Bunny Found on Child's Head Actually Inspires Reading; Educators and Parents Shocked!

Bunny Found on Child's Head Actually Inspires Reading; Educators and Parents Shocked!

WASHINGTON, March 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Real video footage documenting the event can be viewed here: http://www.smarttelevisionalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=bunnytown

This unusual incident is not limited to Super Bunny from "Bunnytown." Curious George, Edgar and Ellen, and Phineas and Ferb, among others -- all popular children's television characters -- are getting into the action as well. They are all recommending books for children to read and the importance of literacy as part of a joint effort between the National Education Association (NEA) and the Smart Television Alliance (STA) in support of NEA's Read Across America project. NEA is the nation's largest professional organization with 3.2 million members.

In a major contribution to this effort, Disney Channel has enlisted one of its popular television characters, Super Bunny, star of the new Playhouse Disney series, "Bunnytown," to help impart the importance of reading.

As part of NEA's annual Read Across America project (highlighted at http://www.nea.org/readacross), Disney Channel produced a Public Service Announcement exclusively for Smart Television Alliance promoting reading with characters from the comedic hit Playhouse Disney series for preschoolers, "Bunnytown."

"Bunnytown" was created and executive-produced by "Sesame Street" veterans David Rudman and Adam Rudman, and Todd Hannert (each of Spiffy Pictures, producer of "Jack's Big Music Show"), and is produced by Jim Henson Company veterans, Martin Baker and Pete Coogan at Elstree Film Studios in the UK. The series invites viewers to experience life through the eyes of the endearing, giggly bunny residents of Bunnytown.

Author Sean Bryan and Illustrator Tom Murphy created the book, "A Boy and His Bunny," published by Arcade Publishing that is featured in the short film. It is a Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Winner 2005. The book is a humorous way to show kids that being different can be a lot of fun. The pair have also created "A Girl and Her Gator" and "A Bear and His Boy". Due out next month is the "The Juggling Pug," a fun way to teach kids how to juggle good behavior and the spotlight. All of these titles are published by Arcade Publishing.

This special presentation can be viewed here: http://www.smarttelevisionalliance.org/site/PageServer?pagename=bunnytown

This is also the first time that characters from a wide range of popular children's television programs have come together to collectively promote book reading by children.

The Smart Television Alliance is a new collaboration of national nonprofit organizations dedicated to improving children's television programming. Led by the NEA, National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the nation; and the National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO), a coalition of more than 200 organizations representing over eleven million women, the STA promotes utilizing technology to take control of TV viewing. This makes it easy for families to make and implement smart viewing choices, watching shows recommended by children's media experts on their family's schedule, and continuing learning beyond the program, especially by reading.

The STA believes that TV can be both educational and entertaining so teaming up with children's programs and publishers is a natural extension of the STA mission.

The STA will soon be launching a nationwide campaign to engage parents to take action around the summer's 155% spike in children's TV viewing. With technology, parents can make smart choices for their families and continue learning beyond quality programming.

For more information on the STA and to sign-up to receive Smart News, a free twice-monthly e-newsletter, please visit: http://www.smarttelevisionalliance.org/

The STA is sponsored by TiVo Inc., the leader and pioneer in digital video recorder technology, as part of the company's continued commitment to helping families identify and manage television content in their homes.

STA will continue to partner with those sharing a common goal to use TV as an educational tool. STA is beginning to partner with Zula Patrol, a highly acclaimed children's television program on public broadcasting stations, to encourage children to learn about science.

About Smart Television Alliance (STA)

The Smart Television Alliance is a new coalition of national nonprofit organizations united by a shared commitment to improving what our nation's children see on television. By accessing technology, controlling TV viewing, and highlighting children's television programming recommended by children's media experts, the STA seeks to help parents and caregivers make smart choices for their families. By promoting the viewing of educational and informational programming, STA seeks to build a market for more high quality children's TV shows.

http://www.smarttelevisionalliance.org/

About Playhouse Disney

Playhouse Disney, seen in a daily programming block on Disney Channel U.S. and on ten Playhouse Disney channels around the world, encourages preschoolers to imagine and learn through original series, short-form and acquired programming that includes song, movement and entertainment. Guided by an established curriculum, Playhouse Disney supports multiple areas of child development: physical, emotional, social and cognitive; thinking and creative skills, as well as moral and ethical development through carefully constructed themes, storylines and endearing characters.

http://www.playhousedisney.com/

About National Education Association (NEA)

The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employee organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.

http://www.nea.org/

About Bunnytown

Disney Channel's newest series for preschoolers, "Bunnytown," a humorous puppet variety show starring Superbunny, Li'l Bad Bunny, Space Bunny Sue, Professor Doodlebunny, the Bunnytown Band and many more - will expand to a daily telecast and new timeslot across the learning-focused Playhouse Disney programming block beginning MONDAY, MARCH 24 (10:00 a.m. ET/PT daily).Set in a bustling world where laughter rules and carrots are a close second, the bunnies of "Bunnytown" create a fun-filled, comedic learning environment alongside their comical human counterparts in the neighboring Peopletown. Each half-hour episode features a wide range of original music representing a rich panoply of musical styles including hip-hop, disco, country, cool jazz, girl-group pop, klezmer, piano and guitar rag, and light opera.

http://atv.disney.go.com/playhouse/bunnytown/index.html

About "A Boy and His Bunny"

Author Sean Bryan and Illustrator Tom Murphy created the book, "A Boy and His Bunny," published by Arcade Publishing that is featured in the short film and is a Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Winner 2005. The book is a humorous way to show kids that being different can be a lot of fun! From the publisher: "How would you feel if one morning you woke up with a big-eared, wet-nosed bunny on your head? Would you be surprised? And what would you do if you learned the bunny's name was Fred? And he liked it there on top of your head? You'd be different from your friends, who have nothing on their heads, but hey! That's okay too." This charming fun-filled book about a boy and special friend will delight young readers and enchant their parents as well.

http://www.arcadepub.com/book/?GCOI=55970100328300

About Arcade Publishing

In 1988, we launched Arcade onto the choppy waters of a book climate that many people warned us was perilous. Since then, we have brought to the North American reading public works by 252 authors from 31 different countries. We felt then -- and still feel -- that the purpose and justification of Arcade was to have an image and voice all our own. We have published some 500 titles, discovered dozens of new voices, and built a considerable and constantly growing backlist. We have flown in the face of the marketplace, which increasingly favors the tried and true over the new or challenging. If new voices are not allowed to emerge, where will tomorrow's major writers and bestsellers come from? Despite all this, however, our global fiction titles -- from countries such as Albania and Somalia -- have, thanks to the many major reviews, gained an ever wider readership. At the end of our second decade, we remain as enthusiastic and committed as ever, on a solid base that includes a backlist that generates more than 25% of our annual volume, and with a stalwart staff whose dedication to our authors and their works remains our greatest asset.

http://www.arcadepub.com/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Smart Television Alliance

CONTACT: Christopher Turman of Smart Television Alliance, +1-202-256-8858,
cturman@natstrat.com; or Staci Maiers of NEA, +1-202-822-7823,
smaiers@nea.org

Web site:

http://www.smarttelevisionalliance.org/
http://www.playhousedisney.com/
http://www.nea.org/
http://www.arcadepub.com/

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