By BYJACKNEWORTH & ALEAHHURWITZ CHANNELSURFING
“WordWorld” is a 3-D, animated TV series created to help preschool-ers become “reading ready.” Partially funded by the U.S. Department of Education, it debuted on PBS Sept. 3. Its “target audience” is children between the ages of 3 and 5 and, of course, to some degree, their parents.
When I first got the assignment to review “WordWorld,” I knew it would be a challenge. I’ve never been a parent, and, while I have two nieces, neither has been between the ages of 3 and 5 in decades. So I reached out to the only target audience I knew, Aleah Hurwitz, the four-year-old daughter of Andy and Arlene, who live down the street. You’ll notice that Aleah shares my byline, plus I gave her a piggyback ride. Actually, I got off easy. Imagine what would happen if I had to give Gene Shalit a piggyback ride?
“WordWorld” features a loveable crew of WordFriends who always seem to save the day when they put letters together to make words which morph into real, live things. As creator Don Moody commented when asked how he came up with the show’s concept, “Wouldn’t it be cool if the word ‘shark’ swam off the screen, or if the word ‘ice’ actually froze in front of you?”
The first segment of “WordWorld” was entitled “The Runaway O.” It opens at the home of Cat, a friendly feline who is getting ready for her daily catnap. So as not to be disturbed, Cat writes out a sign notifying friends and hangs it on the front door. Minutes later a delivery kangaroo hops to the door. (Imagine the FedEx guy only he’s a kangaroo with an Australian accent.) He’s carrying a box shaped by the letters B-O-X. Noticing Cat’s catnap sign, he leaves the package and happily hops off to his next delivery.
When Bear and Sheep come to visit Cat they notice the sign. They also notice the box and soon their curiosity gets the better of them. They reason no harm could come just from a peek inside. But when they try to open the box, the letters fall apart and the “O” rolls down the hill. They give chase so they can put the box back together before Cat wakes up. The “O” seems to roll everywhere and as a result we meet Frog, Duck, Ant, Pig (who’s a French chef) and Dog. (A word friend’s best friend.) I am especially fond of Duck who speaks with a slight lisp. Duck is all set to dive off his dock into an inner tube but, instead, lands in the middle of the wayward O. Bear and Sheep have to help extricate Duck’s butt from the O, when the wayward letter squirts away further down the hill.
Created by Moody and directed by Emmy winning Olexa Hewryk, “WordWorld” is inspired work. The animation is excellent, the characters’ voices are inventive, and the stories sustain interest. (At least they did for Aleah and her two-year-old sister, Adiana.) “WordWorld” is based on the theory of “instant word recognition,” a visual, non-didactic way to introduce children to the power of words.
PBS is no stranger to innovative children’s programming. In 1969 “Sesame Street” premiered on National Educational Television and later that year moved to NET’s replacement, PBS. Sesame Street has aired 4,134 episodes, has been shown in 120 countries and has received a staggering 109 Emmys. (Is that all?) It’s unfair to compare “WordWorld” to “Sesame Street” for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it’s totally animated and primarily focused on literacy. Its goal is to improve word recognition and reading skills. So, if you have a pre-schooler, I highly recommend watching. However, perhaps it’s time to get the all-important expert’s opinion from Aleah.
Aleah gave “WordWorld” two thumbs up. (It’s two thumbs counting sister Adiana’s.) Enthusiastically, Aleah proclaimed “WordWorld” as her new favorite show, surpassing “Hannah Montana.” (A blow to Disney, I’m sure.) The two shows strike me as very different but Aleah was insistent on explaining the advantages of each and “WordWorld” won hands down. By the time she was done, I was convinced. I was also exhausted.
Aleah’s mom, Arlene, was impressed with the educational value of “WordWorld.” Not to mention that, with her two young daughters so absorbed, it provided her a much-needed break. (With two preschoolers, a four-month-old puppy, a husband and a career, I’m not surprised.) As for me, lately when I type a word, I’ve occasionally found myself imagining how the letters could morph into the real life object. I am hopeful it’ll pass before my next column.
“WordWorld” airs Monday through Friday on KCET (Channel 28) at 10:30 a.m.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 6, 2007. Read the original PDF.