(DURHAM, January 10, 2006) —There's a new sloth in town. Sure, he's a little slow, but he has a lot of personality and he knows his way around the World Tree. Snook the giant, friendly sloth is the star of It's a Big Big World, an innovative new series for preschoolers airing weekdays @ 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on New Hampshire Public Television. Set in a lush, vertical rainforest, the World Tree is home to a cast of animals and serves as a metaphor for the world as a whole. From a distance, it looks like any enormous tree, full of branches and leaves, but when viewed closer, you'll see that it has endless levels, lots of nooks and crannies to explore, and it's teeming with tree houses and habitats for all of the different animals that reside there. Snook the Sloth is the guide through this Big Big World. His friends in the World Tree include Smooch and Winslow, rambunctious marmoset siblings; Wartz, an eager-to-please singing tree frog; Madge, an ancient she-turtle with the map of the world on her back; Burdette, a bird who thinks she knows it all; Bob the Anteater, who is constantly overwhelmed; Ick, a braggart fish; Oko, an old monkey trickster and more. Each character has a unique perspective and approach to situations, giving children a variety of models for their own investigations. The series introduces children to geography, providing them with a basic understanding that the world is bigger than their immediate surroundings and a sense that they are an important part of a larger community. Episodes contain two 15-minute segments that encourage children to explore the world around them and learn how different things live, grow and change.For example, one story features Smooch and Winslow who, with Snook's help, look everywhere, up and down the tree, for their missing friend Wartz. They're surprised to learn that he is hopping at the bottom of the tree—hopping because he has metamorphosed from a swimming tadpole to a frog! Another story explores the notion of point of view. "If everyone in the whole big, big world spent more time seeing things from other points of view, we'd have to get along," Snook says. The series, from award-winning television program creator Mitchell Kriegman ( Bear in the Big Blue House, Clarissa Explains It All) , is produced in "Shadowmation," a technique that combines puppetry, animatronics and computer-generated animation. A variety of original songs and music, featuring dance rhythms from around the world set to the beat of indigenous percussion, accompanies each episode. For more information on the series, go to http://pbskids.org/bigbigworld/home.html "We're delighted to be airing this new, engaging preschool series as part of our commitment to offer high-quality children's programs that entertain, educate, and enrich the lives of families throughout New Hampshire," Peter Frid, General Manager and CEO of NHPTV, said. It's a Big Big World joins a full line-up of more than 55 hours of quality children's programming NHPTV offers weekly. NHPTV also offers, through its Knowledge Network division, educational services and resources to families, early education professionals, and other childcare providers across the state to help prepare children for success in school by engaging the reach of public television, fostering children's emerging literacy skills and encouraging parents to read aloud to their children. The Knowledge Network provides outstanding media-rich programs, services, and resources to enhance learning outcomes for students, educators, and learners of all ages.
About New Hampshire PBS: New Hampshire PBS inspires one million Granite Staters each month with engaging and trusted local and national programs and services on-air, online, via mobile, in classrooms and in communities. Beyond its award-winning television programs, New Hampshire PBS is a leader in education and community engagement. www.nhpbs.org
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