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Monday, April 13, 2026
House & Home - Best Cities for Urban Gardening
Movie Minute - My Brother the Minotaur
Apple TV debuted the trailer for “My Brother the Minotaur,” an all-new animated kids and family adventure series set to premiere globally on Friday, April 24. From Academy Award-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon and award-winning children’s media company Dog Ears, the series centers on universal themes of growing up, feeling different, discovering where you belong and celebrating the people who truly see you and the places that feel like home.
A thrilling mix of folklore, mystery and adventure about a young minotaur – half boy, half bull – found and raised in the human world. With the help of his fiercely loyal human brother, he recruits a bold group of friends to uncover the mystery of his minotaur past and fulfill his destiny, all while battling dark forces determined to see him fail.
The animated series features voice performances from rising stars Ely Solan, Billy Jenkins, Luciana Akpobaro and Billie Boullet, alongside Michael Sheen, Brian Cox, Paul Kaye and T’Nia Miller.
“My Brother the Minotaur” is produced for Apple by Dog Ears and Cartoon Saloon. Gerry Shirren and Fionnuala Deane serve as executive producers on the show, with producers John McDaid, Nora Twomey, Tomm Moore, Paul Young and Nuria Blanco. “My Brother the Minotaur” was created by Donal Mangan, written by Mark Hodkinson and directed by Maurice Joyce.
Caring Causes - AMIKids
AMIkids recently announced that Thaddeus Bullard, internationally recognized philanthropist, community leader, and former Arena Football League player turned WWE Legend and WWE Hall of Famer, known as Titus O’Neil, will serve as the organization's new national spokesperson.
Bullard's personal story and lifelong commitment to uplifting underserved youth make him a powerful advocate for AMIkids' mission to help young people reach their full potential. Born into extreme hardship, Bullard grew up facing poverty, housing instability, and significant adversity. His mother had him at a young age, and throughout his childhood the family often struggled to find stable housing and consistent meals.
Despite these challenges, mentors, teachers, and community members saw promise in him and invested in his future. That investment changed the trajectory of his life.
Bullard went on to become the number one high school football recruit in the nation, graduate from the University of Florida with two degrees while serving as student body vice president and play in the AFL. Today, he is widely known as former WWE Superstar Titus O'Neil and as a dedicated humanitarian.
Through his nonprofit, the Bullard Family Foundation, Bullard works to uplift children, families, and underserved communities through education initiatives, youth mentoring, and community outreach programs.
As national spokesperson, Bullard will help elevate awareness of AMIkids' work serving youth who have faced significant challenges and are seeking a path toward a brighter future.
"AMIkids believes in young people who too often feel overlooked or misunderstood," said Bullard. "I know what it feels like to be counted out. But when someone takes the time to believe in you and invest in your future, it can change everything. That's why I'm honored to partner with AMIkids and help shine a light on the incredible work they are doing across the country."
For more than 55 years, AMIkids has helped youth develop the confidence, skills, and support systems needed to succeed in school, work, and life. Through mentoring, education, behavioral support, and workforce development, AMIkids programs help young people overcome obstacles and discover their potential.
"Thaddeus embodies the message we want every young person in our programs to hear," said AMIkids CEO & President Mike Thornton. "Your circumstances do not define your future. With the right support and belief, extraordinary things are possible."
As national spokesperson, Bullard will work alongside AMIkids leaders to help raise awareness of the organization's programs, highlight youth success stories, and inspire communities across the country to invest in the next generation.
To learn more about AMIkids and its programs, visit www.amikids.org
Music Minute - CatDog Theme Song
In a landmark moment for ‘90s pop culture and Nickelodeon fans everywhere, Republic Records: Kids & Family, in partnership with Nickelodeon, proudly unveils the first-ever official release of the “CatDog Theme Song,” available on all streaming platforms today—listen HERE. For the first time since its original debut, the instantly recognizable theme song from one of Nickelodeon’s most beloved and culturally iconic animated series is being released on digital streaming platforms, bringing a defining anthem of the golden era of Nicktoons to longtime fans and a new generation alike.
Originally debuting in 1998, CatDog became a staple of late-‘90s kids television, capturing audiences with its surreal humor, unforgettable characters, and one-of-a-kind premise. The show’s theme song—an energetic, wildly catchy introduction to “one fine day with a woof and a purr”—quickly cemented itself as one of the most enduring and recognizable TV themes of its time. Now, decades later, the “CatDog Theme Song” is finally available to stream, marking a major cultural moment as nostalgic millennial audiences reconnect with a core piece of their childhood while introducing the iconic track to younger listeners.
“This release represents exactly the kind of culturally significant moment we strive to create,” said Bree Bowles, Senior Vice President, Republic Records: Kids & Family. “The ‘CatDog Theme Song’ is a true piece of pop culture, instantly recognizable and tied to so many people’s childhoods. Bringing it to streaming for the first time is long overdue, and we’re proud to partner with Nickelodeon to finally give it the global reach it deserves while introducing it to a whole new generation.”
“Music has always been a core part of how Nickelodeon connects with audiences, and the ‘CatDog Theme Song’ is one of those rare records that has lived on well beyond the show itself,” said Anita Chinkes Ratner, Executive Vice President, TV Music, Paramount. “Making it available on streaming for the first time is a meaningful moment for us, and we’re excited to work with Republic Records: Kids & Family to bring it back into the conversation for both longtime fans and a new generation.”
With its long-awaited arrival on DSPs, the “CatDog Theme Song” is poised to spark a wave of nostalgia, social conversation, and rediscovery, proving that great music, much like great cartoons, truly stands the test of time.
CatDog is the ultimate odd couple--opposites attached. The two-headed toon comes to life through physical, gag-filled, character-driven animation. Innocent and rambunctious Dog enjoys rolling in the mud and eating garbage, while his better half Cat is constantly trying to be cool and appears to have life figured out. As a result, the fur often flies between this animated odd couple.
ABOUT REPUBLIC RECORDS: KIDS & FAMILY
Kids & Family launched as the official children’s division of Republic Records in 2022. The newly created division caters to audiences ages 0-12 with fun and family-friendly music, collaborations, and experiences tailored to early development. Aimed to entertain the whole family, it offers engaging, educational, and explorative content, leveraging innovative partnerships with trusted brands such as Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, NBC Universal and many more. With an emphasis on high quality music and world-class presentation, Republic Records: Kids & Family appeals to little ears and beyond.
ABOUT NICKELODEON
Nickelodeon, now in its 47th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information, visit http://www.nickpress.com
Music Minute - Randall Franks: Down Yonder Too
Award-winning bluegrass and Americana artist, actor, and producer Randall Franks announces the release of the new single, “Down Yonder Too,” the debut track from the forthcoming charity album A Zippedy Doodle Day: American Folk Songs. The single commemorates the 100th anniversary of The Skillet Lickers, Georgia’s pioneering fiddle band formed in 1926, while honoring the legacy of Doodle and the Golden River Grass, widely recognized as one of the last traditional fiddle bands of country music’s early era.
Founded by Gid Tanner and Riley Puckett, The Skillet Lickers’ legacy continues through the Tanner family, carried on today by third-generation member Phil Tanner and his son, fourth-generation member Russ Tanner, while a fresh interpretation of the multi-million-selling classic “Down Yonder” blends archival elements with contemporary performances, creating a vibrant collaboration that bridges generations of Appalachian music.
The track features an all-star lineup including Dom Flemons, Jim Lauderdale, Ketch Secor, and Paul Puckett, alongside Franks, and layered with fiddle, harmonica, banjo, jug, and rich vocal performances, “Down Yonder Too” honors traditional string band roots while bringing renewed energy to a timeless sound.
For more information, visit RandallFranks.com/A-Zippedy-
The "Down Yonder Too" video is now on YouTube, Rumble, and other streaming platforms.
To view the video for “Down Yonder Too,” visit HERE.
“This project is about preserving the soul of Appalachian music and ensuring its future,” said Franks. “By uniting The Skillet Lickers’ groundbreaking spirit with Doodle’s infectious energy and these incredible guests, we’re celebrating 100 years of innovation in string band traditions. It’s ‘A Zippedy Doodle Day’ indeed—full of joy, history, and collaboration.”
The single also highlights the album’s broader mission to honor John “Doodle” Thrower (1929–1994) and his band, James Watson, Gene Daniell, Wesley Clackum, and Randall Franks, known for their spirited performances, humor, and appearances at major events including the 1982 World’s Fair, National Folk Festivals, and PBS specials. Proceeds from the album and its accompanying documentary will benefit the Share America Foundation, providing scholarships for aspiring Appalachian musicians, as well as the West Georgia Museum for historical preservation.
The full album features a wide range of contributors including Bruce Boxleitner, Gena Britt, Wyatt Ellis, Daniel Grindstaff, Marty Hays, Dale Houston, The Marksmen, Alex Miller, Lee Newton, Kody Norris, Ronnie & Justin Reno, Ralph Stanley II, Larry Stephenson, Derek Stone, Leroy Troy, and more, all donating their talents to support this charitable endeavor.
In celebration of the release, Franks and the Share America Foundation are launching the 5,000 Download Challenge, inviting fans to help fund Appalachian music scholarships by supporting the single on digital platforms.
An accompanying documentary, directed by Franks, will further explore the legacy of Doodle and the Golden River Grass through archival footage, interviews, and performances.
To keep up to date with ‘A Zippedy Doodle Day: American Folk Songs,’ visit ShareAmericaFoundation.org or follow on all social media platforms.
“Down Yonder Too” is available to radio on AirPlay Direct at https://app.airplaydirect.com/
Follow Randall:
Website | Facebook | X | Instagram | YouTube | LinkedIn
About Randall Franks:
Randall Franks is an award-winning bluegrass, Americana, and country musician, fiddler, actor, and philanthropist best known for his role as Officer Randy Goode on the TV series In the Heat of the Night. With a career spanning over 48 years, he has released 26 albums and been inducted into multiple music halls of fame, and is honored as an International Bluegrass Music Museum Legend. Franks is dedicated to preserving Appalachian musical heritage through his work with the Share America Foundation, supporting scholarships for young musicians. Website: www.randallfranks.com.
About The Skillet Lickers:
The Skillet Lickers are a groundbreaking old-time string band formed in 1926 in Georgia, renowned for their energetic recordings and influence on early country music, including hits like "Down Yonder." The original 1926 members included Gid Tanner (fiddle and vocals), Riley Puckett (guitar and vocals), Clayton McMichen (fiddle), and Fate Norris (banjo and harmonica), with later additions such as Bert Layne (fiddle), Lowe Stokes (fiddle), and Ted Hawkins (mandolin). The band's legacy spans generations, and current members include Phil Tanner, Russ Tanner (both fiddlers and descendants of Gid Tanner), Joel Aderhold, Brian Stephens, and Brian Morgan, who continue performing traditional string band music. The group is planning many special events marking its Centennial Year. For more info, visit facebook.com/skilletlickers
About Share America Foundation, Inc.:
The Share America Foundation, Inc., founded in 2006 by Randall Franks, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Appalachian musical heritage and supporting young artists through scholarships and educational programs. Its board members include Chairman Gary Knowles, Vice Chairman John Brinsfield, Secretary James Pelt, Vice President Jerry Robinson, Sr., and President Randall Franks. For more, visit shareamericafoundation.org.
Going Green - Bluevua
Bluevua has developed a countertop Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water System for Home and Family or Gift Registry Uses.
They also support Giving Back environmental initiatives.
Unlike its competitors, the Bluevua system does not require a plumber to install or connect and there are no plastics used in the filtration process.
And you can forget about all those water bottles. Did you know that 91% of packaging waste ends up in landfills? At Bluevua, we’re working to change that. Our packaging now uses 100% recyclable materials. Every improvement, big or small, helps reduce waste and protect the planet. By choosing Bluevua, you’re taking part in creating a smaller footprint for a healthier world.
In fact, Bluevua® is a leader in countertop reverse osmosis (RO) systems like the ROPOT and ROPOT-Lite, that filter contaminates. Earlier this month, it announced that it has been named a finalist by the International Housewares Association (IHA). The Global Innovation Awards for Excellence in Product Design recognizes and promotes distinction in the home and housewares industry, according to IHA.
Bluevua was recognized for its ROPOT Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier for Travel.
Amazing Art - The American Federation Of Arts Launches National Tour of Willie Birch's First-Ever Career Retrospective
The American Federation of Arts (AFA) announces the national tour dates for Willie Birch: Stories to Tell, chronicling the groundbreaking artist’s singular vision of the Black American experience.
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The exhibition is co-organized with the New Orleans Museum of Art, and features six decades of work (from the late 1960s to the present) representing Birch’s first career retrospective of this size and scope.
The first leg of the national tour opens at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles on May 5. Willie Birch is a New Orleans–based artist, cultural provocateur, and community organizer who has devoted his artmaking career to storytelling: “Content dictates process. I care about the story.
The process I use for the work comes after I have a story to tell,” says Willie Birch. His incisive art features a wide variety of media including paintings, large-scale drawings, wood and papier-mâché sculpture, and public art commissions.
Birch draws on sources as diverse as jazz music, Egyptian numerology, and American folk art.
“Willie Birch’s work does not shy away from the complexities of race, poverty, and systemic inequity, nor does it romanticize struggle,” says Pauline Forlenza, the Director and CEO of the AFA, in her foreword to the exhibition catalogue.
“Instead, his art holds space for contradiction — pain and joy, vulnerability and pride, endurance and resistance. Whether exploring the quiet dignity of his neighbors or the complex history of African traditions in American culture, Birch’s eye is unwavering and empathetic."
The exhibition has been booked by museums in four cities, including:
California African American Museum in Los Angeles (May 5, 2026 - Oct. 21, 2026)
New Orleans Museum of Art (March 20, 2027 - Sept. 5, 2027)
Museum of Contemporary Art, Jacksonville (Oct. 28, 2027 - May 14, 2028)
Hudson River Museum, New York (Sept. 22, 2028 - Jan. 14, 2029).
Russell Lord (Chief of Curatorial Affairs at the Norman Rockwell Museum and a former curator at the New Orleans Museum of Art) will guest curate the exhibition, working in tandem with Amanda Hajjar, the AFA’s Assistant Curator and project manager for the Willie Birch exhibition.
Founded in 1909 with the goal of sharing art with people across the United States, the AFA continues to reaffirm its mission with monographic exhibitions on important artists of our time.
In keeping with this tradition of publishing catalogues with important scholarly research, the exhibition is accompanied by a 208-page hardcover book published by the AFA in association with Yale University Press ‒ available for purchase in June at https://yalebooks.yale.edu/
The book is edited by Russell Lord. Essays about the exhibition and about Birch's art are written by Russell Lord, Grace Deveney, Leslie King Hammond, and Lowery Stokes Sims, and explore the impact and legacy of Birch’s artmaking.
The exhibition is co-organized by the American Federation of Arts and New Orleans Museum of Art.
Willie Birch: Stories to Tell is sponsored by Bank of America.
Major support for the exhibition and catalogue is provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Henry Luce Foundation, and the Terra Foundation for American Art. Significant support for the catalogue is provided by Wyeth Foundation for American Art. Additional support has been provided by Monique Schoen Warshaw and Adam Shopkorn.
Book Nook - Mom Brain
Mmodern motherhood comes with heavy expectations. Nicole Hackett’s new novel, Mom Brain, takes a sharp look at these pressures and gives a thrilling twist to the challenges moms face every day.
If you loved Liane Moriarty’s Nine Perfect Strangers, you will devour this book.
Mom Brain (Releasing April 21, 2026) follows Georgia Evans, a working mother of two who recently earned the awful title of "internet's worst mom." Desperate for a reset, she attends The Program. This immersive, week-long retreat at a breathtaking O'ahu luxury resort promises to give mothers back control of their lives.
The resort's elegant founder, Cecilia Clements, claims the biology of motherhood imprisons women. She promises true freedom. Georgia quickly falls under Cecilia's spell and embraces the compelling science behind the retreat. But as doubt creeps in, Georgia faces the ultimate lesson of The Program: you cannot trust a mom brain.
Or can you?
This novel flips the script and reframes "mom brain" as a superpower. It explores empowerment, identity, and transformation in a way that will spark intense conversations among your followers.
About the Author
Nicole Hackett lives with her husband and two kids in a very old house in the farmlands of northern Maryland, where she works as a biochemical patent agent. She is the author of the “cleverly constructed thriller” (Kirkus Reviews) The Perfect Ones and is one of those annoying people who run on vacation. Connect with her online at nicolehackettbooks.com; Instagram: @nicolehackettbooks; Facebook: @nicolehackettbooks.
Book Nook - GIGANTIC
It can be hard to be the odd one out, especially for little ones, but Rob Biddulph’s new picture book GIGANTIC (On sale April 14, 2026) teaches us that being different often means being able to make an unexpected impact.
You might know Rob Biddulph from his Guinness World Record-breaking #DrawWithRob YouTube series, which garnered millions of views and international acclaim, and turned him into a go-to voice on creativity and confidence for kids. In GIGANTIC, he tells the tale of a tiny whale with a big heart.
Bullied for his small stature, Gigantic keeps to himself and instead connects with creatures outside his pod. But when his brother Titan gets stuck in the sand, brave Gigantic calls on the beautiful biodiversity of the ocean for a rescue mission, proving how even the smallest of marine life has immeasurable value.
GIGANTIC is already receiving some phenomenal early reviews, being called “an endearing story about self-acceptance and unlikely heroism, set in a vibrant underwater world teeming with personality” by Kirkus, and School Library Journal declaring that “[y]oung readers will be drawn to the bold colors and expressive characters.”
Book Nook - Get the Wiggles Out: Playful Ways to Embrace Every Feeling
In a new partnership, Mayo Clinic Press Kids is debuting their Everyday Feelings series with Sesame Street, starting with Get the Wiggles Out: Playful Ways to Embrace Every Feeling. This is the first of three Sesame Street partnered stories releasing in 2026.
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From nervous wiggles to excited jumps, this playful and empowering picture book helps kids recognize, understand, and manage their feelings—one movement at a time. Whether it’s Elmo feeling nervous at the doctor’s office or Abby bursting with excitement at the library, Get the Wiggles Out shows that there are fun, simple ways to handle every emotion. With expert guidance from Mayo Clinic pediatric psychologist Dr. Emily McTate and beloved Sesame Street friends, children learn how to calm their bodies, express their feelings, and get back to doing what they love.
I had a chance to see a copy of this book. It's very kid-friendly, with bright illustrations and engaging age-appropriate activities. It's ideal for families or classrooms who want to help young readers build social-emotional learning. It also helps encourage movement to help deal with feelings, which can be a powerful way to cope with difficult emotions.
Whether kids feel shy, overwhelmed, or just need to shake it out, Get the Wiggles Out is a joyful reminder that every feeling is safe to feel—and every child has the tools to handle it.