PBS KIDS announced PHOEBE & JAY, a new animated series for children ages 3-5. The series is designed to support early literacy skills for preschoolers by showcasing the various kinds of texts they see in their everyday lives—from signs and posters to labels and movie tickets—helping them understand, navigate, and participate in the world around them.
PHOEBE & JAY follows the adventures of 6-year-old fraternal twins Phoebe and Jay Yarber, who live with their family in the fantastical Tobsy Towers. At the heart of PHOEBE & JAY is a foundational literacy curriculum highlighting the importance of developing preschoolers' functional literacy and skills, empowering them to use and create functional texts in the world around them to tackle challenges and accomplish tasks in their everyday lives.
From using a flyer to help a neighbor find a lost pet, to reading clothing labels to find the right size shirt, Phoebe & Jay model for young viewers how they, too, can use everyday texts to navigate their daily activities, develop important life skills, and communicate with others in their family and community.
PHOEBE & JAY depicts the experiences and learning opportunities found in Tobsy Towers, where the curiously charismatic twins, Phoebe and Jay, are being raised by their ever-optimistic dad, Pete, with the support of their no-nonsense Grandma Annie after the loss of their mom.
Tobsy Towers is inspired by old grand hotels that have been converted into affordable apartment housing and serve as a unique setting for many of the literacy-based stories for the tight-knit Yarber family. For example, in one episode the twins find old reel-to-reel recordings left behind by Tobsy, the architect of Tobsy Towers, and decide to create labels to sort the records they found.
Filmmaker Quotes:
“PHOEBE & JAY beautifully blends fun and learning by introducing young viewers to the importance of everyday problem solving, literacy, and life skills in a way that's relatable and engaging," said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President and General Manager, PBS KIDS. “We’re excited to bring this series and its endearing stories that celebrate family, community, and the power of literacy to families across the U.S.”
“The opportunity to help teach kids at home how to navigate life’s challenges with humor and positivity through a foundational literacy curriculum has been and continues to be an amazing adventure and gift,” says co-creator Genie Deez. “Growing up in a low-income environment, we didn’t see too many Black kids who spoke or looked like us on television, and we’re excited to feature an awesome cast of characters dealing with similar environmental influences. I was also inspired by my own Grandma Annie, who helped raise me and my brother.”
“We’re so excited to bring this series to audiences across the country with PBS KIDS.” said co-creator Thy Than. “The inspiration for our stories comes from our lived experience, and they embody the belief that ‘things don’t have to be the best, to make the best of things.’.”
CREDITS:
Created and Executive Produced by Genie Deez and Thy Than and is produced by Phoebe & Jay Productions and Mainframe Studios. Tanya Green is Supervising Producer. Thy Than is Supervising Director. Mike Alcock and Mark Sinclair are series co-directors. Aydrea Walden is Head Writer. Executive Producers for Mainframe are Michael Hefferon and Kim Dent Wilder. Additional Executive Producers are Wendy Klein and Nancy Steingard.
Advisors for the series include Lead Curriculum Advisor, Kelly Cartwright, PhD, Spangler Distinguished Professor of Early Child Literacy at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte; Dr. Geraldine Oades-Sese, Ph.D, licensed psychologist, children’s book author, and former Adjunct Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Tim Ojetunde, MEd, educator from South LA, Culture Specialist; and Cathy Tran, PhD, Writer’s Room Curriculum Consultant.
