DREAMWORKS DRAGONS POP UP BOOK

My kids have grown up watching the How to Train Your Dragon trilogy of movies from DreamWorks Animation. The original How to Train Your Dragon film came out when they were preschoolers and both of the twins fell in love with Toothless the Night Fury. The second film arrived as they were preparing to go to Kindergarten. And now the last chapter of the trilogy How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World wrapped up the trilogy as they are getting near the end of elementary school. The Dreamworks Dragons movies really are beloved by our whole family.

So we really enjoyed flipping through the pages of DreamWorks Dragons: Adventures With Dragons: A Pop Up History from Insight Editions. Crafted by James Diaz and Joshua Pruett. Pruett is a Primetime Emmy and Annie Award–nominated TV writer, author, and storyboard artist best known for his work on Mystery Science Theater 3000, Phineas and Ferb, and Disney XD’s Milo Murphy’s Law. James served as the Creative Director for Intervisual, developing over 200 children’s pop-up and novelty books then founded White Heat, Ltd. which published and packaged over 300 children’s novelty books for National Geographic, Random House, Simon & Schuster, Scholastic. This really is a dynamic creative duo that put together this DreamWorks Dragons Pop Up Book.

The book is written from the perspective as if was the journal of one of the films lead characters and primary heroes, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III. This personal tone to the text adds an extra dimension of enjoyment complimenting the more than two dozen pop up visual effects within this book. DreamWorks Dragons: Adventures With Dragons: A Pop Up History provides an overview of the adventures that took place within the three How To Train Your Dragon movies through 6 impressive spreads that have the dragons and Vikings pop out at you from the pages of this book.

Relive the enduring story of the friendship and bond that develops between a dragon and Viking in the How To Train Your Dragon movies. Hiccup and Toothless grow into best friends learning to trust and live harmoniously as they grow into leaders. DreamWorks Dragons: The Pop-Up Book explores the Island of Berk and other settings from the films as it shares dragon lore and provides peek inside the lives of the characters from the movies. Full of original artwork and tactile elements brought a lot of joy to my kids as they discovered all the wonderful details included within this book.

If you are a fan of DreamWorks Dragons like my family is, DreamWorks Dragons: Adventures With Dragons: A Pop Up History is a must have addition to your book shelf. Because this book was so much fun to delve into exploring the illustrations and special effects, it has A Geek Daddy nod of approval. We especially enjoyed the paper engineering that lets readers shoot a catapult within the book's pages.

How To Train Your Dragon 3 will also be available to add to your home entertainment video library on May 21, 2019 via Blu-ray, DVD and Digital. When Hiccup discovers Toothless isn't the only Night Fury, he must seek "The Hidden World", a secret Dragon Utopia before a hired tyrant named Grimmel finds it first. As Hiccup fulfills his dream of creating a peaceful dragon utopia, Toothless' discovery of an untamed, elusive mate draws the Night Fury away. Both this pop up book and the How To Train Your Dragon movies make for great family entertainment.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3

A surprise delivery arrived at our house! A box of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON gifts from DreamWorks Animation for our family to enjoy as we excitedly await the upcoming release of the final movie in the this trilogy of animated films. THE HIDDEN WORLD flies into theaters across the United States for a February 22 opening weekend.

The HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON saga has been some of my son's favorite movies. The first movie was a great family film to take him to as a preschooler and he had to have us find him a Toothless stuffed dragon because the boy was so in awe of the Night Fury. As a kindergartner, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON action figures were at the top of his Christmas List to Saint Nick after seeing the second movie and his grandma knitted him a Toothless quilt that still covers his bed.

We were getting nervous that he might outgrow animated movies like these before the final chapter came out.  Fortunately, HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3: THE HIDDEN WORLD is being released while he is still young enough to have the same youthful enthusiasm he had for the other films. So you know we are going to be going to see the movie its opening weekend!

My son is really excited to see what happens to Toothless, Hiccup, and the rest of the Vikings and dragons from the Isle of Berk. Have to admit being glad that my son is still so enthused about going to see the final film in the HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON trilogy of movies because I really want to see how it all ends too. These movies have really provided us with some wonderful family moments as we've enjoyed them together during my kids' childhoods.

So my wife and I really appreciated DreamWorks Animation sending my son a box of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON goodies to thank him for being a huge Toothless fan! The box of swag includes a Night Fury mask, t-shirt, movie soundtrack CD, and a Toothless + Hiccup action figure set. The gift box also included an HP Sprocket portable cell phone camera printer.

HP Sprocket Photo Printers are a great way to capture family moments with physical print outs of pictures you've taken with your cell phone. This portable device is Bluetooth compatible so you can instantly connect with your iOS or Android phone and print out 2 x 3 inch photos or stickers.  The HP Sprocket Photo Printer is a really fun and handy device to have.

Plus you don't have to deal with ink cartridges. The device just needs to be refilled with special paper that is used by the Sprocket to produce your pictures. I like this ZINK Zero Ink technology! We are going to be getting a lot of use out of our new HP Sprocket Photo Printer.

In HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD, Hiccup is now chief and ruler of the Vikings of Berk. Alongside Astrid, Hiccup has created a gloriously chaotic dragon utopia. When the sudden appearance of female Light Fury coincides with the darkest threat their village has ever faced, Hiccup and his dragon companion Toothless must leave the only home they’ve known and journey to a hidden world thought only to exist in myth. As their true destines are revealed, dragon and rider fight together—to the very ends of the Earth—to protect everything they’ve grown to treasure.



HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON: THE HIDDEN WORLD is rated PG by the Motion Picture Association of America for action / fantasy content. For more information about the movie which opens February 22, 2019 go to howtotrainyourdragon.com/

WEEKEND GIVEAWAY: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

In recognition of the November 11th home video release of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 on BLU-RAY & DVD, one lucky A Geek Daddy Blog reader will win a movie prize pack courtesy of our friends at Fox Home Entertainment.  For a chance to win this BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD combo pack you must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit one or all of the following entry methods to earn up to 3 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday November 16, 2014:

UPDATE: Congratulations to Stephen A from Virginia Beach VA who won the prize!

 ENTRY 1:  Follow A GEEK DADDY on FACEBOOK.

 ENTRY 2:  Follow A GEEK DADDY on GOOGLE+

ENTRY 3:  E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address.  Email subject line should be DRAGONS CONTEST.  If you wish to have Entry 1 and/or 2 count to earn extra entries include the name(s) you follow A GEEK DADDY with on Facebook & GooglePlus in this e-mail. 

All valid entries will be assigned a number and one number will be randomly selected to determine the winner.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

ABOUT HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

Soaring past the $500 million mark at the global box office, DreamWorks Animation’s HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 is not only one of the best reviewed films of the year, but also 2014’s highest grossing animated film to-date and one of the top ten grossing films of the year in any genre.

The thrilling second chapter of the epic HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON trilogy returns to the fantastical world of the heroic Viking Hiccup and his faithful dragon Toothless. The inseparable duo must protect the peace and save the future of men and dragons from the power-hungry Drago when Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment releases DreamWorks Animation’s critically acclaimed HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 on Digital HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, the next chapter to the Academy Award® nominated film released in 2010, is “sensational…an instant animated classic,” proclaims Access Hollywood. A hit with audiences and critics alike, the film received an outstanding audience reaction with a coveted “A” CinemaScore® and certified 92% fresh on RottenTomatoes.com. Variety’s Peter Debruge declares the film is “Braver than ‘Brave,’ more fun than ‘Frozen’…Dragon delivers.” It’s a must-own title for the whole family!

Fans will get even more excitement, adventure and, of course, more dragons when DreamWorks Animation releases DRAGONS: DAWN OF THE DRAGON RACERS, an all-new animated adventure featuring the original voice cast. A hunt for lost sheep soon turns into a high-flying sprint in the all-new epic adventure as Hiccup and friends battle to become the first Dragon Racing Champion of Berk! DRAGONS: DAWN OF THE DRAGON RACERS will be available exclusively on the Blu-ray™ combo pack, DVD double pack and Digital HD.

While you are waiting for our winner announcement how about having your own dragon races with these fun HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 inspired paper airplanes:

 

 

 DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but Fox Home Entertainment is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive a review DVD for the blog and the prize that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 Family Movie Night

My son had been getting into a little bit of trouble in kindergarten being too rambunctious and energetic during class, so I promised him if he could go a few weeks without any problems at school we would have a special movie watching night when How to Train Your Dragon 2 comes out on video.  He's lived up to his end of the bargain being a well behaved little boy at school so I'm sticking to my part of the deal and putting together a special night for the family.

The How to Train Your Dragon toys, television series, and movies are the hot thing that have captured my son's attention and imagination lately...he is so excited to be able to watch How to Train Your Dragon 2 when it comes out on dvd and blu-ray! How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a fantasy film filled with dragons and vikings produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox that appeared in theaters this summer and is a sequel to the original How to Trains Your Dragon movie that came out in 2010.  This new movie takes place five years after the events in the first film and features Hiccup and his viking friends as young adults as they meet Valka, Hiccup's long-lost mother, and Drago Bludvist, a madman who want to conquer the world by controlling dragons.

To make our family movie night special we aren't just going to throw some popcorn in the microwave and flip on the movie, we're going to have a Viking Feast while we enjoy the show.  A Geek Daddy is going to put his mastery of grilling to good use and have some fun making up a meal that would even satisfy the appetite of a dragon.  We'll have some Viking Ale (actually a child friendly concoction of butterscotch and ginger ale) grilled Turkey Legs to gnaw on, and some Viking Boats for desert.

VIKING ALE (Non-alcoholic)

Ingredients:

2 parts club soda, cream soda or ginger ale
1 part butterscotch syrup
1/2 tablespoon of butter

Directions:

Combine butterscotch syrup and butter in a microwave-safe glass;

Microwave on high for one minute or until syrup is bubbly and butter is melted;

Stir and cool for a few seconds;

Slowly fill up the remainder of the glass with cream soda or ginger ale for a fizzy treat.

TURKEY LEGS

One of the best part of going to a Renaissance Festival is eating one of those great big turkey legs they grill up for you there.  Hey you can make them at home too with just a little bit of effort on your part.

Ingredients:

**The Meat**
 Turkey Legs - you can buy these drumsticks at many markets

**Brine**
4 quarts of water
1/2 cup of sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar

**Basting Sauce**
Honey
Barbeque Sauce
Red Wine Vinegar

Directions:

Combine the water, kosher salt and sugar and mix well. Place the turkey drumsticks in the brine so they're completely covered -- if you're making a lot of turkey legs, you may need to double the amount of brine;

Refrigerate your turkey legs, in the brine solution, over night. Remove from the fridge about an hour before cooking, so they can reach room temperature;

When you're ready to cook, remove the turkey legs from the brine and pat them dry. Brush each turkey leg lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat your grill;

Combine the honey, barbeque sauce and red wine vinegar to taste. If you like yours sweeter use more honey. If you like your sauce tangier use more vinegar;

Place the turkey legs on the grill. Brush them with the sauce periodically, and turn them so they grill evenly;

Grill the turkey legs for  thirty minutes, occasionally turning and basting them. When finished wrap the turkey legs in aluminum foil for about fifteen minutes to finish cooking;

Enjoy - feast on these like a viking holding the drumstick in your hand and savoring it as you gnaw at it with your teeth like a medieval warrior.

VIKING BOATS

While you have the grill going here is a quick and tasty desert that is easy to make and kids will love.

Ingredients

Bananas

Marshmallows

Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Syrup

Honey

Aluminum Foil

Directions:

Open a banana but don't completely pull the peel off.  Slice it along its length so it looks like an open hot dog bun;

Place marshmallows, chocolate chips, and chocolate syrup within the slit you've created.  Drizzle some honey over the top of your stuffing.  Then wrap the banana back inside its peel;

Wrap the banana in aluminum foil and place it on a warm grill for ten minutes;

Unwrap the foil and the banana peel.  Ta da! You have a Viking Boat for desert! Tear into the soft warm banana filled with melted marshmallow and chocolate and devour it like a dragon.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 will be available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning November 11, 2014.  Raise your turkey leg and viking ale with your hands into the air to cheer and toast for a successful adventure and journey be accomplished by Hiccup and his loyal companion Toothless in this family friendly animated feature film.

DISCLAIMER:  As a member of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders blogger program A Geek Daddy Blog receives complimentary dvds and promotional items promoting films that are being marketed  in campaigns associated with this program.  A Geek Daddy Blog does not receive financial compensation for its participation as a Fox Home Entertainment Insider.

How To Carve Your Dragon

The hot thing that has caught my son's attention and imagination lately are the How to Train Your Dragon movies and television shows. So he was thrilled when our family included his favorite dragon, Toothless, into our Halloween activities by carving a jack-o-lantern of the character.  In fact, we switched up our Friday family game night routine last week and made it a #DragonsDay themed evening creating some fun dragon masks, carving our Toothless pumpkin and watching the original How to Train Your Dragon movie from DreamWorks Animation.


My friends at Fox Home Entertainment helped us put together our special How To Train Your Dragon night by providing templates for pumpkin carving and dragon masks that I was able to print out.  I've included these below if you'd like to incorporate them  into your Halloween festivities.

 

 

DreamWorks How To Train Your Dragon 2 will be coming out on Blu-ray & DVD on November 11, 2014 distributed by Fox Home Entertainment so incorporating jack-o-lanterns and masks into your Halloween activities can be a fun way to get your kids excited about the upcoming home video release.  My son has been asking every week since we saw this movie at theaters this summer when he could see it again so watching the original movie and including Dragons into our Halloween really built up his excitement for us bringing the sequel home in a few weeks.  It was also a reminder that he needs to keep his grades up and keep being good at school if he wants us to let him watch How To Train Your Dragon 2 when it comes out.  A little bit of carrot and stick parenting there combining reward and punishment in one simple DVD package.  My daughter enjoys the movies too but to be honest she's just not as engrossed by dragons as much as my son is.

If you don't want to wait until November 11th to enjoy How to Train Your Dragon 2 there is one way you can view it right now ...  it became available for digital download on October 21, 2014.  Our household prefers Blu-ray though for watching flicks on our big screen tv.

About How To Train Your Dragon 2

It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snotlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any compensation for this post but is a member of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders Blogger program which provides this site with free movies for reviews and giveaways in exchange for promotional opportunities with our audience.