PBS KIDS is spotlighting the jazz music genre with its latest greenlight for a package of content based on a pair of kids books written by Newbery Medal-winning author Kwame Alexander. 

Targeting three- to five-year-olds, a kick-off 60-minute special called Acoustic Rooster And His Barnyard Band special (60 minutes) will join the American pubcaster’s lineup on May 1, followed by an Acoustic Rooster: Jazzy Jams short series (20 x three minutes) with weekly episode drops starting on May 9. 

Both formats feature a guitar-playing rooster and his animal friends as they get through the highs and lows of the day with music. They’re produced by Boston-based GBH Kids (Molly of Denali), which signed a development deal with Alexander in 2021 for his picture books Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band (2011) and Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume (2020). And the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the GBH Kids Catalyst Fund and the Province of British Columbia Production Services Tax Credit are supporting the production, with Vancouver’s Global Mechanic Media (Cup & Pup) handling the animation. 

Like Alexander’s books, the Acoustic Rooster special and shorts will explore relatable kid moments (like bedtime routines and birthday celebrations) through the collaborative, improvisation-driven lens of jazz. They will also age down foundational music concepts like call-and-response and following the beat, while providing an introduction to various instruments and jazz styles.

The projects collectively feature 24 original songs composed by Canadian musician and Juno Award winner Mark McLean, as well as a number of special guests such as 14-time Grammy winner Herbie Hancock and jazz bassist Amy Shook.

Signaling a transmedia strategy for the IP, the May content releases will be buoyed by gaming and publishing extensions. First up, Sleeping Bear Press is publishing two new board books by Alexander on April 1—Acoustic Rooster and Friends and Acoustic Rooster Sings the Alphabet. And then in May, an interactive game called Groovin’ with Acoustic Rooster will launch on the PBS KIDS website, offering kids a chance to either play along with songs from the show or create their own tunes.

To generate some early interest, PBS KIDS is also rolling out two of the shorts in advance; the first one hit the pubcaster’s YouTube channel (2.75 million subscribers) this week, and another is slated to drop on April 11.