Russell Beattie

Alex is watching some Saturday morning cartoons while I try to gain consciousness, and I saw a preview of a new show called Super WHY that looked pretty cool, so I found it on On Demand, and it's *great*. The animation is cool, the music is cool and it's *super* engaging. The munchkin is sitting on the couch yelling out words to help put them into sentences, and picking out "super letters" to change words, and more. It's from the Blue's Clues folks, but is for older kids, helping teach them how to read.

I found this short summary about it in the NY Daily News:

Among other new PBS offerings is a fall series for preschool viewers starring a superpowered mutant - but it's okay. He's a hero, and, the show, launching in September, has the mission of increasing literacy and vocabulary.

"Super Why," from "Blue's Clues" originator Angela Santomero, is an animated adventure about a 9-year-old boy who lives behind the books in the library, and, with his Super Reader friends, dives into the books to solve problems and answer questions, adopting his secret identity of Super Why.

His superpower? He can read - which, Santomero explained, preschool viewers will learn is "the key that opens everything up."

Her chief inspiration for the show's low-key, interactive approach, she said, was "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" host Fred Rogers.

"Mister Rogers was a huge inspiration to me," she said. "He was the first to talk directly to the kids at home and empower them."

Check it out, there's a whole episode online and more on iTunes. I'm definitely throwing that on my phone for moments when Alex is bored somewhere (like in waiting rooms, long trips, etc.). Soooo cool, and much better than that sort of idiocy like Diego, Dora's cousin...

Go PBS!

-Russ