Avery's World by Bill Weber Studios

To seven generations of creativity

© 2012-21 by Bill Weber. Photography by Adobe Stock. All rights reserved. Avery’s World characters © & TM by Bill Weber Studios. This publication may not be reproduced, distributed, or otherwise transmitted without the express permission of the author.

Bill Weber Studios, New York and Los Angeles www.billweberstudios.com

Welcome to Our World Avery’s World is an animated pre-school show about multi-cultural animals who live together cooperatively on an urban island. As the characters solve common problems, they share stories about their previous lives in different lands. The show teaches appreciation for diversity through contribution: wonderful people all around the world are contributing to us, and we, too, are wonderfully contributing right back. The show’s kawaii characters live in a photorealistic world. This allows us to show real cultural images – food, fashion, art, architecture, etc. – and inspire real cultural stories. Our context is different from other preschool shows like Let’s Go Luna, Doki, Dora the Explorer, and Wonder Pets. We bring the world in to our show through the first-person stories of our characters, rather than transporting characters (and viewers) to other lands as tourists. Viewers will see themselves in the cast of diverse ages, genders, talents, interests, geographic and cultural backgrounds, and personalities. Some characters are zanies. Some are serious empaths. All are good-hearted. Some character names (like Avery and Lakpa) are intentionally gender neutral.

CREATING AN ANTI-BIAS WORLD Avery’s World is committed to the “Anti-Bias” educational philosophy:* 1. Create the conditions in which children are able to like who they are without needing to feel superior to anyone else. Enable children to develop biculturally; i.e., able to effectively interact within their home culture and within the dominant culture. 2. Promote each child’s comfortable, empathic interaction with people from diverse backgrounds. 3. Foster each child’s critical thinking about bias, guiding them to identify “unfair” and “untrue” images, comments, and behaviors and to the emotional empathy to know that bias hurts. 4. Cultivate each child’s ability to stand up for themselves and for others in the face of bias. Establish that differences are enjoyable and worthy of respect, laying a vital foundation for learning to understand and respect diversity in the larger society and world. *See Anti-Bias Multicultural Education with Young Children and Families by Louise Derman-Sparks and Patricia G. Ramsey, 2006.

A letter from Avery Dear friends, My name is Avery. I'm also known as the dove of peace, la colombe, golub, and el pajaro de la paz, among other noms de plume. I've come to represent peace, friendship, leadership, and bravery in cultures around the globe. I’d like us to work together to leverage my name recognition and the power of media to create a worldwide pre-school series with two main purposes: 1. To plant the seeds of peace, tolerance, and empathy in the newest generations. Children create peace by learning about different cultures, by sharing personal stories, and by making friends. It’s that simple. My show teaches how different cultures contribute to each other and empower children to develop the self-confidence and

skills to communicate and connect with others different from themselves. We follow an “Anti-Bias” curriculum, working towards a world where everyone, and every culture, is treated equally. (More about this on page 2. Or ask Bill and Paige to explain this to you.) 2. To help children feel “at home” in an ever-shrinking, multi-cultural world. Research shows that children who have been exposed to diverse cultures are more successful in life. I want to give every child the mind- and soul-expanding experience of other cultures. Together, we can open a window into the big wide world and help children develop muscles in tolerance, empathy, teamwork, and love. Peace,

Avery

Pictured: Fans of peace meet the puppet Avery in New York City and Los Angeles

FORMAT What’s in a show? Each half-hour episode contains two complete and separate 11-minute adventures. Opening The theme song, Circle Up, invites children to gather around and get ready to both listen to and share their own stories. The song introduces the characters and delivers them to Avery’s Island, a colorful little island located in a happy little river next to a big city. Set up The characters work together every episode to explore new cuisines, keep the place clean, and take care of visitors as well as each other. When a problem arises (due to a visitor, a missing ingredient in a recipe, an interesting art delivery, etc.), the characters put their heads together to come up with a solution. After trying a few different (and hilariously unsuccessful) solutions, one of the major characters will be prompted to tell a story about how the people in his or her homeland would solve the problem.

Body A first-person folk tale is told by a character. It may, for example, be Rosalia telling about being carried by her mother when she was too young to fly or Ragnar explaining how tea is loved in India. Local art, fashion, and furniture – even street signs – are noted and celebrated. Avery, being “everybird” and representing many cultures, stars in many of these segments. Tie-Back and Wrap-Up Back in the present, the animal friends use something they learned from the folk tale to solve their current problem. Music and dance, influenced by the problem-solving culture, are used to express feelings and reinforce the story. As the friends celebrate their accomplishment, they sing a song inspired by the tale. Avery’s Growing Up Global At the end of every show is a short segment where Avery gives tips to parents and kids on simple activities that they can do to learn more and feel more confident and comfortable in the world. Whether putting up a world map in the living room, greeting people in the “hello” of different languages, or playing “geography” in the car, Avery will show that learning to be a contributing global citizen is fun.

Avery Avery is a creative, earnest optimist who wrangles an island full of lovable eccentrics as they solve common problems. Avery is brave, communicative and a consensus builder. He is also an artist who uses creativity and communication to solve problems and diffuse conflict. He’ll use smashedberry paint to mark a trail for lost animals to follow. He’ll fly high and whistle once for “hot” or twice for “cold” to direct apple pickers. Or he’ll direct everyone

to arrange twigs to write a giant message of peace. Avery loves music. He raps: Try on my hat / I’ll try on yours / There’s new things to learn when you walk through new doors.” He dances the jitterbug with Rosalia: “Dancing is like singing with your wings!” Avery appreciates and encourages everyone’s self-expression because he knows that communication is a key to peace. Avery is an imperfect hero. When he is frustrated, he gets grumpy and wants to fly away. His friends help him learn that others think and behave differently because they are in a different situation, have different information, or have their own values or interests. And one more thing – Avery is “everybird.” He is not labeled with a nationality because the bird of peace belongs to everyone. He is a native of all lands and belongs to the children of all cultures.

“Increase the peace!”

Rosalia Rosalia is a confident, capable “can do”-er who loves all things feminine, colorful and musical. She is Avery's best friend and a multi-colored bird of paradise from South America. She has both talent and confidence. As the singer and musician of the group, she is eager to learn local songs and play local musical instruments. She is always the first to jump in and try new things, although she can be a little bit vain sometimes. Her adventurousness and curiosity are tempered by her level-headedness. She loves to tell stories about the music, art and fashion of her beloved South America.

“Hola! Sing and dance with me!”

Ragnar “Usch! I would rather stay home with the olive pits.”

Ragnar is a selfish, fussy, stubborn crank with a hidden heart of gold. His social skills are terrible and he is unconscious when it comes to other people’s feelings. But when it comes to his garden and Lakpa, his kitten, he is a giant mush. Ragnar and Lakpa are a comedy team of polar opposites: the gull is the curmudgeonly conniver and the cat is the naïve follower. They are the show’s comic perpetrators and one of the main sources of both conflict and learning. They are also totally devoted to each other. The cat knows that beneath the gull’s battered purple hat and sour face is a heart of gold. Ragnar is a seagull; his stories are about food and growing up with his grandfather in the seas and forests of Scandinavia. He is also the character who must learn, episode after episode, the show’s lessons of teamwork, empathy and respect for others.

Lakpa

“Mewsh!”

Lakpa is a precocious, eagerto-learn, eager-to-please kitten with a feral streak. Lakpa is a stray kitten of Asian heritage who was adopted by Ragnar. (“Lakpa” is Nepalese for “Wednesday,” the day of his birth.) Lakpa is cuddly yet needy; loyal yet wary; helpful yet self-centered. In other words, a typical cat. His love for his Baa (Nepalese for father) and the fact that he is too young to know any better, gets him tangled in the gull’s messes and schemes. Befitting a “street kitten,” Lakpa’s fur is always getting dirty. He loves digging around in the dirt. Lakpa’s left ear has been clipped, indicating that he is feral with a clean bill of health. Lakpa is an empathy magnet. As anyone who has ever seen a child and a kitten together can attest, Lakpa’s need for care and cleaning up helps viewers connect to their own innate ability to care for, and empathize with, others. And since Lakpa only speaks in “meows,” viewers learn to listen closely to the emotions and body language of others. Lakpa loves to play and is involved in stories about sports and games. The contrast between Ragnar and Lakpa (Ragnar anti-social, Lakpa pro-social), and the opportunities for Ragnar to tap into his caring side, make these two a powerful teaching team.

Ricotta & Jubnah Ricotta Van Cheddars is a serious, resourceful, and always-honest scientist. Ricotta and Jubnah are the smart “big sister and brother” who get excited about problems and are eager to research and present new ideas. Their clever, mechanical ways to travel and solve problems are often funny and over-the-top (like the time they offered to build a bulldozer and bulldoze the island!) Ricotta is a potent observer. She will speak up when she thinks there is a better way to do something: “Let’s make something bester!” Of European lineage, Ricotta loves nature – especially marine animals and the beach.

“We love problems. Send ‘em to us!”

Jubnah is a fidgety, funny daredevil full of energy and questions. Jubnah is of Middle Eastern heritage, and his mind goes a milea-minute. When he laughs, his whole body wiggles. He wants to know why: “Why do things work they way they do and not the way they do not? Why do words mean the things they mean?” When he is not zooming around on sleds made out of roof shingles, Jubnah tells stories that include his big family and his love for STEM.

Grandma Bibi “Come home for more than food – friends and dreams are here to meet you.”

Grandma Bibi is wise, patient, strong, and extremely stylish.

She is an African Gaboon Viper, an extremely powerful, yet mellow, snake. She tells wonderful stories about African culture and values. Whenever one of the characters has to deal with a difficult feeling or situation, Grandma Bibi’s big house and hugs can always be counted on.

STORIES Avery’s New Address Avery gets lost on the island on his way to visit Rosalia. And when he is lost, he finds out that others are lost, too! The landscape has changed – trees have grown new branches, the mice have built new contraptions, and Ragnar’s garden is overgrown – so Avery can’t rely on his old landmarks. Avery gathers the gang to work on the problem. Rosalia suggests running colorful ribbons between every house, but Lakpa gets all tangled up in them. The mice offer to bulldoze wide paths (after building a bulldozer), but no one wants their favorite tree or bush to be squished. Grandma Bibi’s idea to put apples as trail markers only works until Ragnar decides to bake apple pies. Avery remembers what the people of England did when he lived there. They made signs and named their houses after natural landmarks so people could remember where to find them. So Ragnar’s house would become “Garden House” and Ricotta’s house by the river would become “River House,” and so on. While singing “My Cozy Own Home,” a Gilbert-and-Sullivany song, the gang makes signs for all the houses. In gratitude to Avery, they re-name the island and make one big sign that says “Avery’s Island.”

Try On My Hat! Avery and Rosalia love dancing together in the clouds. One day, the sun blinds them and they tumble out of the sky. Rosalia needs a hat, but won’t wear one because it squishes her headfeathers and gives her “hat hair.” Avery insists that the right kind of hat for her must exist – one that looks good, keeps the sun out of her eyes, and won’t give her hat hair. The two birds interview everyone on the island and learn about the different hats they wear. Rosalia tries on Jubnah’s keffiyeh, Ragnar’s jachthoed, Lakpa’s douli, and Ricotta’s capello estivo, but none of them fit right. When Rosalia is about to give up and never dance again, Grandma Bibi offers to make her a gele – a custom African headwrap. Grandma Bibi tells a story about how geles are good for everything in Africa – even dancing! After Rosalia gets a beautiful gele that fits perfectly, the animals sing “Try On My Hat” while dancing and swapping hats to an African beat.

Rosalia’s Ride Sharif, a visiting seagull, cannot fly because his wing is in a sling, and doesn’t know how he is going to get home.. Rosalia is reminded of growing up in Bogota, Colombia. When Rosalia was too young to fly, her mother carried her in a “Maya wrap” decorated with “Mola” figures. Her mother hitched rides for them on bicycles and homemade carts in the city’s protected bike lanes. Rosalia describes the tranportation of Bogota – beautiful “Chiva” buses and tall buildings with glass elevators on the outside. Back in the present, Ricotta makes a Maya wrap for Sharif, and hoists Sharif onto Ragnar’s back by way of a rope and pulley “elevator car.” Ragnar gives Sharif a ride while everyone sings the latino “There’s Always a Way Around!”

Ragnar’s Breakfast Mix It’s breakfast time. Ricotta wants Kiwi. Rosalia wants corn flakes. Lakpa wants ricecakes with jam. Avery wants bananas. Ragnar wants dates. But the cupboards only have crackers!

True to form, Ragnar says that it is too far to go to get what they want. Kiwifruit is from New Zealand, dates are from Egypt, cornflakes are from Iowa, ricecakes are from China, and bananas are from South America. Ragnar explains “How the Kiwi Left New Zealand” and into the hearts of people around the world. Back home, Avery explains that crackers come from all over the world, too. Knackebrot from Scandinavia, lavosh from India – even animal crackers from the U.S.! Mma Gaboon slithers around Ragnar’s chair and finds a big box of dates under the cushion. The gull was being selfish! After an apology from Ragnar, Lakpa swings in like a monkey and starts handing out the dates. Soon everyone is eating a cracker (with smashed date spread) and singing and dancing to the nordic “World Mix” song.

Team members (pictured left to right): Avery the dove of peace, Bill Weber, Stephen Cohn, and Paige Desjardins

The Team

BILL WEBER Creator

Bill is an awardwinning artist, writer, and inventor who works with non-profits that improve the lives of families around the world. He was privileged to be mentored by Marvin Hamlisch, Shari Lewis, and John Burstein (aka Slim Goodbody). Bill’s Broadway credits include work on the musicals Smile, Jean Seberg, and That's Not Tango. In film, Bill has designed for I'll Be Next Door for Christmas, Avocado, The Happy Side, and other indies. For TV, Bill was Executive Producer for

Music City Tonight's Salute to Children's Entertainment. After studying art and architecture at Parsons School of Design, he began his career in publishing, rising to become the publisher of magazines in the parenting, entertainment and advertising industries. Bill holds leadership roles in the L.A. Children's Media Association, the L.A. Guild of Puppetry, and Screenwriters and Actors of Hollywood. Bill is most proud of being the parent of two Latinx children adopted from Colombia, South America. He is committed to building a

world where people are celebrated for the contributions they make, not judged by their racial or cultural backgrounds. Bill and Paige Desjardins co-wrote “Anti-Bias: The Next Step Forward in Children’s Programming” for Performance Animation magazine in 2019.

STEPHEN COHN Musical Director Stephen is a multiple award-winning composer, songwriter, and musical director who has worked with such talent as Lily Tomlin, John Denver, and Kenny Rogers on Emmy, Peabody, and Parents' Choice awardwinning productions.

PAIGE DESJARDINS Educational Consultant An expert on AntiBias education, Paige holds a Masters in Education from Pacific Oaks University, where the Anti-Bias curriculum was first developed. She is an educational consultant for the Walt Disney Company; the producer of Natural Learning Kids, an early learning website for families; and Communications Director of the L.A. Children's Media Association.

ARCTIC OCEAN

Greenland

COWBOY HAT North

America

Iceland Canada

England France

NORTH AMERICA PACIFIC OCEAN

United States Mexico

Hawaii Pacific Islands

ATLANTIC OCEAN

BERET

Spain

France Spain

Morocco

Caribbean Sea

CENTRAL AMERICA

SOUTH AMERICA

HATS OF THE WORLD This map shows the different lands where different hats come from. When you meet someone wearing a hat, ask them to tell you their story and make a new friend!

INDIAN OCEAN

ARCTIC OCEAN

JACHTHOED Scandinavia

SCANDINAVIA Sweden ASIA

EUROPE

China

Italy

Uzbekistan

Mediterranean Sea Northern Africa

Viet Nam

ASIA Middle East

India Southeast Asia

Nigeria AFRICA PACIFIC OCEAN

INDIAN OCEAN

PAGRI

AUSTRALIA

(Turban) India

ANTARCTICA

We work as a team because peace is our dream

Bill Weber • 917-679-7583 • bill@billweberstudios.com