PHOEBE AND JAY: Episodes 1.1-1.6

PHOEBE AND JAY is an animated children’s series streaming on PBS Kids. Oftentimes, some of the best and most underrated children’s shows come from PBS Kids, and the newest addition to the lineup is a culturally unique take on children’s education. The show PHOEBE AND JAY is more than a pun on the classical sandwich; it’s a great show to help kids learn a variety of lessons with a triple focus on morality, practical life lessons, and community outreach.

The show follows twin African-American children, Phoebe and Jay Yarber, along with their widower father and Grandma Annie, as they explore their new home: the apartment complex called the Tobsy Towers. Phoebe is a creative, musically inclined child, whereas Jay is a bit more story-focused and activity-driven. It is strongly implied that Grandma and Father also work at the tower, and that the two kids have adventures, learn lessons, and meet their neighbor.

The first episode, “The Last Box,” has the twins opening the last box from their move, where they find a memento from their late mother in the form of her bedazzled jacket, and the twins decide to clean it so Phoebe can wear it.

The second episode, “Paint on the Mail,” has the family delivering packages to people in the complex after the twins accidentally spill paint on the addresses.

The third episode, called “Fruit Juice Frenzy,” sees the twins trying to get the perfect juice for their Grandma from their local Juice vendor while trying new flavors.

In the fourth episode, “The Green Pepper,” the twins are given a task of taking care of a bell pepper in the community garden for a couple of days.

The fifth episode, “Birthday Dance Surprise,” has Phoebe teaching Jay, their Dad, and their friend Lupe a special dance for their Grandma’s birthday.

Finally, the sixth episode, “Jay’s Fit,” has the twins trying to replace Jay’s nice outfit, which he got muddy, before their family photo.

The first six episodes of Season One of PHOEBE AND JAY contain some of the most unique elements, demonstrating how to live in a community. First off, the show takes place in an apartment complex, which means the variety of neighbors is fairly interesting, providing an important educational demonstration for children of what it is like to live in apartments.

In addition, community seems to be one of the show’s central themes. Starting in the second episode “Paint on the Mail,” the kids are introduced to a few neighbors: like Lupe, Ms. Gene and her bird Houdinini, and the grandfatherly Mr. Gurley. In this episode, each neighbor quickly befriends the family and shows that friendships can transcend generations, especially with the twins wanting to befriend Mr. Gureley, who seems to be a friendly elderly bachelor who loves to spend time with the kids. In “The Green Pepper,” viewers are shown how a community garden works and its role in various apartment complexes and neighborhoods, where neighbors share excess vegetables while still maintaining ownership of their labor.

Finally, in the episode “Jay’s Fit,” the kids and viewers are introduced to their local “pass it on table,” kind of like a local charity boutique designed to give clothes to neighbors that people have outgrown or don’t need, so that people who do need them have access to them for free to help. All of these are meant to show both the main characters and the children how to interact with their neighbors and be a positive influence on their community as a whole.

Community outreach is not the only major theme in this show. In each episode, there is a heavy focus on learning practical life skills. In the first episode, the children learn how to properly do laundry to help take care of their mother’s memento jacket. In the second episode, the kids learn how to read an address and navigate their apartment building. In the third episode, the children learn about commerce, running errands, and how a menu works from Mr. Aguilar and their grandmother.

The fourth episode teaches the children how to garden and how to read a moisture meter. The fifth episode focuses on how to read diagrams and teach new skills to others who learn differently. In the sixth episode, the kids learn how to read clothing sizes and how a donation center works. In addition to these specific, focused lessons, the twins are often looking for creative solutions to problems, encouraging critical thinking.

Such as in the “Fruit Juice Frenzy,” when Phoebe uses pineapple husks to replace cups when the juice stand runs out, or in “The Green Pepper,” when Jaye uses an umbrella to keep the soil from getting too wet. While some of these skills have other educational aspects, such as reading, it still heavily focuses on practical, hands-on skills, which is a fun and unique way to teach children who need to learn these useful, real-life skills.

In addition to teaching community outreach and life skills, another important theme of the lessons in this educational children’s show is basic morality. Every episode has an important moral lesson to it, even if the lesson doesn’t seem to be the focus of the show. In the first episode, there is a heavy focus on patience, with Phoebe having very little and her father telling her, “Sometimes you gotta wait for something great,” a sentiment that is repeated in the episode “The Green Pepper.”

In addition to patience, the family learns to honor and grieve lightly about missing their loved one, i.e., the twins’ mom, and to keep loving their family. “Paint on the Mail” teaches kids accountability for mistakes and how to make amends, along with kindness to their neighbors, such as Ms. Gene, Houdini, and Mr. Gurgley.

In “Fruit Juice Frenzy,” the twins and viewers are shown to be generous and to trust the adults when they are trying to help them, in this case, Mr. Aguilar and their Grandma. In “The Green Pepper,” the lesson of patience is reapplied to gardening, and Grandma also comes to admit that no matter how old you are, you can still learn something new, and anyone can teach a lesson; in this case, being kind to the mischievous squirrel.

“Birthday Dance Surprise” has the children and community doing something kind and generous for Grandma Annie’s birthday, showing family-centric love. Finally, in “Jay’s Fit,” the themes of generosity toward others and accountability for mistakes are strongly shown as Jay tries to fix his messed-up outfit.

The first six episodes of Season One of PHOEBE AND JAY contain a moral pro-family worldview extolling the importance of community, patience, kindness, and respecting your elders. There is a light occult element with the presence of “magic,” however, the magic doesn’t seem to be actual magic, nor is it explained beyond a mention in the theme song. However, when it’s present, it emits a purple glow that usually rewards the kids for their good behavior or kind deeds, acting more like divine intervention than sorcery or witchcraft.

Otherwise, there are almost no concerning elements in PHOEBE AND JAY. The only violence shown is Grandma Annie chasing off a squirrel that is trying to eat her pepper. MOVIEGUIDE® finds the episodes appropriate for children of all ages. Media-wisdom is suggested to discuss with young children due to the magical elements.