Pinkalicous, the little girl with a love for all things pink and creative, and her younger brother, Peter, now have their own TV series.
“ Pinkalicious & Peterrific” is the latest edition to PBS KIDS lineup. The half-hour show grew out of the series of books by award-winning illustrator Victoria Kann. She began writing them as a way to teach her two young daughters, and by extension other kids, some important lessons.
“The messages I wanted to communicate are messages about things my daughters were dealing with, just like kids around the world. In the first book, the message was “love yourself,” Kann said.
Pinkalicious’ adventures are fun and often silly, but they are built to encourage children to actively participate in the arts.
“The curriculum is all about music, dance, visual arts and theater. For example, there’s one show called “Invisible Band” in which they play imaginary instruments. It’s really fun because they make the sounds of the instrument. They realize that just even making the sound they can be very musical,” Kann said.
Kann is excited to be involved in a show that helps fill a niche in the PBS Kids lineup by focusing on art.
“PBS has programs about science and discovery. However, now art is no longer valued in our school system. Art programs and after-school programs have been cut, so it is really up to parents and caregivers to encourage art,” Kann said.
For Kann, exposing young people to art goes beyond just wanting them to see it for its aesthetic beauty.
“It’s so important to be creative because creativity fuels the ability to problem-solve. Creativity is about exploration and innovation and it is the hallmark of ingenuity, which leads to success in the world of art, science and technology. Children who are encouraged to think creatively have higher self-esteem, are more motivated and will be more successful,” Kann said.
Kann also feels that “Pinkalicious & Peterrific” remind both parents and kids there’s a beautiful world outside that’s just waiting to be explored.
“In our culture today, where everything is about technology and the smartphone and the computer, it’s great to have a show that’s really about ‘get your hands dirty’ or ‘go outside and play.’ There’s no technology in Pinkville. The kids are making the robots and costumes. They are creating everything, which is very important for children” Kann said.
"Pinkalicious & Peterrific" can be seen weekdays at 8 AM and 1:30 PM on WVIZ-PBS