New series from PBS KIDS: Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures
Monday, October 5 at 9:30 a.m.
“Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures” is an all-new, half-hour animated series that builds on the legacy and success of the Emmy®-nominated series “Super Why” and the “Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures” shorts.
The series follows the adventures of Power Paige, the newest Super Reader, along with familiar friends Super Why, Wonder Red, Princess Presto and Alpha Pig, who is back and ready to build! Each reading hero uses their own unique literacy powers and gadgets to protect Reader Valley from a group of silly Super Villains with help from the viewer, “Super You.”
The Super Readers must work together to make things right in Reader Valley when faced with The Eraser, who loves to make letters and sounds disappear, or Mr. More, who likes to add “more” of everything, or The Shuffler, who mixes up the order of letters and sounds in words, or Outta Space, an extraterrestrial visitor who adds spaces between letters and sounds in words.
The series will feature new original songs that reinforce the curriculum and celebrate the Super Readers and “Super You” for saving the day.
Why this type of children’s programming matters
Research has found a significant drop in U.S. children’s reading scores and has shown that a large percentage of children are reading below grade level. Since 2007, “Super Why” content and resources have helped children learn core early literacy skills, including alphabet knowledge, phonological and phonemic awareness, symbolic and linguistic awareness and comprehension.
“Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures” will build on this through stories that take place in a vibrant world where letters, words and sounds have enormous power. The newest series was designed with The Science of Reading in mind, the comprehensive body of research that explains how our brains learn to read and write and informs instructional practices and approaches that support that learning.
To further extend the reading-centered fun for kids and families, new “Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures”games and digital storybooks will launch following the series premiere on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Games app.
Educators will be able to access the “Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures” Collection for PreK to 2 from AZPBS LearningMedia, also premiering on October 5. In the meantime, existing classroom resources are available by visiting the “Super Why” collection from AZPBS LearningMedia.
Printables for kids
Before the premiere, download and print the fun activities below, introducing kids to the characters they’ll meet on “Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures.”
- Make a Super Reader Bookmark
- Character Coloring Sheets
- Super Reader Door Hanger
- Spot the Difference!
- Super Day Replay
- Super Reader Mask
- The Shuffler’s Tube Maze
- Power Paige’s Super Word Search
“Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures” is produced by 9 Story Media Group (“Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Clifford the Big Red Dog”) and animated by the award-winning studio Brown Bag Films.
Arizona PBS KIDS offers a variety of programming to help young children master important skills, ranging from reading and basic math and science to problem-solving and emotional skills. For more programming, activities and resources, visit the Arizona PBS KIDS page.
