Hollywood, CA -- The EMMY-nominated animated children’s series SID THE SCIENCE KID, will premiere four new episodes November 12-15, 2012, to help preschoolers discover even more science in the world around them. Sid’s “Living Things Week” will kick off with the premiere of “Sid’s Pet Project” featuring EMMY award-winning actress America Ferrera as the voice of marine biologist Dr. Rosalinda Cordova on Monday, November 12 on PBS KIDS (check local listings).
SID THE SCIENCE KID is an educational and inspiring preschool series that has been a prominent resource for fostering early childhood development while entertaining millions of 3-6 year olds since its premiere in 2008. The series mission is to introduce all kids to the joy of discovery, and Sid’s “Living Things Week” has a special focus on life cycles. The four-episode arc begins with Sid preparing to babysit Grandma’s dog Philbert, in hopes of proving to his parents that he’s ready for a puppy of his own. Gabriela’s mom, Dr. Rosalinda Cordova (Ferrera) helps Sid and the class investigate how to take care of a pet by bringing them their very own pet…a praying mantis! Throughout the week the series will also explore the topics of sleep, allergies and life cycles. As always, Teacher Susie is at the forefront of each show taking the children on academic journeys and leading them to a better understanding of scientific concepts.
Premieres Monday, November 12
Sid is very excited because he’s going to babysit Grandma’s dog Philbert for the weekend. This is a great way for Sid to show his parents that he’s ready to take care of his own puppy. But there’s only one problem…how exactly do you take care of a pet? Sid heads to school to investigate more, and is delighted to see a special guest. It’s Gabriela’s Mom, Dr. Rosalinda Cordova! She brought the class their very own pet…a praying mantis! And now the kids have to learn how to take care of it. That means investigating what the praying mantis needs to eat, drink, and what kind of home it needs. As Sid quickly discovers, taking care of a pet is a big responsibility!
Premieres Tuesday, November 13
Sid is ready to stay up all night so he and his stuffed animals can pretend to fly into space on a rocket ship! When his Mom insists that he can’t stay up, Sid ventures to school to investigate more. He and friends explore how the body needs sleep to properly function, and most important, we need sleep to grow and stay healthy! Understanding that sometimes we feel too excited to sleep (like before an adventure into space), Susie presents a special Super Fab Lab where the kids practice calming down, and preparing their bodies for sleep. Susie lowers the lights, turns off all the sounds in the room, and teaches the kids how to breathe slowly to relax…and sleep!
Premieres Wednesday, November 14
At breakfast, Sid discovers seeds in his apple, and decides that seeds really get in the way when you’re trying to eat the apple! This leads Sid to investigate seeds with his friends at the Science Center, where they learn that many living things grow in life cycles. And while many fruits start out as seeds, many animals start out as eggs. The kids investigate frog eggs, butterfly eggs, and chicken eggs, and then see the fully-grown animals they grow into. The kids are elated and empowered with their newfound knowledge about life cycles, and can’t wait to get back to school so they can plant Sid’s apple seed and watch it slowly grow into an apple tree!
Premieres Thursday, November 15
Sid wakes up and can’t stop sneezing. He makes his way into the kitchen where he finds his Dad in the middle of a similar sneeze attack. Sid soon discovers that just like his Dad, he might be allergic to pollen! This leads Sid on a mission to learn more about allergies. Mom can think of someone who knows a lot about allergies…Grandma—she’s a nurse! At school, Grandma helps the kids discover that sometimes our bodies can react strongly to something we touch, smell, or eat, so our bodies try to fight it off—and that’s an allergy. Gerald tells everyone that he has a food allergy--he can’t eat strawberries. Wanting to help their friend, Sid, May, and Gabriela decide to make their class a Strawberry-Free-Zone! Gerald is touched, and Susie suggests a special Super Fab Lab survey to discover if other people they know also have allergies.
SID THE SCIENCE KID (PBSKIDS.org/sid) is part of a long line of successful preschool programming from The Jim Henson Company that includes DINOSAUR TRAIN and PAJANIMALS as well as FRAGGLE ROCK and BEAR IN THE BIG BLUE HOUSE. SID THE SCIENCE KID is produced using the revolutionary Emmy Award-winning Henson Digital Puppetry Studio, a proprietary technology that allows performers to puppeteer and voice digital characters in real-time, creating an unprecedented level of spontaneity, quality and interactivity.
SID THE SCIENCE KID, honored with multiple EMMY nominations and prestigious awards (most recently the Parents’ Choice Gold Award), is produced by The Jim Henson Company for PBS KIDS. Lisa Henson and Halle Stanford of The Jim Henson Company, along with Bradley Zweig, serve as executive producers. The Jim Henson Company is handling all ancillary use of the property including licensing, video and merchandising.
SID THE SCIENCE KID airs on PBS KIDS with funding provided by The Boeing Company and The Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding provided by MetLife Foundation, The Rose Hills Foundation, the S.D. Bechtel., Jr. Foundation, the Johnny Carson Foundation and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations and Rullingnet Corp., home of VINCI Early Learning Systems.
Source: The Jim Henson Company