How Long to Watch “Super WHY!”

Intended as a replacement for the daily PBS children's show It's a Big Big World, the half-hour CGI series Super Why! was set in Storybook Village, where dwelt the four fairy-tale protagonists. Whyatt "Why" Beanstalk was the kid brother of the original giant-killer Jack; Red was the same girl in the Little Riding Hood who outsmarted the Wolf; Pig was one of the "Three Littles"; and Princess had once slept on a pile of mattresses, only to be kept awake by a tiny pea. In a neat anime-inspired twist, whenever the need arose these four characters transformed into their superhero alter egos, known collectively as The Super Readers. Whyatt morphed into Super Why, who boasted the "power to read"; Princess became Princess Presto, endowed with "spelling power"; Red changed into Wonder Red, embodiment of "word power"; and Pig was reinvented as Alpha Pig, boasting "alphabet power." It must be obvious by now that the series was designed to enhance the young viewers' reading and cognitive skills; at the same time, the Super Readers also learned to solve life's problems and develop social skills, often using examples provided by the other residents of Storybook Village. Aimed at children ages 3 to 6, Super Why! was produced by the same team responsible for Blue's Clues; the series was first seen in most American markets during the week of September 3, 2007.