| “ | Who do you call when you need to know why? Super Why, of course! | „ |
| ~ The series' tagline from the series' pilot |
Super Why! (previously titled, Super Why? and stylized as, Super WHY!) is a CGI-animated superhero preschool television series created by Angela C. Santomero (who also created Blue's Clues) for PBS Kids and aimed for preschoolers ages 3 to 6. The series, produced by New York City-based Out of the Blue Enterprises in association with Toronto-based C.O.R.E. Toons (animation for season 1 only, being the company's final show produced before their closure on March 15, 2010), Gallus Entertainment (animation for season 2 only) and DHX Media (originally through its Decode Entertainment division for seasons one and two), was distributed by PBS in the United States, Decode Enterprises for seasons 1 and 2 and DHX Distribution for season 3.
Originally created as a stop motion pilot in 1999 by Cuppa Coffee Animation that was pitched to Nickelodeon/Nick Jr. but later shown at the 2000 Annecy Film Festival, the show was eventually picked up by PBS Kids, changing the animation to CGI. The show debuted on September 3, 2007 and concluded on May 12, 2016 after nearly a decade with a total of 103 episodes across three seasons.
Guide[]
The series is still currently rerunning and has reached 232 episodes in total.
- For episode information, please visit the Episodes page.
- For Character information visit their pages.
- For the books used in the series please see: Books List.
Premise[]
Super Why! is the first preschool series designed to help children learn to read through interactive story adventures. Each 22-minute episode features a team of fairytale superheroes who soar into classic storybooks and use their unique reading-based powers to find answers to everyday preschool problems. With curriculum guidelines established by the National Reading Panel, Super Why! teaches preschoolers key literacy skills, including letter identification, decoding, encoding, spelling, and reading comprehension.
Each 24-minute reading adventure begins in Storybrook Village, a magical computer animated world hidden behind the bookshelves in a children's library. "Storybrook Village" is the home of popular fairytale characters, including: Red, based off of the eponymous Little Red Riding Hood; Pig, one of the three eponymous pigs from The Three Little Pigs; The princess from The Princess and The Pea, and Whyatt, the curious younger brother of Jack from Jack and The Beanstalk who discovers he has the power to fly inside books to find answers to his questions.
In every episode one of the friends encounters a problem with another Storybrook Village character. As in real life, the problems require preschool social skills to resolve. Whyatt calls his fairy tale friends to their secret clubhouse, named "The Book Club," where they transform themselves from mere mortals into literacy-powered super heroes. Using their super powers, these Super Readers fly inside books. The adventure begins as the Super Readers find out how the characters handled similar situations (Why is the big bad wolf so big and bad?). They talk to characters from the story, play reading games and activities to overcome obstacles, search for Super Letters, and practice such key skills as letter identification, word decoding, spelling, vocabulary and comprehension. Super Why, who has the Power to Read can even change a story ending and save the day!
Learning with Super Why[]
Super Why takes an innovative approach to learning by promoting reading, and relationship issues as a powerful, meaningful experience for children aged 3 to 6 years old and adults 21 to 50. The interactive format encourages kids to actively participate in each episode. As they watch Super Why they are completely absorbed in the adventure of the story while engaging in challenging games and activities. This format enables children to practice the critical skills that they need to learn to read. The unique balance between using interactivity to practice key literacy skills and telling engaging stories that make literacy relevant to children's own lives is a powerful new way to teach reading.
The literacy skills and interactive games are backed by scientific research and testing by a panel of experts. The educational goals of the show are:
To create lifelong readers who are motivated to read for pleasure and information, empowering them to use books as a resource for life. To help young children, ages 3 to 6, to learn key reading skills as identified by the National Reading Panel, including: Emerging Literacy Concepts; Phonemic Awareness; The Alphabet Code; Fluency; Text Comprehension; Spelling; Written Expression/Handwriting and Motivating Children to Read. To offer literacy strategies so that kids know how and when to use these skills. To provide practice with reading skills through interactive stories and literacy based games. To teach abstract, high order reading skills such as making inferences through theme comprehension. To stress to parents and caregivers the importance of reading to their children and the huge impact that reading will have on their children's success in life. To extend the Super Why literacy content and approach beyond television to surround children with literacy learning opportunities in all aspects of their lives.
Setting/Storyline[]
Super Why! takes place in the land of Storybrook Village, a place where all Fairytale characters reside together in a loving, peaceful community. Whyatt will begin the show by greeting the viewers when he suddenly gets a call from someone who needs help. After investigating the problem at hand, Whyatt then summons the other super readers by sending out a call.
Whyatt, Pig, Red Riding Hood, and Princess Pea then each appear at the Book Club before going inside as Whyatt then uploads the problem into the Super Duper Computer by plugging his PDA-like device into it. The character with the problem then stands behind a small lectern made of dominos and explains their situation. After discussion, Princess Pea then casts a spell to summon the appropriate book.
Whyatt then reads the title of the book as they then transform and fly inside of it.
Upon landing, Super Why will begin to read a few sentences of the book with the viewer, asking them to read along. It's then a parallel is drawn in which the character with a problem notices how the book characters face the same problem as they are right now.
The goal of the Super Readers is to follow the storyline to solve the problem. As they progress through the events of the story, they encounter obstacles, which can be solved by applying their literacy skills to change the story. As they overcome these obstacles, they are rewarded with red glittery "Super Letters" that are then eventually uploaded back onto the Super Duper Computer to spell out the word that makes up the solution to the characters problem.
Solving the Problem[]
After collecting the Super Letters and uploading them onto the Super Duper Computer in order to get the Super Story answer, Whyatt will then ask why that word in particular is the right word. Someone else will then explain it before everybody then goes on their own to do what they had been doing previously. Except for Whyatt, who then goes to the problem directly in order to see how it went.
In some episodes such as Judith's Happy Chanukah and The Underwater Lost Treasure, the premise of the show is shifted slightly to have the Super Readers solve mysteries and questions instead of problems.
Episodes[]
- Main article: List of Super Why! episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 65 | September 3, 2007 | November 15, 2010 | |
| 2 | 15 | September 12, 2011 | October 11, 2012 | |
| 3 | 23 | August 17, 2015 | May 12, 2016 | |
Characters[]
The series has many characters in books, and in Storybrook Village. But it stars 4 (eventually/on and off 5) Super Readers:
Whyatt - The leader of the group of characters whom become the "Super Readers", Whyatt is an olive-skinned, blue eyed, brown-haired boy who wears a dark blue polo shirt with green stripes and khaki pants. In the episode "Jack and the Beanstalk", it is revealed that Whyatt's older brother is Jack, the hero of the English folk tale Jack and the Beanstalk. Whyatt lives with his mother, who writes stories, and his father who illustrates them, along with baby sister Joy but not his brother. Jack appears in some episodes but generally is "away at college." When Whyatt introduces himself at the Book Club, he says, "Whyatt here!" His superhero form is Super Why. In this form, he has a green mask, turbo sneakers, a blue cape, and a Why Writer. His symbol is a question mark. He focuses on vocabulary.
Pig - Pig enjoys pretending and dressing up like his father, a construction worker. His superhero form is Alpha Pig. His Alphabet Toolbox has an Alphabet Map, a Lucky Letter Lasso, Brilliant Binoculars, a Mega Magnifying Glass and a Fabulous Flashlight in it. His symbol is a triangle. When he enters, he says, “P is for pig!”. He focuses on the alphabet.
Red - The title character from the fairy tale, she only refers to herself as "Red Riding Hood" and is a freckle-faced pale skinned brunette/redhead who wears a red dress and red roller skates as well as a red flat cap. When she is introduced, she says "Red Riding Hood rolling in!" When she turns to Wonder Red in her superhero form, her clothing becomes a blue armless and legless two-piece jumpsuit with red trim amid showing her midriff, her skates are turned blue and her special item is a red and blue basket. It is called a Wonder Words Basket and her symbol is a spiral. She focuses on word families in the end like "ON", "AT", "A", "UMP", "AND", etc.
Princess Pea - Princess Pea was named after the children's story "The Princess and the Pea"; it is shown in the episode The Princess and The Pea that the princess in that story was Pea's mother and the prince in that story was her father. However, in this case "Pea" is her surname. She wears a lavender princess dress and loves to dance. When she enters, she says, "Princess Pea at your service!" Her superhero form is Princess Presto and in this form she wears a pink gown. Her symbol is a star because she always takes her Magic Spelling Wand with her. She focuses on spelling.
Woofster- The fifth member of the group. He also lives with Whyatt and his family. When he turns into Woofster, he has dictionary power and can find the meaning to any word. His Super Reader form allows him the power to speak also and his symbol is a dog bone. He officially became a Super Reader in the episode "Woofster Finds a Home". Unlike the other characters, Woofster does NOT have a introduction line.
Super You is the television viewer. Whyatt always invites the viewer to join them by describing him or her as "Super You, with the power to help."
Live Show[]
- On March 1, 2012, directors and producers of Yo Gabba Gabba Live! announced Super Why! Live: You've Got the Power!
- In May of that year, the live show announced the tour dates were going to be that summer.
Funding[]
- A Cooperative Agreement from the U.S. Department of Education's Ready to Learn Grant (2007-2011) (Season 1)
- The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (2007-present)
- The Annual Financial support From Viewers Like You (2007-present)
- Chuck E. Cheese's (2010-2015)
- ABCMouse.com (2011-present)
- Kiddie Academy Educational Child Care (2013-2016)
Trivia[]
- The series was produced by the same people who made Blue's Clues from Nickelodeon.
- This also is the first show of the Blue's Clues Cinematic Universe, a universe consisting of shows made by the cast and crew of Blue's Clues.
- Super Why! is also called "The Reading Adventures of Super Why!".
- The Super Sproutlet Sharing Program Block on Sprout has made a mock of Super Why! by calling it "Super Why Not Show". In which the three icon characters put up a glittery blue letter, sing words with the name letter, then proceed to sing a song before the few minutes are up.
- This appear in US network (PBS Kids) has a Super Why Website.
- In the French version of the show, Super Why! is known as Super Tom et Les Motamots.
- Early on in Season 1, the character in their original designs didn't made proper facial expressions whenever they're angry, sad or surprised.
- This was resolved in Season 2 when the producers refined the character models to have the characters express with their eyebrows, eyelids and mouth properly.
- In Season 3, there are some episodes that now feature sequences of the Super Readers singing songs related to their super big problem they need to solve (minus Alpha Pig's ABC Song and Wonder Red's Rhyming Song).
- The production for the first season of Super Why lasted between 2004 and 2005 before the show aired on PBS Kids.
Gallery[]
