NEW YORK, Nov. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Global learning
company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), home to the
ever-expanding subscription content service for kids Curious
World, today announced the debut of Mac &
Izzy, a short-form, 3D animated series for early learners
that gives kids a glimpse into what their imaginary friends are up
to when they aren't playing with their humans.
Now streaming exclusively on YouTube Kids, Mac
& Izzy was developed in partnership with BAFTA
award-winning Blue-Zoo Productions and WGBH Boston,
America's preeminent public broadcaster and the largest producer of
PBS content for TV and the web.
"At HMH, we are able to weave our expertise in the education
space together with our long tradition of publishing celebrated
children's literature to create and deliver smart, engaging stories
for young audiences across a variety of media," said CJ
Kettler, EVP and Chief of Consumer Brands and Strategy,
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. "In this spirit, we couldn't be more
excited to introduce our friends Mac and Izzy to the world via
YouTube Kids, which gives us an amazing platform to reach families
seeking safe, fun content to share with their children, whether at
home or on-the-go."
Mac & Izzy is currently available on the
Curious World YouTube Channel, and will be featured on the
YouTube Kids app throughout November. Later this year, Mac
& Izzy will become a part of the Curious
World app's content library, which has been downloaded more
than 1 million times and offers than 1,200+ video shorts, games and
books mapped to key early learning areas within a digital
environment parents can trust.
"This engaging series inspires kids to use their imagination and
explore different ways to solve the problems they are faced with.
This is the kind of content that really resonates with YouTube Kids
and we are delighted that HMH has decided to use the platform to
bring the series to kids all over the world," said Nadine Zylstra, Head of Family and Learning
for YouTube Originals.
In seven original shorts now available, viewers will meet Mac
and Izzy, two whimsical creatures who reside in Cloudville, an
eccentric, magical community that is home to the world's imaginary
friends when they are "off-duty." Thoughtful, creative Mac and
ever-energetic, playful Izzy are lovable adventurers who use their
imaginations to solve problems and puzzles for both their human
friends and themselves – from feeling shy, to being afraid of the
dark to learning new skills. Quirky, yet relatable, Mac and Izzy's
escapades offer real-world lessons in an accessible,
age-appropriate and hilarious framework.
HMH's Curious World features both original content –
including animated and live-action shorts which inspire kids to
engage and explore off-screen, from building paper bag cities in
Get Crafty to learning Spanish with Jingle Bilingual
– and licensed content from leading and celebrated production
companies and distributors including They Might Be Giants
(Disney Sound) and StoryBots (JibJab Bros.
Studios).
Nominated for numerous children's media and education awards,
Curious World recently received a Teacher's Choice Award for
the Family from Learning Magazine, as well as a 2016 Cynopsis Kids
Imagination Award for Best Tablet-Based App. Its original content
has been nominated for prestigious international animation
contests, including the Shanghai
TV Festival, Annecy International Animated Film Festival
and Cartoons on the Bay.
About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt (NASDAQ:HMHC) is a
global learning company dedicated to changing people's lives by
fostering passionate, curious learners. As a leading provider of
pre-K–12 education content, services, and cutting-edge technology
solutions across a variety of media, HMH enables learning in a
changing landscape. HMH is uniquely positioned to create engaging
and effective educational content and experiences from early
childhood to beyond the classroom. HMH serves more than 50
million students in over 150 countries worldwide, while its
award-winning children's books, novels, non-fiction, and reference
titles are enjoyed by readers throughout the world. For more
information, visit www.hmhco.com.
Follow HMH on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
Media Contact
Leah
Riviere
Communications Manager
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
617-351-5020
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