DVD releases

"Elmo’s World: Summer Vacation"
(Not rated; June 24; ages 2-5): For at least 51 minutes, your toddler won’t whine about being bored, thanks to three episodes of “Elmo’s World” on this sunny DVD. Grade: A-

"Funky Valley and Return to Funky Valley"
(Not rated; now available; ages 2-5): Each compilation of five-minute episodes, from the TV series originally aired in the United Kingdom, is like watching a pop-up book come to life. Unique animation, saturated in vibrant hues, adds to engaging storytelling. Grade: A

"If You Don’t Take Care of Your Body, Where Else Are You Going to Live?"
(Not rated; now available; ages
7-13): In this DVD geared toward older kids, Trevor Romain helps three middle-schoolers get in shape by eating right and exercising after they complain about not being able to finish a jump rope rally, scale a rock-climbing wall and competitively run a 100-yard dash. Grade: A

"The Spiderwick Chronicles"
(Rated PG; June 24; ages 11-16): The story centers on three siblings who move to a secluded, old house and soon discover, through a book, a dangerous, enchanted place inhabited by fairies, goblins and other creatures . Grade: B+


Summer movies

"Kit Kittredge: An American Girl"
[Ages 5-10]
Opens June 20; rated G
kitkittredge.com
The fourth feature under the American Girl brand, and the first for the big screen, stars Abigail Breslin as a
9-year-old girl growing up in 1934 Cincinnati during the Great Depression. The girl is described as clever and resourceful, and the same can be said of her creator, a subsidiary of Mattel Toys that has made a mass-marketed empire out of the American Girl dolls, books, magazines and accessories.

Kung Fu Panda [Ages 6-11]
Opens June 6; rated PG
kungfupanda.com
The voice cast includes Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu and Jackie Chan, no strangers to playing movie heroes, but it’s actually Jack Black, known for playing indolent characters, who gets to save the Valley of Peace from falling into enemy hands. In this animated feature, he’s the voice of Po the Panda, the laziest animal around. But when the bear unwittingly shows hints of kung fu skills, his superiors (including one who sounds exactly like Dustin Hoffman) believe he is The Chosen One, and the training for the ultimate battle begins.

Wall-e [Ages 6-14]
Opens June 27; rated PG
wall-e.com
Because theater marquees don’t have enough space or letters to spell out “Waste Allocation Load Lifter
Earth Class,” the movie’s title is taken from the main character’s shortened nickname. The latest computer-animated movie from Pixar and Disney takes us hundreds of years into the future. Man has long abandoned Earth, leaving behind at least one robot still collecting knick-knacks, as he’s been programmed to do. When Wall-e stumbles upon the key to the planet’s future, he must find a way to alert the humans.

David Dickstein is a regular contributor.