Six new children's series based on popular titles from noted authors suchas Maurice Sendak, Rosemary Wells, Don Freeman and William Joyce will beproduced by Toronto-based Nelvana for distribution by the PublicBroadcasting Service (PBS) as a weekend block beginning in fall 2000. Thesix book titles upon which the new series will be based are: MauriceSendak's SEVEN LITTLE MONSTERS, William Joyce's GEORGE SHRINKS, DonFreeman's CORDUROY BEAR, Rosemary Wells' TIMOTHY GOES TO SCHOOL, Michaeland Betty Paraskevas' JUNIOR KROLL, and Andrea Beck's ELLIOT MOOSE. MauriceSendak's picture book, SEVEN LITTLE MONSTERS is about kids who are all over10 feet tall, and each "child" has his or her own special quality (one canfly, another can twist off his head). Every show features adifferent monster who confronts kid-sized concerns and discovers the bestway to cope with each situation. William Joyce's GEORGE SHRINKS is about acharacter who is only three inches tall. Rosemary Wells' TIMOTHY GOES TOSCHOOL is about a bashful five-year-old discovering his place in the world.Betty and Michael Paraskevas' JUNIOR KROLL AND COMPANY is about a kid whois sure of himself, and knows what he wants. Through Junior's entertainingand kid-relatable perspective on our world, the series will help developboth problem-solving and life skills in young viewers. Andrea Beck's ELLIOTMOOSE combines animation and live-action in a series about a group ofstuffed animals that live in "The Big House" and call the playroom home. Adog flap in the kitchen allows the toys easy access to the outside world,where their adventures are limited only by the children's imagination. DonFreeman's CORDUROY BEAR looks at the world from the point of view of anurban child.
