New Animated STEM Series to Bow on PBS Kids

PBS Kids is set to premiere the new animated kids’ STEM series Elinor Wonders Why, produced in partnership with Pipeline Studios, on Labor Day in the U.S.

Elinor Wonders Why encourages children to follow their curiosity, ask questions, figure out the answers and learn about the natural world around them using their science inquiry skills. Created by cartoonist and robotics engineer Jorge Cham and physicist and educator Daniel Whiteson, the multiplatform series will debut nationwide on PBS stations, the PBS Kids 24/7 channel and PBS Kids digital platforms on September 7, with a special one-hour premiere.

Developed for children ages 3 to 5, Elinor Wonders Why centers on the adventures of a curious and observant bunny named Elinor and her pals—Ari, a funny and imaginative bat and a perceptive and warm elephant named Olive—in Animal Town. As young viewers explore Animal Town with the trio, they will meet a variety of characters that each have a lesson to share about respecting others, the importance of diversity, caring for the environment and working together to solve problems. In the premiere episode, Elinor plays hide-and-go-seek with her friends and finds out how animals hide in nature. Investigating a strange nighttime sound made by an owl, she realizes many creatures are doing interesting things at night. She also makes “Backyard Soup” with vegetables from her family’s garden and sells cupcakes by learning how flowers attract bees and applying those concepts to baking.

Funding for Elinor Wonders Why was provided by a grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and a grant from the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Ready To Learn Initiative, a federal program that supports the development of innovative educational television and digital media targeted to preschool and early elementary school children and their families.

Linda Simensky, head of PBS Kids’ content for PBS, said: “We’re so excited to invite audiences nationwide into the fascinating world of Animal Town and introduce them to Elinor and her friends as they ask questions and explore the remarkable ways that our everyday lives are connected to nature. Kids learn best when their parents and caretakers are engaged in their learning. Elinor Wonders Why will spark preschoolers’ curiosity with an innovative science inquiry curriculum and will encourage the adults in children’s lives to help them answer their questions by exploring together.”

Whiteson said: “Elinor Wonders Why helps give parents the confidence to say, ‘I don’t know the answer. Let’s explore it together. Asking questions and investigating the answer are at the core of scientific discovery, and we designed the series to model and encourage children, parents and educators to do just that together.”

Cham added: “Much like my own daughter, Elinor, who inspired the series’ main character, kids everywhere love to wonder about things around them and find out the answers. Our hope is that the show will help foster the natural curiosity of young children and make them want to explore and learn, just like Elinor and her friends do in these stories.”