![]() The PBS alternative, he says, promotes ``good behavior, conflict resolution, problem-solving, functioning as part of a group _ the sort of things that 4-year-olds need to prepare them for school.″ And it certainly doesn’t carry with it the age-appropriate, pro-social curriculum that you’d expect to find on PBS.″ ``But it’s not necessarily age-appropriate for a preschooler. ``There’s a lot of kids’ programming on Saturday mornings,″ Wilson allows. Produced by Toronto-based Nelvana Communications Inc., ``Bookworm Bunch″ was designed to fill a void. And, pointing to the seven hours of children’s programming aired each weekday by PBS, he adds, ``This gives us a great opportunity to identify shows that we might then want to bring out to the full Monday-through-Friday schedule.″ ``It’s absolutely a commitment,″ Wilson declares. But ``Bookworm Bunch″ _ the network’s first-ever foray into Saturday morning _ is here to stay. The current ``Bookworm Bunch″ slate is in place for two years, says John Wilson, PBS’ senior vice president for programming services. ![]() _ 10:45 a.m.: A second 15-minute segment of ``Corduroy.″ This cartoon series about the carnival where a 9-year-old kid takes a summer job comes from Betty and Michael Paraskevas, whose books include ``The Tangerine Bear.″ Marvin has an equally quick wit: ``I can’t do my tribute to `Singing in the Reins’ without reins,″ he quips. _ 10:15 a.m.: ``Marvin the Tap-Dancing Horse,″ whose star has the fleet-footedness of Fred Astaire _ with twice the feet. ``George Shrinks″ springs from the nimble mind of author-illustrator William Joyce, who also conjured up the irresistible ``Rolie Polie Olie″ for cable’s Disney Channel. When nature calls, George straps suction cups on his hands and feet and, then, like a mountaineer scaling the Matterhorn, climbs to the rim of the toilet bowl. Or, for that matter, from taking care of business. _ 9:45 a.m.: ``George Shrinks,″ an animated odyssey about a boy 3 inches tall whose Lilliputian stature doesn’t keep him from standing up to the normal-size world he inhabits. It’s adapted from the book by Maurice Sendak, the world-renowned writer-artist whose ``Little Bear″ is now a hit series on Nickelodeon. _ 9:15 a.m.: ``Seven Little Monsters,″ an animated series set in the loving household of Mom and her monstrous offspring. It’s created by author-illustrator Rosemary Wells. ``I wonder what it’s gonna be like,″ says Timothy, trying and failing to sleep the night before. _ 8:45 a.m.: ``Timothy Goes to School,″ in which our cartoon hero, a 5-year-old raccoon, faces the thrills and trepidations of starting school. What happens when King Lionel is about to receive the award for loudest roar, but then, suffering from stage fright, loses his voice? Find out on this series, from the ``Elliot″ books by Andrea Beck. _ 8:15 a.m.: ``Elliot Moose,″ a mixed bag of cartoons and live action with callow Elliot (note how this youngster’s antlers are little more than buds) and his animal friends. A gentle frolic through a big city and its diverse life, ``Corduroy″ comes from Don Freeman’s best-selling books about the winsomely upholstered bear. _ 8 a.m.: ``Corduroy,″ the cartoon adventures of a cuddle toy and the little girl who cuddles him. Their star power _ and that of the books that introduced them _ propel the six series making up the PBS Kids ``Bookworm Bunch.″ Well, starting this weekend on PBS, these disparate characters lay claim to a new three-hour block aimed at the preschool set. Seven monster siblings, a tiny boy and a dancing horse with taps on his (horse)shoes. NEW YORK (AP) _ A stuffed bear, a moose, a raccoon starting kindergarten.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |