Kermit The Frog may famously say "it's not that easy being green," but The Jim Henson Company is trying to teach kids otherwise.
A new animated project from "The Muppets" production company is slated to hit television screens — and it brings a message of "climate hope" to children, Nice News reports.
The 2D animated series, called "The Season Keepers," will be developed in partnership with Paramount's Ananey Studios, and it will encourage kids aged 6-12 and their families to appreciate and interact with nature using engaging storytelling.
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According to a press release, the modern fantasy series is inspired by Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" violin concertos, telling about the wonders of nature through a "fantastical story filled with magical creatures." The series follows twins Lia and Ben, who are sent to spend a spring holiday in their grandmother's small village to help cope with their parents' divorce. Expecting a "snooze-fest," the twins soon find themselves "in the middle of an epic battle between the seasons."
"Lia discovers her gift to mediate between humans and The Nature Makers — a realm of magical creatures who are the guardians of nature itself," the press release reads. "Lia must harness newfound powers and solidify her sibling bond with Ben to mend family rifts, save their grandmother from an eternal slumber, and stop a group of vengeful Nature Makers from plunging the world into a perpetual winter."
Though based in a fantasy world, the series hopes to teach kids real-world lessons about the natural world, seasonal shifts, and the impacts of climate instability, with extreme weather events like heat waves growing more intense and frequent as global temperatures rise.
"At its heart, 'The Season Keepers' is about the healing of a family and of the natural world around them," Halle Stanford, President of Television at The Jim Henson Company, said in the press release. "And this series about climate hope is wrapped up in a luxurious whimsical world filled with magical and never-before-seen creatures."
Though current climate realities can feel overwhelming, hanging on to "climate hope" is a valuable lesson for children — and adults. Introducing kids to the wonders of nature, both real and fantasy, can foster a love of nature in early childhood. And that engagement can cause children to take climate action seriously as they age.
The series is in development, and it's not yet known when it will hit television screens. But those who eventually tune in will surely be in for a dose of natural wonder.
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