Mornings on PBS KIDS

Mornings on PBS KIDS offers preschool-age children an engaging and interactive learning experience. Each segment appears between four popular PBS KIDS programs: Dragon Tales, Clifford, Curious George and Super Why!

Every day, a diverse mix of children participate in a learning adventure led by friendly and entertaining hosts: Miss Rosa, Mr. Steve and Miss Lori. They’re joined by Hooper, a loveable, animated guinea pig and PBS KIDS icons, Dot and Dash. Together, they explore different themes such as Counting, Safety, Transportation and Weather. The children sing and dance to live music, participate in activities, learn Spanish words and have lots of fun! All of this takes place in a visually stimulating, creative and high-tech environment. Who wouldn’t want to go to this preschool?

Meet Miss Rosa

Miss Rosa is a popular, well-respected teacher of Costa Rican and Puerto Rican descent. She is bilingual; speaking flawless English and Spanish. She is bright, enthusiastic and enlightens children while entertaining them. During mornings on PBS KIDS, Miss Rosa guides preschoolers through curriculum-based activities and introduces Spanish words and phrases related to the theme of the day. She is energetic, warm and nurturing, and consistently finds ways to build children’s self-esteem.

Jennifer Peña, who plays Miss Rosa, started acting professionally at the age of nine. She now teaches acting classes to kids and teens. Jennifer currently lives in Florida.

Meet Mr. Steve

Mr. Steve brings his passion for music and children to Mornings on PBS KIDS. During his segment, Mr. Steve performs interactive original songs and music related to the day's theme. He has been writing and performing his award-winning music for children and families for the past ten years. His songs, with their clever stories and catchy melodies, engage and entertain kids. Mr. Steve has performed at over 2,000 shows nationwide at venues including the White House, the Kennedy Center, Symphony Space in New York City and Fenway Park in Boston. He has won numerous awards including two Parents’ Choice Gold Awards.

Mr. Steve (whose real name is Steve Roslonek) is also known as "SteveSongs." His current and critically acclaimed CD, Marvelous Day, was released in 2006 on Rounder Records.

Meet Miss Lori

On PBS KIDS, Miss Lori is an engaging host with a multi-faceted personality. She is warm, playful, smart and funny. To her young viewers she is a teacher, a friend, a caregiver, a confidante and a role model. Miss Lori patiently helps young children navigate the world around them through art, song, dance, storytelling, humor and advice. She's up for anything and loves to pretend and explore with the kids. Miss Lori helps spark children's imaginations, gives them a greater sense of discovery and builds their excitement for learning.

In real life, Lori Holton Nash is a performer, a teacher and a mom. She has been singing, dancing and acting since she was nine years old. She is a native of Wisconsin, but currently lives in Chicago with her husband, Larry, and their three children: Skyler, age 9, Kaiann, age 6, and Jaedyn, age 4.

Meet the Others

Hooper

Hooper is an endearing, fun-loving guinea pig whose energy livens up Mornings on PBS KIDS. He has the personality of a typical five-year-old boy. He is inquisitive, slightly mischievous, funny, smart and sweet. He is constantly on the go and getting into things. Like most preschoolers, Hooper is determined to do things on his own and doesn't take "no" easily. Hooper has a wide-eyed innocence about the world. His love of learning is infectious, enticing other kids to learn along with him. Hooper loves dinosaurs. In fact, he is such a dinosaur fanatic, that he would turn himself into one if he could!

Dash

Dash is a friendly seven-year-old who lives in the online world of PBS KIDS. Each day he joins Mornings on PBS KIDS from the computer monitor in the activity center. He guides kids through a game on pbskids.org that reveals Dash’s Secret Treasure. Dash likes adventure and enjoys teaching his friends new games. He plays soccer, swims and rides his bike, but his favorite pastime is the Internet. His favorite Web site is pbskids.org.

Dot

Dot is Dash's four-year-old sister. She lives in the online world as the curator and host of Dot's Story Factory. Dot is curious, playful and likes meeting new people. She learns many things from her older brother and looks up to him for advice and help. Her Story Factory is an online tool that teaches children that a story has a "beginning," "middle" and an "end." The tool allows them to draw, use stickers, add text and upload photos. Dot encourages children to create stories based on the themes addressed on the show. Each day, she showcases some of the stories that viewers have submitted.