Phoebe & Jay, an animated PBS KIDS series that premiered in February 2026, aims to foster and improve early literacy skills in children aged three to five.
Co-created and co–executive-produced by Genie Deez and Thy Than, Phoebe & Jay follows the adventures of two six-year-old fraternal twins, their eternally optimistic dad Pete, and their warm yet no-nonsense Grandma Annie. The stories depict functional literacy skills that are part of everyday life, such as checking clothing labels for laundry instructions or reading a moisture meter to determine whether plants need water.
In one episode, after accidentally spilling paint on two mailed packages, the twins learn to read a postal address. Then they go through their apartment building to deliver the packages, looking at the numbers on doors and meeting their neighbors.
Each episode combines two stories and a live-action sequence in which children and their parents or caretakers put early literacy lessons into practice. The videos can also be viewed with an ASL interpreter.
Learning activities that follow the screenings encourage children to put the literacy lessons they’ve just seen into action. In a scavenger hunt, for example, children look for different kinds of functional text—such as braille, clothing labels, and a directional arrow. In a writing activity, children send a message in the mail to a family member or friend using a printable postcard.
For children to learn and play at home, PBS KIDS has launched Phoebe & Jay’s Dance Party Game, which was inspired by a plotline in the series. The game invites children to complete literacy tasks related to planning and preparing for a party. They make a poster that has the functional text of where the party is and what time. Then they choose an outfit and learn a dance. The game is accessible in English and Spanish on the PBS KIDS website and PBS KIDS Games app. It’s the first of five games supporting the show’s literacy curriculum. PBS KIDS will release a new game every six weeks.