Ask the StoryBots by JibJab Bros. Studios
Ages: 3 - 8 years
The blurb: Five inquisitive little creatures track down the answers to kids' biggest questions, like how night happens or why we need to brush our teeth.
Surprising fact: The JibJab Bros. Studios team encourages many individual artists to contribute within the show and as well having some open interpretation scenes for the artists to add their personal art style and skills to the episode run.
“There isn’t a style that runs through the whole show.” and… “That really enables us to let the team do what they do best,” explains Evan Spiridellis.
Christopher's review: Ask the StoryBots is an amazingly funny children's animation series that I wish was released when I was younger, but nevertheless I really appreciated it as a grown-up now.
This series is about a world of tiny robots who live inside our everyday computers, they search far and wide (literally) across the world to find the answers of many children’s never ending and curious questions.
The five brightly coloured robot team of ‘341-B’ will seek the answers, and along the way meet many surprising people and interesting creatures.
This cartoon series is truly fantastic from the exciting educational storytelling, to their wide range use of 2D, 3D, stop motion, puppetry, animation and music.
You will be amazed by how all the elements mix together, and transition between 2D and 3D animation, as well with the real life world, environments, city locations and animals.
To me, this is one of the most exciting elements when watching the show, and it feels like the creators were truly having fun mixing and matching many kinds of animation ideas together - and I wanted to witness the whole creative process from start to finish.
During the show, we observe the journey of team 341-B travelling across the globe to find, learn and slowly understand each topic question. (Example: Going to space to meet the sun and finding an old sage owl who teaches them about the airplane forces).
Through this exciting and enjoyable storytelling pattern, the show includes lots of fun and really catchy, small segment songs for learning and liking; colours and letters. As well for understanding word spelling and many real world educational fun facts (within the ‘StoryBots Fun Fact Machine’) and songs.
During their whole adventure, they would eventually find the answers but the 341-B robot team continue to ask more inner questions. They slowly absorb and understand the topics even more by having the other characters show examples of; eye catching and strong images, seeing the activity of the topic, telling the audience and letting them take their time to comprehend it and as well for repeating the questions, examples and answers over a few times.
The Ask the StoryBots series is a great and funny cartoon. As well having likeable and engaging characters throughout it and I hope the 431-B team will continue to seek more interesting and expanding questions.
Extra note from Christopher: The Ask the StoryBots cartoon series is encouraging and inspiring children to look, search, ask and understand their own curious general and/or important questions.
By doing so and watching the series, kids will remember one or two (or many more) key points to take away and they will sooner or later begin to continue their interesting adventure/quest to find their answers. Plus, learn some important life lessons along the way.
(Also, I feel this series would inspire and motivate children to make their own animation).
Ask the StoryBots is available to watch on: