NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Curious
World, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt's ever-expanding
subscription service for early learners and their families, has
partnered with award-winning producers Billy Aronson and Jennifer Oxley (creators of Emmy-award winning
Peg + Cat) on the newest addition to its collection of
original short-form videos.
Meet Melia and Jo – smart, spunky five-year-old
best friends with a passion for imagination and adventure. Inspired
by two groundbreaking women – fearless pilot Amelia Earhart and iconic singer and entertainer
Josephine Baker – Melia and Jo
capture the spirit of creativity and inspire young viewers to
tackle challenges by thinking outside the box.
In each episode, Melia, a tech-savvy inventor who loves
collecting junk and reimagining and engineering it, and Jo, a
high-energy, natural performer who can take any idea to the next
level, meet in Melia's backyard lab to create something cool and
use that creation to make the world better. Highlighting Melia's
super science skills and Jo's artistic endeavors, the series weaves
together themes related to STEM and the Arts to model and celebrate
the power of collaboration.
"We always love doing shows about strong girls and the power of
friendship," says Oxley. "But the timing of this show makes those
things really urgent! Melia and Jo shows how kids can use
their brains, their hands, their guts to change the world."
"HMH is grateful to be working with such talented folks on
Melia and Jo, as we know Jennifer and Billy share Curious
World's goal to make quality kids' programming that is both
educational and lots of fun," says CJ Kettler, EVP and Chief of
Consumer Brands and Strategy, HMH. "Melia and Jo are a STEAM Dream
Team, showing that when science and art come together, the results
are innovative and groundbreaking. Their exuberance is
contagious and will no doubt inspire kids to get creative in their
own environments."
"All the elements came together so well," adds Aronson. "The
upbeat jazz, the goofy language, the gorgeous animation. And the
girls we cast are so charming and hilarious! They have an awesome
rapport that makes the Melia and Jo friendship really sing."
Launched in 2015, Curious World's mobile platform
provides over 1,200 pieces of engaging kids' content tied to key
learning areas – all housed within a safe, trusted digital
environment. From iconic HMH characters like Curious George
to new friends like Melia and Jo, Curious World curates the
best kids' content, including original IP offerings and licensed
programming from leading children's media production companies, as
well as original games and celebrated children's books that can be
accessed by users anytime, anywhere on iPhone, iPad or AppleTV.
Oxley and Aronson's last creation, beloved PBS Kids preschool
show Peg + Cat, has received numerous honors, including Emmy
awards across the categories of design, music, acting, writing and
"Outstanding Pre-School Children's Animated Program," a
Parents' Choice Gold Award, Kidscreen awards for "Best New Series,"
"Best Animated Series" and much more.
About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (NASDAQ:HMHC) is a global
learning company dedicated to changing people's lives by fostering
passionate, curious learners. As a leading provider of pre-K–12
education content, services, and cutting-edge technology solutions
across a variety of media, HMH enables learning in a changing
landscape. HMH is uniquely positioned to create engaging and
effective educational content and experiences from early childhood
to beyond the classroom. HMH serves more than 50 million
students in over 150 countries worldwide, while its award-winning
children's books, novels, non-fiction, and reference titles are
enjoyed by readers throughout the world. For more information,
visit www.hmhco.com.
Follow HMH on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Media Contact
Leah Riviere
Communications Manager
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
617-351-5020
Leah.Riviere@hmhco.com
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SOURCE Houghton Mifflin Harcourt