Babble.com has a new roundup of all-age videogames for kids.

The iPad app store will include comics as one of the top-level” categories. (ICv2)

Mattel is the one of the first big brands to use YouTube Annotations in their Hot Wheels Custom Motors Cup Challenge Campaign. (Digital Buzz Blog)

Nintendo would be “embarrassed” if Sony or Microsoft out-innovated them in the next-gen console wars. (Kotaku)

Pandora has gone super-kid friendly with a slew of new channels. (Geek Dad)

Want to learn more about this whole “Transmedia” thing? Transmedia Guru Jeff Gomez has his own blog on Kidscreen now.

In June, Tokyopop is publishing the English-language version of Kenji Sonishi’s Neko Ramen manga. Neko Ramen Volume 1: Hey! Order Up! is yon-kama (4-panel strips) about Taisho the cat , who operates a Tokyo ramen shop. (ICv2)

Nugget Island favorites Renee & Jeremy now have felt toys inspired by their music. Love them!

Previews are already out of the dolls from Disney’s Rapunzel film. Now called Tangled. (ToyXplosion)

Zooglobble picks the top kindie videos of 2009.

The art of the music video is generally lost on today’s youth. While the occasional video from OK Go or the like may attract some viral attention, today’s teen looks to MTV for reality programming like Jersey Shore or 16 and Pregnant. In general, unlike my generation, today’s millennials are not tuning in to see the world premiere of a video by a breakthrough artist to admire the new special effects, styles or dance moves. MTV has shifted so far away from its original purpose of featuring the work of new and favorite music artists that it recently dropped the “Music Television” caption.

Entrepreneurs Randall Green and Dan Gellert may be in position to change to change this dying art form.

These two gentlemen realized their two preschool-aged girls were absolutely in love with music. However, there was no way these dads were going to allow themselves to listen to irritating kids’ tunes. So, tapping into the growing kindie scene, they decided to launch their own online music video and radio station for kids, jitterbug.tv.

Jitterbug.tv is a one-stop destination for independent children’s musicians to share their music videos and songs, and for parents to introduce quality music to their kids. The sites offers both streaming videos and songs, all congregated in one location to avoid endless YouTube and web radio surfing.

One thing that amazed me when surfing through the videos on this site was the imagination and work put into the music videos. From the candy-colored world of The Jimmies videos, to Gustafer Yellowgold’s original animated pieces to the low budget-and-endearing Recess Monkey shorts, music videos have become an essential part of the kindie scene. As the scene itself grows, and music videos get more viewings, jitterbug may be a key contributor to the rebirth of the format as well as the growing kindie music genre as a whole.

Co-founder Dan Gellert, also a Grammy award winner and music industry veteran, was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. Check out his Nugget Island interview below.

Nugget Island: What has been the general reaction from the artist community?
Dan Gellert: Most artists have been enthusiastic to get involved with jitterbug. Many artists contact us to get posted. I think they know the audience is totally focused on kids’ music, so it’s a good place to show your videos and music. And we are all for promoting great artists.

N.I.: Were you a big music video fan as a youth?
D.G.: I was not a big music video fan actually. I’ve always appreciated a well-crafted song, whether it be a pop production or a loose folky song – if it is well put together, I pay attention. I think a video can enhance a song, especially today when video is integrated in our online life so much. I’ve noticed toddlers love the music videos but given the right context, they really pay attention to songs with no videos also.

N.I.: How have your daughters reacted to this site?
D.G.: My daughter asks for jitterbug by name – and that is the goal, for jitterbug to enter the fabric of toddlers parents’ lives and be the starting place to find fun music and videos.

N.I.: Looking at the music industry, are there any business models that you respect or admire?
D.G.: I think the business model of offering part of a service for free and having a premium service that people pay for is a good model.

N.I.: What advice would you give to a family music artist trying to make a name for themselves in the industry?
D.G.: First, write music that is honest and appeals to parents and kids. Don’t try too hard to make it “kid friendly”; the kids comprehend more than we know. If you are serious about getting into this niche, there are many internet tools to help you market to your audience, distribute your music, gather fans…. a good starting point for the Do It Yourself artist is here: http://www.topspinmedia.com/

N.I.:Where do you see the kindie scene going in the next few years?
D.G.: My crystal ball tells me the Kindie music niche is going to keep growing and more artists will start making a living at it. I think the production quality will become better and more “venues” will pop up to accommodate all those enthusiastic toddlers with parents.

N.I.: Any future plans for jitterbug you are comfortable sharing?
D.G.: Jitterbug is going into phase 2, which will be rolling out more features on the website, more fan engagement and interacting with mobile devices as well as helping more artists promote themselves.

Check out jitterbug now!

In the age of the iPod mix, creating and releasing a compilation CD has to be a fine-tuned art to make it worthwhile. Yet, award-winning kid’s music label Music for Little People seems to have the formula nailed with two new releases celebrating their 25th anniversary.

Pickin’ & Grinnin’: Great Folk Songs For Kids rounds up traditional folks singers, celebrated children’s artists, gospel artists and even a pop artist or two to formulate a perfect introduction to this genre. Tunes from timeless artists like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie live naturally alongside modern kindie rockstars like Dan Zanes in this banjo-friendly compilation.

Love & Peace: Greatest Hits for Kids is another compilation from Music for Little People. This compilation highlights some of the label’s releases over the past 25 years. Chart topping artists like Brian Johnson of AC/DC and Faith Hill contribute to the compilation, as do respected players like Willie Nelson, John McCutcheon and Buckwheat Zydeco.

Of course with 100 releases under their belt, both compilations are just a quick glance at Music for Little People’s output. In addition, the company also makes music DVDs, musical instruments, CD and mp3 players, and child-safe headphones.

Check out their official site for more info.

This past Sunday, we headed down to Cambridge to see one of our favorite kindie sensations, Gustafer Yellowgold, aka Morgan Taylor. Playing at the renowned (but cramped) Passim Folk Music and Cultural Center, Taylor brought along a few band members this time for a spirited, kid-appropriate 45-minute show that pleased the hardcore fans and kept smiles on the faces of newbies as well. (Check out my previous post for an intro to the Gustafer project.)

Maia is a seasoned concert-goer at 3-years-old − this was her fourth concert and her second time seeing Gustafer perform live.  So, we all knew what to expect going into it, and were eagerly awaiting the show. The format remained the same as that of last year’s show, but that’s not a complaint. In between songs, Taylor tells background stories about the alien from the sun, adding to the growing Gustafer mythology. Here, Taylor brings life to the show with off-the-cuff quips that clearly display the comedic talents of this artist ever-so-present in his songwriting as well. The song performances are accompanied by the animated musical segments from the DVDs, which are projected behind him. To us, they are familiar and wonderful to revisit as we hear the accompanying songs live. To others in the audience who may be less Gustafer-obsessed, the visuals and printed lyrics offer an added engagement in the performance.

The show at Passim was just as brilliant as we expected. There is always something magical about finding a talented artist you love that hasn’t hit the mainstream conscience and then finally being surrounded by other fans. And for audience members who came to the show as casual fans or as Passim members, Taylor wisely amped up audience interaction from his last New England visit making sure everyone felt the ‘Mellow Fever’. Gustafer Yellowgold is also an act that you can rightly claim sounds just as good live, and the addition of backup singers, drums and horns only enhanced this. And, on a more personal note, some of our favorite tunes like “Butter Pond Lake,” “New Blue Star” and “Rocket Shoes” were brought out for the event, making it all the more celebratory.

At one point I remember looking at my wife’s face and realizing she was swept up in the sounds as much as, if not more than, my daughter was. If a kindie rocker can elicit that reaction in an adult audience member, then you know you are in the hands of a true talent.

Check out a video of the event below. (Sound quality: not so great) And, be sure to visit the official website.