PBS KIDS Slates New Literacy Series

Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures, a new animated show that builds on the Emmy-nominated series Super Why!, is being produced by 9 Story Media Group and Brown Bag Films for PBS KIDS, marking one of two literacy programs coming in 2026.

“Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures supports literacy and reading skills through fun and fresh stories that will immediately draw kids into the vibrant world and characters that our viewers have come to know and love,” said Sara DeWitt, senior VP and general manager at PBS KIDS. “We’re delighted to bring this multiplatform series to ‘super readers’ across the country next year.”

The new series follows the adventures of Super Readers Power Paige, Super Why, Wonder Red, Princess Presto and Alpha Pig, who each use their own unique literacy powers and gadgets to protect Reader Valley from a group of silly super villains, including The Eraser, Mr. More, The Shuffler and Outta Space.

Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures features an early literacy curriculum that focuses on mastery to provide kids with the skills, knowledge and empowerment they need to become successful readers. It builds on the popularity of the Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures shorts, which have more than 159 million streams on PBS KIDS video platforms and over 7.4 million YouTube views since October 2023.

“I’m proud to see Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures coming to the PBS KIDS audience, building on the legacy of the original series in a bold, fresh way,” said Angela C. Santomero, co-creator and executive producer. “We want to get kids reading and diving into stories, and a comic book does just that! With super villains and adventure stories, Super Why’s Comic Book Adventures will ignite the love of reading as we also teach the important skills new readers need today.”

“We regularly hear that Super Why! has been hugely helpful in teaching kids foundational reading skills and remains a valuable resource for parents, caregivers and teachers,” commented Coral Schoug, VP of production for Brown Bag Films. “We’re thrilled to introduce this latest Super Why! series and help further support children’s early literacy development in ways that are fun and effective.”

Additionally, PBS KIDS slated the debut of Phoebe & Jay for February 2, 2026. The new series from Phoebe & Jay Productions and Mainframe Studios follows the adventures of charismatic 6-year-old fraternal twins and highlights a variety of texts that preschoolers encounter in their daily lives, from labels and signs to posters and more.

Phoebe & Jay’s literacy curriculum is designed to closely support preschoolers as they learn to create and use the many types of functional texts that they encounter each day. As the twins uncover adventures in their new home, they use a flyer to help a neighbor find a lost pet and read clothing labels to find the right sized shirt, showcasing for young viewers how they can utilize their literacy skills to explore their surroundings, pursue their interests and accomplish tasks in their own lives.

“Every year, 40 percent of children enter kindergarten with literacy skills one to three years behind their grade level, creating a difficult gap for them to overcome,” DeWitt said. “We hope that Phoebe & Jay’s relatable characters; fun, family-centered stories; and foundational curriculum will help equip young viewers nationwide with the everyday literacy skills they need to find success in school and in life.”

“We are grateful for the opportunity to create a show that features so many different neighbors and thinkers who laugh together, help each other and go on fun adventures,” commented co-creator Thy Than. “We hope viewers recognize themselves in one of our characters and that the show inspires them to notice all the signs, symbols and texts that surround us in our daily lives. We’re very excited for families to watch and play with Phoebe and Jay together.”

Co-creator Genie Deez added, “Growing up, my brother and I were fortunate to have a strong role model in our Grandma Annie, who helped raise us and who also showed us how to think in terms of respect and resilience. Similarly, our show models executive function skills like impulse control, which encourages children to stop and think when frustrated solving a problem, and flexible thinking when switching between tasks. These strategies are crucial to teaching pre-literacy.”