New Series Supports Early Literacy Learning with Action-Packed Comic Book Twist
Austin, TX, May 6, 2026 – Today, PBS KIDS announced the premiere date for SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES, the animated series that builds on the legacy and success of the beloved Emmy-nominated SUPER WHY! series and SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES shorts. The new series will empower preschoolers and kindergartners by supporting early literacy skills through exciting 7-minute stories that launch them into a colorful comic book universe where every interactive story adventure brings reading to life. SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES, produced by 9 Story Media Group (DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG) and animated by the award-winning studio, Brown Bag Films*, will debut October 5, 2026 on PBS KIDS. Watch a sneak peek of the new series here.
“Literacy-focused content that engages, entertains, and supports young learners is needed now more than ever, which is why we’re thrilled to expand on the SUPER WHY universe,” said Sara DeWitt, Senior Vice President & General Manager, PBS KIDS and Education. “Through its fresh, comics-inspired format and fun-filled stories, the new series will help young audiences jumpstart a lifelong love of reading.”
SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES follows the Super Readers – Super Why, Wonder Red, Princess Presto, Alpha Pig, and newest reading hero, Power Paige – on out-of-this-world adventures as they use their own unique literacy powers and gadgets to protect Reader Valley from a group of silly Super Villains – with help from the viewer, “Super You.” When faced with The Eraser, who loves to make letters and sounds disappear; Mr. More, who likes to add “more” of everything; The Shuffler, who mixes up the order of letters and sounds in words; and Outta Space, an extraterrestrial visitor who adds spaces between letters and sounds in words, the Super Readers must work together to make things right in Reader Valley.
“It’s a full circle moment to reimagine SUPER WHY! after 20 years in a way that ups the adventure, includes Super YOU, and feels true to the literacy power of the original series,” said Angela C. Santomero, Co-Creator and Executive Producer. “We know that kids and families will benefit from this new series as they learn, laugh, and help save the day.”
“Bringing SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES to life has been an exciting opportunity for our team to push the visual storytelling in a bold new direction,” said Coral Schoug, VP of Production, Brown Bag Films. “From the dynamic, comic book-inspired world to the pace and energy of each story, the series is designed to immerse young viewers while supporting the show’s core literacy mission in a fun and engaging way.”
Recent research has found a significant drop in U.S. children’s reading scores1 and has shown that a large percentage of children are reading below grade level2. Since 2007, SUPER WHY! content and resources have helped children learn core early literacy skills, including alphabet knowledge, phonological and phonemic awareness, symbolic and linguistic awareness, and comprehension3. SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES will build on this through stories that take place in a vibrant world where letters, words, and sounds have enormous power. The newest series was designed with The Science of Reading – the comprehensive body of research that explains how our brains learn to read and write and informs instructional practices and approaches that support that learning – in mind. The stories and games incorporate foundational reading skills, including letter and letter sound knowledge, phonological awareness, phonics and decoding skills, spelling, vocabulary and oral language comprehension, and more. The series will feature new original songs that reinforce the curriculum and celebrate the Super Readers and “Super You” for saving the day.
In one story, Power Paige makes a playful letter P as a present for Princess Presto, but the little letter becomes a huge problem when Mr. More turns it into a mischievous horde of pesky Ps that cause chaos all over Reader Valley! Can Power Paige and Princess Presto write the letter P and think of a word that will corral these pesky Ps once and for all? And in another story focusing on phonemes, the letter sounds that make up words, Outta Space separates the sounds in the word “sun” to make Reader Valley as cold and dark as space! Now, the Super Readers and Super You need to find the missing sounds and save the day. Can Super Why and Power Paige push the sounds back together and bring back the sun before Reader Valley freezes?
To further extend the reading-centered fun for kids and families, new SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES games and digital storybooks will launch following the series premiere on pbskids.org and the PBS KIDS Games app.
SUPER WHY’S COMIC BOOK ADVENTURES is co-created by Angela C. Santomero (DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, BLUE’S CLUES), Sarah Wallendjack (SUPER WHY!, DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD) and Alex Breen (SUPER WHY!, CHARLIE’S COLORFORMS CITY), and developed by Jill Cozza-Turner (DANIEL TIGER’S NEIGHBORHOOD, DEE & GET ROLLING WITH OTIS) and Sean Calligan (THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS RIDES AGAIN, XAVIER RIDDLE AND THE SECRET MUSEUM), who also serves as the series director. 9 Story holds worldwide distribution and consumer products rights.
*Brown Bag Films Toronto is a business unit of 9 Story Media Group.
About PBS KIDS
PBS KIDS believes the world is full of possibilities, and so is every child. With PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, children ages 2-8 learn lessons that last a lifetime. Across media and community-based programs, PBS KIDS sparks children’s curiosity, helping them succeed in school and life. Families can stream PBS KIDS for free anytime on the PBS KIDS Video app, connected TV devices, pbskids.org and more (no subscription required). Kids can play hundreds of educational games on the PBS KIDS Games app and pbskids.org. PBS KIDS and local stations across the country support children’s learning anytime, anywhere – empowering parents, caregivers, and teachers. For more information, visit pbs.org/pressroom, or follow PBS KIDS on Facebook and Instagram.
About 9 Story Media Group
9 Story Media Group is a leading creator, producer and distributor of kids and family-focused intellectual property, now part of Scholastic’s portfolio. Its award-winning animation studio, Brown Bag Films, is recognized around the world for best-in-class brands such as Doc McStuffins, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Octonauts, Wild Kratts, and Blue’s Clues & You. The company’s international distribution arm, 9 Story Distribution International, represents 5,000 half-hours of animated and live-action programming, seen on some of the most respected international channels and platforms. Its in-house consumer products division, 9 Story Brands, builds international entertainment brands for kids, with expertise across creative, brand marketing, and licensing. Its Digital division is a leader in digital content strategy, channel management, and AVOD/FAST distribution, overseeing 130 brands across 17 languages and expanding global reach through strategic platform optimization. www.9story.com
About Brown Bag Films
Brown Bag Films is a creative-led, global animation studio with locations in Dublin, Toronto and Bali. Founded in 1994, the studio is known for award-winning, artist-driven storytelling across television and digital formats, while actively expanding into new audiences and feature-length projects.
At its core, Brown Bag Films is about making great animation – and finding new ways to do it. The studio works across a broad creative spectrum, from original series and digital-first content to longer-form projects, while continuing to invest in innovation through BBF Labs, its dedicated hub for emerging technology and new workflows. Brown Bag Films is part of the Scholastic family, with its Toronto studio operating as a business unit of 9 Story Media Group. www.brownbagfilms.com
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Sources:
1 & 2. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2020 and 2022 Long-Term Trend Reading and Mathematics Assessments.
3. L. Linebarger, D. (2015). Super why! to the rescue: Can preschoolers learn early literacy skills from educational television? International Journal for Cross-Disciplinary Subjects in Education, 6 (1), 2060–2068. https://doi.org/10.20533/ijcdse.2042.6364.2015.0286
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Contacts:
PBS; 703-739-8463; pbskidspr@pbs.org
Alison Grand, Grand Communications; 212-584-1133; alison@grandcommunications.com
Gabrielle Torello, Grand Communications; 917-312-2832; gab@grandcommunications.com