LI Kids is proud to be giving away three copies of Dr. Dolittle: Tail to the Chief on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will choose a winner for this the week of April 7, 2008. This means that you have until April 6, 2008 at 11:59 PM EST to enter the contest.

This DVD is Presented in widescreen at a 1.78: 1 Aspect ratio

From the Back of the Box:

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Written by Janey - Visit Website
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LI Kids is proud to be giving away three copies of Mrs. Doubtfire on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be announced here. If we do not hear from you within 3 weeks from the date the winners are announced you forfeit your prize and we will select another winner. Prizes will be shipped within 45 days from the day you win.

We will choose a winner for this the week of April 21, 2008. This means that you have until April 20, 2008 at 11:59 PM EST to enter the contest.

From the back of the box:

Mrs. Doubtfire is in the house! We’ve pulled off the wig and let out the seams to bring you even more fun in this special edition DVD of the hilarious and heartwarming blockbuster. With over two hours of special features, including never-before-seen improvisational clips, making-of featurettes, deleted scenes, and a retrospective featurette, you’ll be in on all of the on-set hijinks!

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WITNESS RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES AROUND THE WORLD IN THE EMMY® AWARD-WINNING HOST’S BEST ADVENTURES YET

“The Jeff Corwin Experience” Season Two

Journey Into The Captivating Lives Of The World’s Most Unusual Animals In The Popular Series’ Second Season Debuting On DVD May 20th From Animal Planet And Genius Products

SANTA MONICA, CA - Join wildlife biologist, conservationist and Emmy® Award winner Jeff Corwin on a globe-spanning quest and ‘experience’ the world’s most interesting and diverse animals and locations when “The Jeff Corwin Experience” Season Two arrives on DVD May 20th from Genius Products and Animal Planet. One of Animal Planet’s long-running staple series, the series reaches millions of viewers in the United States and is viewed in more than 70 countries worldwide. “The Jeff Corwin Experience” Season Two is both hilarious and educational as its charismatic host ventures up cliffs and through caves to find nature’s most treasured and even most dangerous wildlife from Bighorn Sheep and Giant Anteaters, to Flying Foxes and the Tasmanian Devil. Trained as a biologist and anthropologist, Jeff’s years as a field researcher has given him a keen appreciation and insight into man’s connection to the animals that share our planet. In a vivid adventure beginning in Florida and California and branching out to Guyana, Australia and Tanzania, the second season often gives an arm’s length look at the most incredible wildlife Earth has to offer. Including all-13 episodes on three discs and encased in 100% recycled and recyclable Green packaging, “The Jeff Corwin Experience” Season Two DVDs will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.95.

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GENIUS PRODUCTS AND ANIMAL PLANET DEBUT A PANDA DOUBLE FEATURE!

“A Panda Is Born” and “Baby Panda’s First Year”

Bundle Of Joy Arrives On DVD May 27

SANTA MONICA, CA - It’s a boy! Follow the creation and first steps of one of nature’s most amazing creatures in “A Panda Is Born” and “Baby Panda’s First Year,” arriving for the first time on DVD as a double feature May 27 from Genius Products and Animal Planet. With an estimated 1,600 living in the wild, the Giant Panda’s survival depends on the successful reproduction of each member of the species. “A Panda Is Born” provides an intimate look at two topsy-turvy seasons of panda mating at the Smithsonian National Zoo, where female Mei Xiang and her mate, Tian Tian, finally give birth to panda cub, Tai Shan.

Watch as the newest member of the family learns to feed, play and explore the strange, new world around him. In “Baby Panda’s First Year” delve further into Tai Shan’s life and be amazed by the instincts of Mei Xiang as a first time mother. Watch with wonder and experience the strapping cub’s milestones as he completes many “firsts” in his life - from his first steps to his first dip in the panda pool. Packaged with recyclable material and offering cuddly entertainment the whole family can enjoy, “A Panda Is Born” and “Baby Panda’s First Year” will be available on DVD for the suggested retail price of $14.95.

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Writer: Jon Vitti, Will McRobb, Chris Viscardi
Director: Tim Hill
Cast: Jason Lee, David Cross, Cameron Richardson, Justin Long, Jane Lynch, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney
Rating: PG
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: April 1, 2008

Growing up in the 80s, I am proud to admit I was a huge fan of the Alvin and the Chipmunks television show. When I heard they were going to make a live action version of the chipmunks I was somewhat worried. My favorite cartoon is Garfield and we all remember what happened when that went live action. Two crappy Garfield flicks later, the thought of the Chipmunks having the same fate didn’t fly well with me. When I saw the trailer, I was amused. I was going to give this movie a shot and keep an open mind.

I’m glad I did. Alvin and the Chipmunks was a funny, entertaining blast back to my childhood, with some modern touches that really helped to keep my son entertained. We watched this one as a family and if you have kids between the ages of 5 and 14 they should really enjoy this. Older teens may scoff at it, but there is still humor to be found for both them and adults. I laughed. I thought it was cute, and I didn’t find anything inappropriate. In fact, I was impressed by the message of the story. Hopefully, you will be impressed by it, as well.

Release Information:
The North American debut of Alvin and the Chipmunks happened on December 14, 2007. There were massive amounts of promotion for the movie by 20th Century Fox, leading up to the film’s release. While critics didn’t seem to like the movie, the box office numbers don’t seem to agree with them. In its first weekend, Alvin and the Chipmunks was in second place and while the film was released in over 3,000 theaters, it grossed over $44 million in this weekend alone, domestically.

Today, the film boasts a profit of well over $355 million worldwide. This value makes Alvin and the (more…)

Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn lives in her home state of Michigan with her life partner, Dominick, her 14 year old son, and her baby, the Shih-Tzu, Oliver Twist. Ashtyn is in college, going for a degree in Psychology. She plans to get her Ph.D and work as a therapist in the field of human sexuality. Ashtyn is an experienced and talented chef. She also excels at writing and has worked as a professional writer for the past five years. Ashtyn enjoys spending time with her son and four year old nephew, watching movies, listening to music, and writing works of fiction.

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Writers: Ross Bagdasarian, Cynthia Friedlob, John Semper
Directors: John Kimball, Rudy Larriva, Charles A. Nichols
Cast: Ross Bagdasarian Jr., Nancy Cartwright, Janice Karman, Tress MacNeille, Frank Welker
Rating: G
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: April 1, 2008

I don’t recall watching the 1990 television series Alvin & The Chipmunks Go to the Movies. The premise of the show was to have the Chipmunks and Chipettes spoof various movies. Many of these movies were big during the time the show was released. Alvin & The Chipmunks Go to the Movies was released on DVD in 2007. A second edition DVD is being released as Alvin & The Chipmunks Go to the Movies - Funny We Shrunk the Adults. This DVD contains three new stories, so it’s different than the original.

While I don’t own the original DVD for Alvin & The Chipmunks Go to the Movies I can’t comment on if the stories (all of which are spoofs of Hollywood Blockbusters) are better in the Alvin & The Chipmunks Go to the Movies - Funny We Shrunk the Adults set or its predecessor. I can’t imagine the previous release is not enjoyable though because it is, after all, a cartoon feature about the Chipmunks.

Release Information:
Alvin & The Chipmunks Go to the Movies was a spinoff of the original Alvin and the Chipmunks television series. The original show ran throughout the early 1980s and included both the Chipmunks and the Chipettes. The show was on in 1990 and featured spoofs of popular movies at the time. This DVD features the title spoof “Funny We Shrunk the Adults”, “Back to Our Future” and “Bigger”.

Paramount has decided to release Alvin & The Chipmunks Go to the Movies - Funny We Shrunk the Adults and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipmunk Adventure on the same day 20th Century Fox releases the live action movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks. I know this looks kind of suspicious, as to what the motives are by Paramount, but it’s pretty clear why these two Chipmunk sets were released. Both Alvin & The Chipmunks Go to the Movies - Funny We Shrunk the Adults and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipmunk Adventure will be released on April 1, 2008. You can pre-order your copy of Alvin & The Chipmunks Go to the Movies - Funny We Shrunk the Adults at Amazon for $14.99.

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Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn lives in her home state of Michigan with her life partner, Dominick, her 14 year old son, and her baby, the Shih-Tzu, Oliver Twist. Ashtyn is in college, going for a degree in Psychology. She plans to get her Ph.D and work as a therapist in the field of human sexuality. Ashtyn is an experienced and talented chef. She also excels at writing and has worked as a professional writer for the past five years. Ashtyn enjoys spending time with her son and four year old nephew, watching movies, listening to music, and writing works of fiction.

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Writers: John Tartaglia
Cast: John Tartaglia, Heather Asch, Leslie Carrara, Tim Lagasse, Carmen Osbahr, James J. Kroupa, Natalie Venetia Belcon
Rating: G
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Release Date: March 18, 2008

Finding a children’s show that has a human lead and either an animated CGI character or some puppets is pretty common. From Sesame Street to shows like Blue’s Clues the concept has been done before. However, when you add in music, things become somewhat trickier. Many parents swear off shows like Barney because of his tendency to be frickin annoying. Even if you let your child watch it you never really like to watch it with them. It’s more of an obligation. Sure, you know all his songs and can sing them on queue, but you never really have a good time doing it. Enter Johnny and the Sprites to change all of that.

I had no idea who John Tartaglia was when I popped this in. Nor did I have any idea how catchy this show would be. As I sit here now, writing this, I am singing the theme song because it gets in your head and it doesn’t seem to want to leave. It’s okay though, I’ve certainly had worse music stuck in there. John has this amazing presence in front of the camera, coming off as both incredibly warm and larger than life. It was what I could only describe as a Musical Theatre presence. I was so sure that I was right that I headed over to Dominick, otherwise known as Mr. Broadway in our house, for a confirmation.

I asked him to watch the episodes that I had already watched and see if he could tell me that John was one of those Musical Theatre guys. I knew he sang much too well to be just another guy, so maybe it was just that I wanted Dominick to like this show as much as I did. Either way, it took him all of six or seven minutes to exclaim “That’s John Tartaglia!” I am somewhat ashamed to admit, I wasn’t sure who that was, but then my Broadway experience is limited to every song in Rent and the basic shows that everyone else on the planet has heard.

He politely put me in my place by explaining that John had won awards for his work on ‘Avenue Q’. So, I was right. The more important point though, is that it is his presence that lights up the show and will make you want to laugh, play, and dance right along with Tartaglia and the sprites on this enjoyable and entertaining DVD.

Release Information:
Johnny and the Sprites: Meet the Sprites airs on Playhouse Disney and is one of their most inventive and entertaining shows for both parents and children. Created by John Tartaglia, a man who is no stranger to performing, Johnny and the Sprites mixes music and dynamic characters to foster creativity by using music to offer a fun and safe environment for your children. Tartaglia was the youngest person to work as a puppeteer on Sesame Street, even having a chance to be the stand-in Elmo, when needed. He has taken this experience and knowledge and put it into Johnny, as well as the smash hit ‘Avenue Q’, which also uses puppets in a way that most people would never think of on their own.

Johnny and the Sprites: Meet the Sprites is a short DVD meant to introduce the show to children and adults that have not yet had a chance to watch it on Disney. In fact, there are no full episodes on here. Instead there are five segments from five shows. There are normally two segments in each show. Instead of airing both here they have just taken one from each episode. There are also a handful of special features to create a DVD well worth purchasing. Johnny and the Sprites: Meet the Sprites was made available on March 18, 2008 by Walt Disney Home Video. You can pick this up at most major retailers that sell children’s DVDs, including Amazon where you can purchase this for just under $17.

The Johnny and the Sprites: Meet the Sprites Plot
Without John Tartaglia, Johnny and the Sprites would not be nearly as entertaining. Tartaglia is amazingly charismatic and it translates beautifully into this show. He is fun to watch and rather infectious making you want to sing and dance right alongside him. Johnny and the Sprites is addictive, causing people that love music, happiness, and puppets to embrace this piece of pop culture wholeheartedly.

In the show, Johnny plays a songwriter who moves into a house in the woods. The backyard of the house is home to some magical creatures known as the Sprites. The Sprites are creatures that can only be seen by Johnny and now you and the other viewers. The Sprites and Johnny are friends and the more time they spend together, the more they get to learn about each other’s worlds. This is the essence of the show. Each episode offers some form of conflict or innocent mishap that leads to a lesson in the end. Naturally, the Sprites are usually at the hand of the mishap and Johnny helpfully offers a solution to their problem or a bit of wisdom that, more often than not, occurs in song.

Each of the Sprites has their own personality and something about them that most children can relate to. There are four main Sprites including Ginger, Lily, Basil, and Root. The Sprites live in the woods behind Johnny’s house in a place called Grotto’s Grove. The episodes on the disc include “Ginger’s Antenna Dilemma”, “Root’s Dadoots”, “Where’s the Water, Lily?”, “Basil’s Band”, and “The Sprites and the What?!”

The music is one of the biggest focus points for anyone that has surpassed preschool. Though Tartaglia gives an amazing performance it is the music that will draw you in. One of the reasons that the music is so popular has to do with the people that composed the songs. Broadway composers Stephen Schwartz (’Wicked’, ‘Godspell’) and the team of Alder and Walker (’Alter Boyz’) contributed songs to Johnny and the Sprites.

Kids might have a great time watching it, but it’s highly likely that you will have just as much fun singing along with them, as well. Johnny and the Sprites is one of those rare shows that do not come around too often. If you have been looking for something modern and entertaining for your children to watch, you should check this out. You won’t be disappointed.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
Whenever I see an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 I expect a fairly standard release. It’s not that bad transfers always end up here. It’s just that it’s usually standard with not much excellence to report. However, this is one of the exceptions to the rule. Johnny and the Sprites: Meet the Sprites looks fabulous. Children will love the vibrant colors and the attention to detail. There is no grain or softness that is noticeable throughout the DVD. It looks fabulous from start to finish. Disney did a nice job on this.

The audio was an important part of this disc, especially with all of the musical elements going on here. The DVD was given Dolby Digital 2.0, but things sound fine. The dialogue and the music are not so grossly different that you spend all your time playing with the remote based on the segment. In fact, no volume toggling was needed, at all. Just pop in your DVD and after one possible volume adjustment according to others (though mine did not need one) you are off and running. The songs sound perfect with this audio. They are easy to understand and fun to sing along with. In addition to standard audio, English subtitles are also offered.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
While it’s true that a lot of children’s DVDs do not come with the kind of special features that leave you clamoring for more, Johnny and the Sprites doesn’t do a bad job in this department. My favorite bonus available is “Music Time”. This gives you and your kids a chance to watch each episode with sing along lyrics during songs so that you can all sing together and learn the words, if you haven’t during the regular episodes. Even though I caught most of the words the first time around, I found this special feature quite handy and kids will love it.

Five shorts that show what the series was based on are also included. The shorts introduce us to Basil and Ginger, the two original Sprites. They are a little bit different obviously as this was the phase where things were being worked out. For example, in the shorts there is a neighbor (a man who plays a woman and does so quite amusingly) that is constantly telling Johnny to be quiet. This neighbor was cut from the show, but it’s amusing to see the differences that were once a part of the show, but eventually trimmed down. Like the original episodes you can have these shorts play with the sing along lyrics, as well.

As this is a Disney disc, FastPlay is included so it’s just a matter of popping the disc in and letting it play. No work has to come from you unless you wish to use the menu, which is accessible through the menu function of your remote. The only other feature available on this disc is previews. At last count there were about eleven of them for various Disney and Pixar films and shows.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
The only disappointing thing about this DVD is that it’s not the full season of the show. After seeing these few episode segments I am aching to get my hands on a more complete set and I am sure most children would be, as well. As a parent, this was one show that I really didn’t mind watching. In fact, I had a lot of fun. I cannot wait for a better set to come out, but until then this is definitely worth the purchase. It is one of the best options for a musical based show for young children, though older ones just might like it, too, even if they don’t want you to catch them watching it.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: DVD, Review, Johnny and the Sprites, Creatures, Animated, Muppets, Puppets, Singing, Children’s Show

Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn lives in her home state of Michigan with her life partner, Dominick, her 14 year old son, and her baby, the Shih-Tzu, Oliver Twist. Ashtyn is in college, going for a degree in Psychology. She plans to get her Ph.D and work as a therapist in the field of human sexuality. Ashtyn is an experienced and talented chef. She also excels at writing and has worked as a professional writer for the past five years. Ashtyn enjoys spending time with her son and four year old nephew, watching movies, listening to music, and writing works of fiction.

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Writers: John Hodge (screenplay) Susan Cooper (novel)
Director: David L. Cunningham
Cast: Alexander Ludwig, Christopher Eccleston, Ian McShane, Frances Conroy, James Cosmo, Jim Piddock, Amelia Warner, John Benjamin Hickey, Wendy Crewson, Emma Lockhart
Rating: PG
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: March 18, 2008

The popular book series, The Dark Is Rising was written by Susan Cooper and John Hodge had the chance to adapt one of the books in the series into The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising. What I’ve heard of this translation is that it was so ‘bastardized’, the only thing that seems to be taken from Cooper’s series is the names of the characters. Having not read them, I cannot say whether this is true or not. I can only judge the merits of the movie on what I saw of it.

I had some hope for The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising. The trailer made the movie look pretty cool and I’ve been a fan of Ian McShayne since his Lovejoy days. I guess that gives away my age a little bit, but that is neither here nor there. I feel like Randy Jackson does, on American Idol, when he is telling most of the contestants what he thinks about their performance. If asked what I thought about The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising, I might just have to steal Randy’s catchphrase of, “I don’t know, dawg. I didn’t really get it. It was just ok for me.”

Release Information:
The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising was released in movie theaters across the United States on October 7, 2008. Playing in over 3,000 theaters, the movie did terrible in its opening weekend grossing only $3 million. It has made close to $30 million total, worldwide since its original debut.

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Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.

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Writers: Neal F. Barbera, Walter Black, Larz Bourne, Tom Dagenais, Bob Ogle, Larry Rhine, Dick Robbins
Directors: Joseph Barbera, William Hanna,Charles A. Nichols
Cast: Sally Struthers, Mel Blanc, Carl Esser, Gay Hartweg, Mitzi McCall, Don Messick, Jay North, Alan Reed, Jean Vander Pyl, Lennie Weinrib
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Turner Home Entertainment (through Warner Bros)
Release Date: March 18, 2008

The primetime success of The Flintstones has led to a series of spin off and prequel shows by Hanna Barbera. My favorite was The Flintstone Kids, but its hard to go wrong with any of the shows that feature characters from the original series. The very first spinoff originally aired in 1971 and that sequel was The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show. Geared towards the teen audience of the early 70s, the show featured some funny humor, especially for the time period.

Sure, The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show wasn’t The Flintstones. It’s hard to be that good. It’s hard for any spin off or sequel to rival the original production. Still, younger fans of the show, especially in the 70s and early 80s were able to enjoy The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show and really get the humor. I was born in 80, myself, so I found the show to be absolutely hilarious. Not everyone seems to share in my enthusiasm.

Release Information:
The Pebbles and Bamm Bamm Show originally aired as a 30-minute, Saturday morning cartoon. The first season of 16 episodes, ran from September 11, 1971 to September 2, 1972. A shorter, second season of just 10-minute episodes (four in total) ran from September 9, 1972 to September 1, 1973 as a part of The Flintstone Comedy Hour. I saw the reruns of the show, which aired in the 1980s and the show has also made its way onto Boomerang, in recent years.

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Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.

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Writers: Various
Cast: Jake T. Austin, Serena Kerrigan, Rosie Perez,
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount and Nickelodeon
Release Date: March 18, 2008

Go Diego Go! - Moonlight Rescue offers episodes from Go Diego Go! that I do not think aired during the original show run. I’m not sure if these are never before seen episodes or not. Whatever they are, Go Diego Go! - Moonlight Rescue is my favorite of the Go Diego Go DVDs we’ve received. Ashtyn and I piled in front of the TV with the kids, three year old Lil B and 13 year old OG Kid. OG likes watching TV if it makes his cousin laugh. While he wasn’t into it the way Lil B was, he had fun repeating after Diego just because Lil B had so much fun when they did it together. He is an excellent cousin.

Release Information:
Nickelodeon has made numerous Go Diego Go! DVDs. Go Diego Go! - Moonlight Rescue is the latest one we (at LI Kids) have had the chance to review. Paramount and Nickelodeon have teamed up again to release a very special DVD with episodes that don’t appear to have aired during the regular seasons. This three episode set is typical Go Diego Go! fare.

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Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.

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