PBS announces new Mr. Rogers-inspired series for 2012

On July 31, 2011, PBS announced a new series for Fall of 2012 based on the beloved characters in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.  The premise of this multiplatform series is that Daniel Tiger and his neighbors in the Neighborhood of Make Believe are now adults with preschool children of their own.  According to the press release, “DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, set to launch in Fall 2012 as part of PBS KIDS preschool line-up, will focus on preparing kids for school success.”  Additionally, the show will have cross-platform content including games and online resources at the PBS Kids website.

It sounds like this show will provide more than a nostalgic look at beloved Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood characters for parents.  I anticipate a show that will appeal to preschoolers as well as their parents.  As with other PBS Kids shows, I also anticipate of wealth of online opportunities to reinforce the lessons and messages delivered in the series.  Watch for this one next year!

Special Agent Oso has busy activities to help pre-Christmas

Special Agent Oso on Playhouse Disney; online presence at http://tv.disney.go.com/playhouse/specialagentoso/index.html.

I watched the Holiday Lights episode.  In it, Special Agent Oso helps three children in different parts of the world get ready to celebrate winter holidays.  In France, Oso helps Celeste set up the Advent wreath; in Israel, Noah needs help assembling the family menorah; and in the United States, Brendan gets Oso’s help setting up the kinara.  Discussing the holidays by celebrating the similarities is a wonderful way to introduce children to the traditions of different cultures.  ”Lights” are an important aspect of Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa and therefore provide the perfect introduction to the different winter holidays.

While the show was fairly entertaining, I think it was too long for the intended preschool audience.  At 50 minutes, this show should be broken down into 3 segments, perhaps dividing it up by each of the children Oso visits.  The way the show explored the different holidays was very interesting; I’m glad they chose a common theme to explore.  However, there wasn’t much interactive aspects for the children.  So, I went to the Playhouse Disney website and visited Special Agent Oso’s page.  Disney has done a wonderful job making the website accessible to the pre-K set–it’s strong on visuals.  Additionally, when kids mouse-over images, a voice tells them where a click on that icon will take them.  For non-readers, that’s an important tool for independent computer skills.

Now, for the pre-holiday help.  If you have a pre-K or early elementary aged child, right about now you’re running low on patience–and so are they–as Christmas is just out of reach.  I highly recommend the Special Agent Oso page (http://tv.disney.go.com/playhouse/specialagentoso/index.html) for online activities, games, video, printable coloring sheets and even ideas to work on together.  There are enough interesting things to do to keep the kids coming back throughout the day.

Story time inspiration in Super Why!

Super Why! produced by Out of the Blue Enterprises; airing on PBS stations, 2010.

Perhaps the only benefit of a long recovery from double pneumonia was watching Super Why! on PBS Kids.  I was immediately inspired to create unique story times using a similar format.

Whyatt starts each episode in the non-fiction stacks of the library.  He has a problem that needs to be solved, so he enters Storybook Village through the library books.  With his Super Reader friends, who meet at the Book Club, they solve the problem by finding a book.  They also use their superpowers and get rewarded.

• Alpha Pig has Alphabet Power
• Wonder Red has Word Power
• Princess Presto has Spelling Power
• Super Why has the Power to Read

Concepts including letter recognition, phonics and vocabulary are constantly incorporated into the show.  In fact, gross motor activities as responses to questions from the characters helps cement the lessons.  For example, children are asked to stand and draw a letter in the air in response to a challenge.  Every successful solution that Super Why and his friends discover is rewarded with super letters that are later unscrambled to reveal the solution to the problem.  Reading! Literacy! Fun!

I seriously got excited about using this format in library programming.  Whether the public library or in a school setting, the idea of a single problem that is solved by reading books and doing activities would make an outstanding edutaining experience (educational and entertaining!).  Imagine a club where each child has a secret identity and gets excited about reading and problem solving!

Plenty of activities and ideas are available on the Super Why! website (PBS Kids) http://pbskids.org/superwhy/.  Games, activities and a design center are easy for children to use and the kids can earn virtual prizes; parent/teacher resources are also ready to use.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot about That…and so will you!

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot about That produced by Portfolio Entertainment and Collingwood O’Hare Entertainment Ltd.; in association with Dr. Seuss Enterprises, Random House Children’s Entertainment, Treehouse, and PBS KIDS; airing on PBS stations, 2010.

With chaotic help from Thing 1 and Thing 2, the Cat in the Hat (voice of actor Martin Short) leads Sally and Nick on scientific expeditions.  In inimitable Seussian style, preschoolers and early elementary students will be edutained–educated in an entertaining way.  Each half hour show includes two episodes that run about 12 minutes each.  In that brief time, science concepts are introduced.  There isn’t enough time to fully explore the concepts, but there is enough material to spark interest.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the show, and I know kids will too, it has to be used in conjunction with the Web resources found at PBS Kids (http://pbskids.org/catinthehat/index.html).  Short videos are available to reinforce simple concepts (like Mrs. Robin’s instructions for building a nest) and select episodes can be watched in their entirety.  Games and activities (some are exclusively online, some can be printed) are interactive, entertaining and educational and tie in with the episodes.

As a parent and a librarian, I love the parent resources.  The best resource is “The Explorer’s Guide,” a list of tips and strategies to encourage a child’s scientific curiosity.  An activities list is also available, providing suggested activities to do around the house and neighborhood in conjunction with specific episodes.  Teacher resources include similar materials.

Of course, there are books that tie-in with each episode (published by Random House) so the episodes can be watched followed by repeated reading of the books.  If I had more time, or a practicum student , I would create pathfinders using library materials that tie in with the scientific concepts of each episode.

Hmmm, this might be a great idea for science backpacks that preschoolers could check out with books and videos that further explore the scientific topics presented in each episode.  Imagine P.D. Eastman’s The Best Nest included in a backpack supporting the episode “Nest Best Thing” along with nonfiction books about birds and nests.  Of course, there would have to be an instruction sheet for making a nest at home, too!

Perhaps this would be a good resource for creating story times?  Maybe a Science Club?  Explorers Club?

Hey Hey It’s…JONAS!

JONAS, a Disney Channel Original Series, starring the Jonas Brothers; series premiered in 2008.

Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas, the undisputed Kings of Pop music, are the stars of this Disney Channel series.  Their antics are followed from their home (with parents and younger brother, Frankie) to school (featuring friends like Stella and Macy).  Plot isn’t really the point of this series: It is primarily a platform for the boys in the band to have more exposure for their fans.  Am I complaining?  Why, no!  I grew up watching The Monkees and see many nods to that show in JONAS, especially in the quick takes, musical interludes, and overall zaniness. Pratfalls, hijinx and mayhem follow the trio with life lessons quick to follow.

This series is available on DVD and I would be sure my library has it on the shelves, along with their concert movie, CDs and even junior novels featuring the Jonas Brothers.  Want to increase circulation?  Display all the Jonas Brothers materials and you’ll hook boys and girls alike.

iCan’t believe I like this show….

iCarly on Nickelodeon; produced by Viacom.

iAdmit I am an iCarly fan.  I encourage my kids to watch it, even when they aren’t totally in the mood for it, because I like it.  Carly and Sam are best friends.  Along with neighbor and classmate, Freddy, they produce an internet show, iCarly.  Along with Carly’s brother Spencer, the group gets into slapstick situations that are reminiscent of I Love Lucy but with teen and technology twists.

I like this show because although there are no parental units (I don’t count Freddy’s mom, Mrs. Benson, because she is so cartoonish), Spencer acts as the moral compass and more often than not, Carly makes the right choices as well.  It’s nice to see nice kids acting silly but not acting out against authority.

The companion website, www.icarly.com, ties in to the show with video, games, polls and bio information.  I’d use the Web presence to help teach information literacy.  Overall, the show and website offer entertainment the whole family can enjoy together.

Oh Wilbur!

Wilbur by head writer Kate Barris; Discovery Kids; 2007; released on DVD in 2009.

Wilbur is a cow who lives on a farm with his barnyard friends.  Did I mention that they are all puppets?  The gentle voices sound like real children and seem to range in age from preschoolers to maybe first graders.  They are an active bunch—the episode I watched had them participating in “play day” which included a sack race.  “Read a Book” was a song they sang when one of Wilbur’s friends had a problem to solve.  When they read the book, we could occasionally follow along with the words being pointed to by Wilbur.  As the story progressed, Wilbur’s “hand” turned the pages.

I like that the show includes the act of reading—pointing to the words and turning pages.  The characters even referred back to the book when they needed to remember an answer to a question.  There were lessons about fair play and friendship as well—the characters laughed even when they lost the race.  Live action children, included in short clips, appear to be in early elementary school; they discussed the problems that the animals worked through.

I can imagine combining digital copies of the show with books about the same topics discussed in each episode.

Rollercoaster trivia game causes Brain Rush

Brain Rush created by Michael Krupat for Cartoon Network; 2009.

Imagine having to answer trivia questions while riding a rollercoaster.  Now imagine you’re a preteen or teen and you’re going to win money—potentially more than $5,000!  That’s the premise of Cartoon Network’s reality show, BrainRush.  In fact, the winner of the show has ridden three rollercoasters and answers trivia and general knowledge questions on all of them.  The series is rated “G” for general audiences, and although it features tweens and teens, the upper elementary aged children in my neighborhood are buzzing about this show.

I am happy that a reality show for kids revolves around knowing things!  I imagine this show could be adapted for a library program, such as requiring kids to assemble puzzles while answering questions in a set amount of time.