About: Vanessa Bell

As author of “An Honest Boy, Un hombre sincero” — the only children’s book on the life of Cuban legend José Martí — Magdalena Zenaida evokes a sense of cultural pride by embracing biculturalism. We sat down with her to chat about bilingualism, raising proud, bicultural identities and what José Martí means to her. How do we interest our children in bilingual literature and why should we?   I think a great way to interest children in bilingual literature isRead More ...

For many families, the summer months are revered as the most special of the year. Filled with days of leisure, vacation and adventure, the magic of summer has school-aged kids counting down the days until it arrives. The sun shines bright, the days are long and the pavement beckons for exploration. As a child, I remember inhaling the fullness of summer freedom — staying up until the wee hours of the morning, waking up after lunch and riding my bikeRead More ...

Disney Home Entertainment is at it again with their adorable team of superhero dogs. Disney’s Super Buddies is sure to be a hit with your small kids. Packed with adventure, these furry friends band together to fight crime and learn some valuable lessons along the way. My three year old daughter is obsessed with animals, so this family film was perfect for her. Being her first exposure to the Buddies franchise, she was equally enthralled by their speaking abilities and out-of-this-worldRead More ...

Summer is ending, kids are going back to school, but Disney Home Entertainment has some exciting releases for Fall 2013 that will sure brighten your day, including a favorite Disney movie released from The Vault for the first time: The Little Mermaid! The Little Mermaid Diamond Edition splashes its ways into homes for the very first time in Blu-ray™ Hi-Def on October 1, 2013 with new breathtaking picture and sound restoration “Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson), is a free-spirited mermaid,Read More ...

It was a full day of behind the scenes touring and interviewing earlier this summer, but Disney Planes is now in theaters (catch my full review!) and you can make sure to stay in flight with their newest video game offering. With the movie sure to impress the kids, you can keep the enjoyment going with Dusty’s high flying adventures as a racer. Loved Dusty, but want to check out the scene through another character’s eyes? Pick any of theRead More ...

Disney’s “Planes” is out in theaters, and if you got caught my movie review, you’ll know one of my favorite characters is definitely El Chupacabra. Carlos Alazraqui is the voice that brings El Chu to life, and with a personality that rivals his character, interviewing him was as easy as pulling up to Taco Tuesday with a best friend. He makes you laugh, he makes you cry, but be warned – when he is mad, he is likely to “swishRead More ...