Can Superheroes Really Teach Preschoolers to Read?

Animation Scoop interviewed Angela Santomero, an animator who created the Super Why cartoons 2 decades ago on PBS, and which has been adapted to comics as well: Jackson Murphy: You created “Super Why!” back in 2007. What have you loved about the overall impact this brand has had over the last 20 years? Angela C. Santomero: Oh my God. You’re gonna make me cry. It was my Master’s Thesis when I was at Teachers College at Columbia University — the idea that we did have a longitudinal study that proved that kids were learning to read from the show, but also, of course, that they were loving the show and loving to read. All of the stories that I’ve heard from parents over the past 20 years have been amazing. Provided it’s not something where wokeism was forced upon it, it’ll make a great source for adaptation to comics, and a good source for children’s reading. JM: So there’s been such a rise, I feel like, in the last 20 years, since “Super Why!” started, of comic book movies. Superhero movies. And kids really being interested in this look and this style of storytelling. Have you seen that firsthand, especially now diving into the new show? AS: Yeah. And what’s so fascinating is we wante...