MEET THE MOMS: A CONVERSATION WITH KIM ANTON, JILL LUEDTKE, AND TRACEY HORNBUCKLE.
THE THREE MOMS WHO CREATED WILBUR.

Discovery Kids: What was the inspiration for WILBUR?

Tracey: A number of years ago, when we were neighbors raising small kids, we noticed that there was very limited television programming for preschoolers. Around this same time, we visited a friend's farm and met an adorable young calf named Wilbur. Our kids fell in love with Wilbur and his farm, and we realized that this was the perfect setting for a preschool program.

We formed a production company and created three children's videos starring 'Wilbur the calf'. We distributed and marketed the videos out of our garages. The videos were very well received and won lots of awards including: a Parents' Choice Award, an Oppenheim Award, Child Magazine's Top 10 Videos of the year, and Parenting Magazine's Video Magic Award, among many others. We also received national press in magazines, newspapers, and television shows and realized there could be enough interest for a TV series.

Discovery Kids: None of you had television experience prior to Wilbur. What skills helped you navigate these tricky waters?

Tracey: We all brought something to the table. I had an advertising and sales background at the New Yorker magazine, which taught me dedication and tenacity. Kim worked in sales and marketing in the financial industry which helped with the business development and Jill's experience in business law came in handy with the contracts and negotiations!

Discovery Kids: How does WILBUR fill a void in the current preschool landscape?

Jill: We always wanted to create a series that read an original story to children every day. There's still a need in the children's marketplace for storybook reading that enhances early literacy skills and creates a love of books and reading in children.

Discovery Kids: How involved were you all in developing the personalities of the characters and are any of the characters based on your own children or other children you know?

Kim: We developed all of their personalities and wanted the barnyard buddies to be the kinds of animals preschoolers learn about early on. We also wanted each one to depict a certain stage of a preschooler's life. The character of 'Libby' is a sweet two-year-old little lamb. 'Dasha,' the inquisitive duck, is your typical four-year-old, running around, taking in the whole world. We created 'Ray' the rooster because we wanted some comic relief in the show and we thought parents could relate to his character. Certain parts of the characters are based on real kids we know. We designed 'Wilbur' after one of our sons who was eight years old, 'Libby' was modeled after one of our daughters and Dasha was inspired by a friend's precocious four-year-old.

Discovery Kids: Why is it important to have early literacy as an overriding theme in the show?

Jill: It is important because decades of research has shown that there are dramatic positive benefits of reading storybooks to children. One of the cornerstones of early literacy activities is storybook reading and that's the focus of WILBUR. Wilbur demonstrates how books are utilized, the function of print, how to read from left to right, how to turn pages right to left how you start at the top of the page and read down. What's unique about Wilbur is that he utilizes the print on the screen and tracks each word with his hoof to demonstrate the function of print. The storybooks in WILBUR are written in rhyming couplets because that is the style of prose that children typically gravitate to and can learn the best from at their early ages.

Discovery Kids: What is the most important thing that a child who watches WILBUR is going to take away from this show?

Jill: A child who watches WILBUR will learn that books are fun! We want to instill a love of books and reading in children and motivate them to want to read more. We want kids to think "Books are Mooovelous!"

Discovery Kids: What will parents like about the show?

Tracey: Parents who let their children watch WILBUR can feel that they are giving their child a jumpstart into literacy development.

Kim: I would add that many parents, grandparents and caregivers are going to look at WILBUR and feel a sense of nostalgia that brings them back to basics while entertaining kids in this magical farm setting.