On Children’s Website, N.S.A. Puts a Furry, Smiley Face on Its Mission

The National Security Agency uses cartoon characters to try to teach young people about its work, and to encourage them to someday join the agency.

    

A Tablet for Children That Comes With Its Own Penguins

The DreamTab, produced by Fuhu and DreamWorks Animation, will regularly update with custom content from the animation studio.

    



Seeking Top Toys, Good Housekeeping Puts Them to Test

Good Housekeeping spends all year finding and reviewing toys, a process integral to the magazine’s overall business strategy.

    



Same Time, Same Channel? TV Woos Kids Who Can’t Wait

In their efforts to attract children, television networks are starting to show programs online before they appear on old-fashioned TV.

    



Disney Show Will Appear First on App for Tablets

Tablet computers are becoming the “first screen” for pre-school-age viewers and Disney is making a broader investment with the app debut of “Sheriff Callie’s Wild West.”

    



A Library of Classics, Edited for the Teething Set

Children’s publishers have found a market for board-book versions of “Moby-Dick,” “Sense and Sensibility” and other literary novels.

    



Some News Organizations Decline to Publish Minors’ Names

News organizations were split on whether to identify two Florida girls, 12 and 14, accused in the online bullying of a third girl who committed suicide.

    



Advertising: The Fight Against Bullying in Schools Expands to Store Shelves

Several companies are running public-service campaigns that target parents and children with calls for bravery and leadership.

    



‘Sesame Street’ Widens Its Focus

With its usual silliness, “Sesame Street” is introducing serious concepts about nature, science, math and engineering to its target audience of children too young to read.

    

Media Decoder: Tooth Fairy Site Angers Anti-Commercialism Group

The Real Tooth Fairies site raised the ire of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood for commercializing a rite of passage.

    

Advertising: A Spokesman Finds Fame Interviewing Tiny Experts

Beck Bennett, 28, is a comedian and writer who poses deadpan questions to an array of adorable children in a near-omnipresent AT&T ad campaign.

    

Nickelodeon Resists Critics of Food Ads

In resisting calls to ban ads for nutritionally questionable food, Nickelodeon argued that its job was children’s entertainment, not nutrition.

    

Suit Claims Monster Beverage Markets to Children

A suit filed by the San Francisco city attorney said Monster targeted children and youths in its marketing, a claim the company denied.

    

Media Decoder Blog: First Book Gives 2 Awards in Stories for All Project

First Book, a nonprofit that promotes literacy among children in low-income communities, will give two awards through its Stories for All project to publishers offering multicultural books.

Hasbro Expands Transformers Brand Into New Media

To Hasbro, there is no one too young or too old to play with a Transformers robot, watch a Transformers television show or play a Transformers video game.