I've seen Craig of the Creek in passing, so when I got the opportunity to check out an animated film that acts as a prelude to the show... I couldn't resist. Is it any good? Let's jump in and find out how Craig became one with... the creek!

Story: Craig Before The Creek starts off with a girl running away from someone who looked like they could potentially be bullies as she made off with a composition book with "Hannah" written on it. This was after the reveal of a baddie on a ship.

It then fast forwards to Craig moving to Maryland to their new home... leaving behind his old friends at the start of summer. By the way, perfect time to release this animated film on DVD. Craig isn't thrilled about it, but they start connecting the reasons for the move... which is something a number of parents and children can relate to. A number of children don't see or understand that their parents are trying to make the best move for their long term benefit... but some parents don't understand that their child's social life revolved around their friends and familiar surroundings. I'll come back to this.

Anyway, things start off on this slightly sad note... until Craig's mom suggests that he takes his sister to the park. All is well until... something happens that forces Craig to go into the woods and basically unlocks a new world where everything revolves around... the creek.

That's where he encounters various kids with their individual quirks, including the baddies. The composition book turned out to be a diary, but I won't get into the specifics. Just know that the main adventure begins from this point.

Parents, something you may want to beware of is when Craig finds Hanna's Diary and he begins to suit up to head back to the creek. If you get the DVD, you may want to fast forward once he gets the banister stick (in scene 3) if you don't agree with his next choice when deciding between carrying bags. Instead of Craig selecting his bookbag to pack his items, he went with a purse. It looks like it could be a duffle bag (based on the way he carries it), but... once he mentions it's a purse it might be hard to un-see it as a purse.

Another scenario occurs when Craig was hiding from the baddies after their leader wants him found. He acts like he was going to sleep over at a friends house, which I don't know how many parents would allow boys and girls to have sleep overs... but his mom said yes. This was followed up by another boy asking what was for dinner, and Craig referred to himself as momma and said let him check his purse.

Outside of this, it was a really pretty cool adventure that held my interest as Craig and his newfound crew went on their quest to find a treasure that grants... wishes. The final battle didn't disappoint either. A lot of things seemed more so based on the imaginations of the kids and were played up in visual form, but you get into with the understanding that it's real... to them (based on previous examples of kids using their imagination in awesome ways). This film essentially wraps things up with Craig coming into his own as the dots finally connect his past to his present as... Craig of the Creek. I also liked how this film connected Craig as the hero to the antagonist by way of him trying to cope with the move. I won't spoil it for you, so I'll leave it at that. There is plenty to enjoy in this film, I think it's well rounded, packed with quirky characters, and shows enough diversity to be appreciated by a variety of children + parents.

Visuals: The visuals in this film were solid, and they give depth in regards to the landscape and shading. It easy to get the feeling of being immersed in woods that the creek runs through because the artist did a great job of making the atmosphere feel the way it should. It's not flat as if the environment is always tucked in the background, the characters interact with it in multiple ways. The image below gives you an idea of what I mean. The animations were nice too, especially when it comes to the creek kids... simply based on things they were pretending to be. The kids battling with the bugs and the frog is a prime example, but the final battle was probably the best in terms of animation (second would be the fight on the ship in my opinion). This isn't to say there aren't any other good animated sequences, because there are... but these stood out to me the most.

Audio: In terms of audio, I watched Craig Before The Creek with the 1More Open Earbuds S50. When I saw the 5.1 surround, I was like... hmmmm. I highly recommend watching with surround sound speakers or a nice pair of headphones. The sound engineer ensured that listeners were able to get a nice experience by delivering a decent spatial audio experience. Everything wasn't served up this way, but there is enough to appreciate what was delivered for the surround sound experience. You could hear the various kids in the environment coming from different angles, the sound effects were solid, and the final battle didn't disappoint. Craig Before The Creek is available in Dolby Digital: English 5.1.

Price: Pricewise, you can get Craig Before The Creek on DVD for... $19.98 as listed online, but you can pre-order for $16.98... here. A poster was included in my copy, which may come in your copy, but... since it's not listed I can't say that it's guaranteed. Craig Before The Creek is available on DVD... March 26, 2024! (Pre-orders available now, don't miss out on the discount.)

Strap in your seatbelts because we're going on a turbo-charged nostalgia trip, with Scholastic's "Press Start!" book series at the wheel— beep beep!

First off, if your mini-you has ever glanced in the general direction of a video game and lit up like a Christmas tree (the one in Roxas Boulevard, I tell you), then this series is the literary equivalent of unlimited arcade tokens. Each book is like a love letter to the classic 8-bit side-scrolling adventures that likely ruled the childhood of anyone who grew up making their fingers dance on a D-pad.

Flintham has managed to pack a universe into these pages that's as colorful as a Jollibee kiddie party. His illustrations? Imagine a kaleidoscope of charming, vibrant pixels that seem to leap off the page for kids as if they're on a sugar rush. And Super Rabbit Boy? The little guy is basically your child's first digital best friend—brave, unrelentingly optimistic, and more reliable than the internet in a power outage.

The series isn't just a buffet of eye candy and adrenaline-pumping action—it’s also sneaky in teaching lessons without turning into an eye-rolling sermon. Whether it's teamwork, resilience (because gameovers aren’t the end, they’re just the start of a new run), or creative problem-solving (like figuring out how to beat that stage without the super-upgrade), kids absorb these bits faster than Super Rabbit Boy collects coins.

Super Rabbit Boy is the hero of the "Press Start!" series, and he's not your garden-variety carrot nibbler—this little fellow is as zippy as they come! Imagine if the Easter Bunny hit the gym, swapped his basket for a controller, and took a few levels in charm and bravery—that's him in a nutshell.

This pixelated powerhouse is like Mario and Bugs Bunny combined and he's focused on "Adventure time!" He's the kind of hero who jumps into the game world with a heart full of courage and a spring in his step. Leap over lava pits? No problem! Rescue friends from the fickle fingers of foul fiends? Just a Tuesday for our fuzzy friend! He embodies the classic video game protagonist ethos—think positive, keep trying, and if at first you don't succeed, respawn, and try again!

Super Rabbit Boy rushes through levels with the kind of boundless enthusiasm that would make you want to check his carrot juice for extra power-ups. He's all about that can-do attitude, serving up dollops of gumption with a side of friendly winks. Whether he's facing down bosses or racing to save Animal Town, he does it with the kind of pluck that has you cheering and ready for more.

For the parents, consider this a flashback without the backache from hunching over a Gameboy. Reading "Press Start!" to the young ones might just be the ticket for some heartwarming parent-child bonding. Plus, it's filled with enough sly gaming references to tickle your sense of nostalgia and make you recall the days when your biggest worry was saving the princess before dinner. The books are a great way to give kids a break from screen time, which is important. The plus is that, they aren't missing out because the books pull you in.

If you’re still on the fence about the series, let’s just say "Press Start!" stacks up to the gaming greats like a well-played stack of Tetris blocks. Flintham’s series is a power-packed, high-score-worthy addition to any youngster's bookshelf. And just like the best of games, watch as those little readers press ‘continue’ on their reading journey faster than you can say "Oras na para magtipid para maligo ka na."

"If you want these books to be something your younglings look forward to during your time together, I recommend pacing yourself. Setting a limit on the number of pages read per day helps. These books can be enjoyed by boys & girls." -  Blu 

Pre-Order Now | $6.99

So, parents, if you want to see your kids' do the 100-meter dash to a book or for a storytime featuring Super Rabbit Boy, then "Press Start!" is a series that may cause such a reaction.

The "Press Start!" series has a whopping 14 captivating tales so far—with the excitement ramping up as we countdown to a fresh adventure dropping like a hot new game release on August 6, 2024!

Now, if you're all about digital convenience, snagging these on Kindle won't bust your wallet at a nifty $3.99 each. However, for those times when your eyes are begging for a screen break (because, let’s face it, blinking is the new workout), the tactile pleasure of a paperback is your BFF—at a wallet-friendly $5.99, so you can stack 'em up like a pro.

"eBooks rock, but when the opportunity to take a break from the screen time arises... it's definitely worth capitalizing on, especially for the younglings." -  Blu 

Considering something tougher than a paperback? The hardcovers do strut around at book fair prices of $13.43 to $26.99, which might have you doing a double-take and nodding along to why the paperback is the ol' reliable here. One major clincher to remember here is—Scholastic's not just playing games; they're on a mission to nudge kiddos into the chapter-reading big leagues, all while keeping it as exhilarating as conquering that final boss level. Truly, these books are like hidden easter eggs just waiting to be cracked open. So go on, give 'em a whirl!

Story 5

Illustrations 5

Useful 5

Price 5

5 out of 5 Cool Points

To make sugar cookies, follow these simple steps. All links are for reasonably priced ingredients:

Ingredients:

- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

- 1 1/2 cups pure cane sugar

- 1 egg

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 1 teaspoon lemon extract

- Optional: crush up fruity pebbles cereal and roll your cookies over them for festive sides

- Optional: colored sprinkles, icing, or additional toppings for decoration

If you don't want to bake fresh cookies from scratch, you can always save 23% on Pillsbury Ready To Bake Sugar Cookies!

Baking Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This usually takes about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.

4. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.

5. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing well after each addition. You can do this step by hand or using an electric mixer at low speed.

6. Roll the dough into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Place them onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving some space between them as they will spread while baking.

7. If desired, gently flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass or the palm of your hand. You can also leave them as balls for a thicker cookie.

8. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Play a fun card game while they bake... Something Wild! The center of the cookies will still be slightly soft. Be careful not to over bake, as they will continue to firm up as they cool.

9. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies cool for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

10. Once cooled, you can decorate the cookies with icing, colored sprinkles, or any other toppings of your choice. Allow the icing to set before storing the cookies in an airtight container.

Enjoy your homemade sugar cookies, and please consider serving with slightly melted ice cream as a deliciously cool dip! SUGAR RUSH!!!!