Dinosaur Train Featured In National Amtrak Promotion In August

files/pictures/picture-35.jpgPress Release from The Jim Henson Company

Hollywood, July 28, 2011: The Jim Henson Company, Random House Children’s Books and Paramount Home Entertainment have partnered with Amtrak for a nationwide promotion in August to support the season premiere on PBS KIDS of Dinosaur Train:  Dinosaur Big City on August 22 and the DVD release on August 23.  The partnership marks the first promotional collaboration among the companies for the critically-acclaimed animated preschool series, DINOSAUR TRAIN.

From August 1 – 31, families can embark on their own DINOSAUR TRAIN adventure by entering the Amtrak - Dinosaur Train Sweepstakes.  One lucky family of 4 (2 adults / 2 children) will win an Amtrak Vacations® Rocky Mountain National Park Tour to visit the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center in Woodland Park, Colorado as part of the grand prize.  In addition, the promotion will feature DINOSAUR TRAIN placemats on Long Distance Trains, while seatbacks, counter cards, activity book giveaways will be in over 100 stations nationwide to promote the sweepstakes and DVD release.  One million ticket jackets will be used system wide featuring DINOSAUR TRAIN. The “Dinosaur Big City” DVD will also include an Amtrak offer in 50,000 units.

In “Dinosaur Big City,” join Buddy the T. rex and his Pteranodon family as they gather all their Theropod friends together to travel to the big Theropod Club Convention which is being held in Laramidia, the “Dinosaur Big City!” Among the travelers is King Cryolophosaurus, who’s more than a little nervous about giving a concert in front of his biggest audience ever. Can Buddy and Tiny help him overcome his fear of performing?

DINOSAUR TRAIN, created by Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!), embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains while encouraging basic scientific thinking and skills. Each episode includes animated segments with live-action sequences featuring a paleontologist who brings to life the show's natural science and natural history curriculum for preschoolers, giving specific facts about dinosaurs and comparing their features to animals of today.

Craig Bartlett, Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford executive produce the new season. The Jim Henson Company oversees all ancillary exploitation of the property, including licensing and merchandising. PBS handles DVD distribution to consumer and education markets. DINOSAUR TRAIN is co-produced with Singapore animation company Sparky Animation, with the participation and assistance of the Singapore Media Development Authority. UK production and financial support is provided by Ingenious Media.