesus when he gives the thirsty Ben-Hur a drink of water, and again when he speaks to the crowd.  My nine year old pointed out that one of the scenes must have been Palm Sunday because Jesus is seen riding into the city on a donkey colt.  I was impressed that she picked up on that detail.

The exciting chariot races that many associate with the movie Ben-Hur are also in the animated version.  My five year old was on the edge of her seat the first few times she watched this film waiting to see how it would turn out.  She even picked up on the roman numerals being used during the race.  So this film also provided us with a learning opportunity.

This film has the ability to appeal to both boys and girls.  My five and nine year old daughters enjoyed watching this film and so did I.  I suspect most children between three to ten would be happy to sit and watching this exciting DVD.

I was provided with a complimentary review copy of this DVD by the publisher, CCC of America in exchange for my honest review.  For more information on Ben-Hur: A Race to Glory visit CCC of America.

Movie Review: Francis Xavier and the Samurai's Lost Treasure

My children and I recently had the pleasure of watching Francis Xavier and the Samurai's Lost Treasure.  Not knowing much about Francis Xavier, we all stood to learn something from this half hour long animated feature.

In this film we get to hear the story of Francis Xavier told by the characters St. Ignatius Loyola and the grandfather of some very interested children.  The story beings with St. Ignatius and Francis Xavier being roommates at school.  Upon first impressions, you may being to wonder why the story is about such a spoiled character, but soon enough the viewer will realize that Xavier ultimately has a change of heart and sets his sights on winning the world for Christ.

The majority of this film focuses on Xavier's adventures as a Jesuit missionary.  First he goes to India where he helps a village of pearl divers and converts them to Christianity.  Then he travels to Japan where he encounters more exciting adventures.  Xavier's faith and courage saved many whom he encountered.

My daughters liked this film but I think it will mostly appeal to boys.  There's action, adventure, pirates and samurais packed into this half hour feature.

For more information on Francis Xavier and the Samurai's Lost Treasure, visit CCC of America.  Be sure to check out their fan page on Facebook, too.

I was provided with a review copy of this DVD in exchange for my honest review.

Movie Review: Brother Francis Let's Pray

I was recently given the opportunity to review the first episode of the Brother Francis series entitled Let's Pray.  After having watched this DVD a few times with Ellie, my five year old, I have to say that I'm quite impressed with it.

Brother Francis is a fun character who will easily elicit belly laughs from your youngster.  My daughter was instantly sucked in by the friendly basketball playing Brother Francis.  In this episode, Brother Francis teaches little ones about prayer and how we can do it anywhere.  He tells them why it's important and demonstrates why prayer should not be boring (this is where your little one is sure to laugh).

My daughter and I both enjoyed the catchy songs that were woven throughout the episode. There's a great song about the Sign of the Cross that little ones will easily latch on to.  I particularly liked this song because it doesn't just teach children how to make the Sign of the Cross, but it also tells them why it's important.  Then there is a song called "Let's Pray" that talks about how you can pray anywhere.  There's a very sweet song where the Our Father is sung.  Ordinarily I don't like when the Our Father is sung, but I wasn't bothered by this rendition at all.  I suspect that little ones who don't already know this prayer could easily learn it by watching this DVD.  And finally, the last song found on this episode is called "With God's Love."  It's a fun song about how you can do little things with God's love to change the world for the good.  The song beautifully conveys the message that you can do small tasks and please God by doing so.

As if the songs and fun natured Brother Francis weren't enough to make this DVD a hit with my daughter, there was also a portion of the episode called Stories of Saints.  In this episode of Brother Francis children learn about St. Therese the Little Flower.  St. Therese is already one of Ellie's favorite saints so this story simply delighted her.  The story of St. Therese and her little way beautifully illustrated how she did little things with great love.

My overall impression of Brother Francis is that he's sort of like the Catholic children's show version of the Backyardigans.  Like the Backyardigans, Brother Francis is that fun sort of bubbly CGI animation. Other portions of this episode are done in regular animation.  I liked the combination of the two types of animation and I think it adds a bit of interest to the show.   The music contained in this show is catchy and will certainly appeal to children.  Brother Francis was certainly a hit with my younger daughter and my nine year old also thought it was a pretty interesting show.  I think this show would be a fun little treat for religious education classes to.  I'd recommend it for preschool-1st grade classes.

This episode of Brother Francis also has a sixteen page activity guide that you can print out.  The activity guide reinforces everything that was presented in the episode.  I like how the activity guide prompts children to pray and to reflect on the lessons they learned from Brother Francis.  I found the activity guide to be a nice touch.

To learn more about Brother Francis and to view a few previews from the DVD, visit the homepage for Brother Francis.  While you're there, I'd highly recommend checking out their awesome Catholic Heroes stories.

I was provided with a review copy of Brother Francis Let's Pray by Herald Entertainment in exchange for my honest review.

Movie Review: The Story of St. Perpetua

Last month I gave Madeline The Story of St. Perpetua, a Catholic Heroes of the Faith DVD, to mark her baptism birthday.  During the summer we had seen a preview of this movie which you can find on the publisher's website.  Once Madeline had seen the preview and colored in the coloring pages provided on their website she began to ask me almost daily if we could get the DVD.  I finally capitulated, and I'm incredibly glad that I did.  The movie has been a smash hit in our house.

The beautifully done animated movie tell the story of St. Perpetua and her martyrdom.  Children who watch this movie will see how the early Christians were persecuted for their faith in Jesus.  They will also learn about a few of our courage ancestors in faith when they watch this DVD.

The story is told in a way that will inspire young hearts to hold steadfast to their faith.  My nine year old was prompted to ask many questions about why the Romans persecuted the early Christians, so this movie was a great starting point for her to learn more about the early church.  She was also happy to learn more about two saints whom she frequently hears referenced at Mass, Sts. Perpetua and Felicity.  After having watched this movie a few times she declared that St. Perpetua is now one of her favorite saints.

I do want to mention that I do not feel this movie is too graphic or violent.  When I was deciding whether or not to purchase this for Madeline I was a bit concerned when I had read a review on Amazon.com where a reviewer had claimed this movie was too violent and therefore inappropriate for children.  Children will see some of the Christian heroes in this movie being handled roughly, and they will see them sent into the arena to be executed, but they will not see any of the martyrs actually meeting their death.  The animation is sensitively done in such a way that children are shielded from such savage violence.

I think this DVD will appeal to most children between the ages of 4-12.  Parents will likely also enjoy watching this movie with their children.  I know I enjoyed it and my husband had no complaints about watching it a few nights in one week.

We loved this DVD and can't wait to see what Catholic Heroes of the Faith will come out with next.