Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > AETN celebrates Dr. Seuss' birthday with PBS KIDS' all new 'Cat-ebration'

AETN celebrates Dr. Seuss' birthday with PBS KIDS' all new 'Cat-ebration'

Posted 27 Feb 2014

The Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) will premiere a week of new adventures with the Cat in the Hat to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday. "Dr. Seuss' Birthday Cat-ebration" kicks off Monday, March 3, at 7:30 a.m., with the debut of a one-hour "The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!" special from PBS KIDS.

New half-hour episodes of the series also premiere Tuesday, March 4, and Wednesday, March 5, at 7:30 a.m. The new episodes follow the Cat, Nick and Sally as they explore a variety of animal attributes: from the benefits of crickets' chirps and birds' feathers, to the mimic octopus' remarkable ability to imitate other sea creatures. Viewers also learn how glass is made, how multi-legged creatures walk and how cotton is spun into fabric.

As part of the "Cat-ebration," PBS KIDS has also launched a new, mobile-friendly "The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!" game: "Marbleous Marvel Coaster." Available at pbskids.org/catinthehat, "Marbleous Marvel Coaster" allows kids to create their own Seussian rollercoasters using open-ended play and engineering skills.

The one-hour special will feature four stories:

• "Step This Way" - The kids are playing dress-up, with Sally wearing her mom's shoes and Nick wearing his dad's shoes. They're having trouble walking, and the Cat thinks it's because their feet are the wrong shape. The Cat takes them to the Jungle of Bingle-Bungle Boo see that animals have differently shaped feet to help them do different things.
• "Anything You Can Do" - Nick and Sally are pretending to be the Cat in the Hat. The Cat takes Nick and Sally to meet his good friend Mimi the Mimic Octopus to learn some tips on how to pretend to be someone else.
• "Name That Sound" - Sally and Nick are trying to stump each other by guessing the animal sounds they're making. The Cat stumps them both when he tries to make the sound of a cricket. They all try but can't figure out how a cricket makes its noise.
• "Fabulous Feathers" - Sally is playing dress-up, but her favorite hat no longer has any feathers on it. Where can they find more? The Cat's good friend Puranjay might be able to help. He's a peacock who lives in Feathery Flats; he has plenty of feathers. Sally collects the feathers that have fallen out of Puranjay and discovers that each one has its own distinct job.

"The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!" special will repeat March 3 at 2 p.m.

Other new episodes premiering include "Balancing Act/Marvelous Marbles" Tuesday, March 4, and "Take a Walk/Cotton Patch" Wednesday, March 5, at 7:30 each morning.

"The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That!" was created in response to recent findings that children graduating from kindergarten are less prepared to learn about science than about other subjects. The series supports young children's science learning by introducing scientific inquiry skills, teaching core science concepts and vocabulary, and preparing preschoolers for kindergarten and first grade science curriculum — all in whimsical style.

PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online, mobile and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including the PBS KIDS video player, now offering free streaming video accessible on computer- and mobile-device-based browsers. For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.

The Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) is Arkansas's statewide public television network that enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. For more information, visit aetn.org, or follow the AETN blog at aetn.org/engage. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro), and KETZ (El Dorado).