Adventures from the Book of Virtues facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Adventures from the Book of Virtues |
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| Genre | Animated series |
| Created by | Bruce D. Johnson |
| Directed by | Walt Kubiak |
| Voices of | Pamela Adlon Kath Soucie Kevin Michael Richardson Frank Welker Jim Cummings Andrew Francis Adrienne Carter |
| Theme music composer | Music and lyrics: J. A. C. Redford and Marcus Hummon |
| Opening theme | "The Adventure Has Begun" Performed by Oren Waters, Julia Waters, Maxine Waters, and Bobbi Page |
| Composer(s) | J. A. C. Redford Stu Goldberg (performance and recording) Carl Johnson (arrangements and additional music) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 39 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Bruce D. Johnson William T. Baumann Mary Mazur |
| Producer(s) | Tom Gleason Fred Schaefer |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | KCET PorchLight Entertainment Fox Animation Studios |
| Distributor | 20th Television PorchLight Entertainment |
| Release | |
| Original network | PBS (September 2, 1996–September 6, 1999) PBS Kids (September 6, 1999–December 17, 2000) |
| Original release | September 2, 1996 – December 17, 2000 |
Adventures from the Book of Virtues is an American animated TV show for kids. It is based on books by William Bennett, called The Book of Virtues: A Treasury of Great Moral Stories and The Children's Book of Virtues.
The show follows two main human characters, Annie and Zach. They learn important life lessons from their animal friends. These friends are Plato the bison, Aurora the red-tailed hawk, Aristotle the prairie dog, and Socrates the bobcat. The lessons come from stories like Bible tales, fairy tales, fables, mythology, and folk stories from many cultures.
Adventures first aired on PBS from September 2, 1996, until December 2000. Reruns were shown on PBS Kids until 2005. Later, it was also broadcast on Qubo from 2008 to 2017.
Contents
About the Show
The series is about two good friends, Annie Redfeather and Zach Nichols. Annie is 10 years old and Native American. Zach is 11 years old and white American. In each episode, one of them does something that goes against a good quality, like loyalty, compassion, courage, or honesty. This causes them some trouble or pain.
They then go to talk with Annie's animal friends. These four animals live in the mountains. They are very wise and know many legends, stories, and have good common sense. They use classic stories from famous writers, thinkers, and poets. They also share fables and myths to teach Annie and Zach about virtues.
- Plato is the oldest and a very smart bison.
- Aurora is a gentle Red-tailed hawk.
- Socrates (or "Soch") is a playful bobcat.
- Aristotle (or "Ari") is a prairie dog who always carries his bag of books.
These four animals keep their existence a secret from most people in Spring Valley, their town. They patiently give advice to Annie and Zach. After hearing the stories, the children try to live by the virtue of the day and fix their mistakes.
Voice Cast
Many talented actors lent their voices to the show.
Main Voice Actors
- Pamela Adlon (seasons 1–2) and Andrew Francis (season 3) as Zach Nichols
- Kath Soucie (seasons 1–2) and Adrienne Carter (season 3) as Annie Redfeather
- Kevin Michael Richardson (seasons 1 & 2) and Christopher Judge (season 3) as Plato
- Kath Soucie (seasons 1 & 2) and Gillian Barber (season 3) as Aurora
- Frank Welker (season 1 & 2) and Michael Donovan (season 3) as Socrates
- Jim Cummings (season 1 & 2) and Lee Tockar (season 3) as Aristotle
Frank Welker also voiced other characters like Aegeus and the Minotaur. Jim Cummings voiced characters such as Pythias and Genghis Khan.
Guest Voices
The show also featured many well-known celebrity voices. Some of these included:
- Edward Asner as Daniel
- Kathy Bates as Girls' Mother
- Tim Curry as King Minos
- Mark Hamill as Theseus and Saint George
- Mark Harmon as Odysseus
- Charlton Heston as Cincinnatus
- Matthew Lawrence as Tom Sawyer
- Ricardo Montalbán as Brother Pedro
- Pat Morita as Mr. Straw
- Elijah Wood as Icarus
- Alfre Woodard as Harriet Tubman
How the Show Was Made
The idea for Adventures from the Book of Virtues came about in the mid-1990s. In 1994, TV producer Bruce D. Johnson found William Bennett's book The Book of Virtues. Johnson liked the book's themes and called Bennett to suggest making an animated TV show for kids.
Bennett had already been approached by many companies, including Disney. However, Johnson and Bennett connected over their shared interest in children's TV and teaching good values. They decided to work together to create Adventures.
At the time, there was a discussion in the U.S. government about funding for public TV, like PBS. Some people thought the government should not pay for it. Despite these debates, PBS decided to air Adventures. Many people who supported traditional values were happy about this. PBS stated that the show was not political. Its goal was to teach common virtues through well-known stories from around the world. The show was made for families with children aged 6 to 10. J. A. C. Redford created the music for the series.
Episodes
Series Overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||
| 1 | 13 | September 2, 1996 | March 2, 1997 | |
| 2 | 13 | February 15, 1998 | May 10, 1998 | |
| 3 | 14 | September 24, 2000 | December 17, 2000 | |
Season 1: 1996–1997
| # | Title | Aired | Virtue & Stories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Work | September 2, 1996 | Teaches about the importance of working hard. Stories include "How the Camel Got His Hump" and "Tom Sawyer Gives Up the Brush". |
| 2 | Honesty | September 2, 1996 | Focuses on telling the truth. Features "The Frog Prince", "George Washington and the Cherry Tree", and "The Indian Cinderella". |
| 3 | Responsibility | September 3, 1996 | Shows why it's important to be responsible. Stories are "Icarus and Daedalus", "King Alfred and the Cakes", and "The Chest of Broken Glass". |
| 4 | Compassion | September 3, 1996 | Explores kindness and helping others. Includes "The Good Samaritan", "The Legend of the Dipper", and "Androcles and the Lion". |
| 5 | Courage | September 4, 1996 | Discusses being brave. Features "Theseus and The Minotaur", "The Brave Mice", and "William Tell". |
| 6 | Self-Discipline | September 4, 1996 | Teaches self-control and patience. Stories are "The Golden Touch", "The King and His Hawk", and "The Magic Thread". |
| 7 | Friendship | February 9, 1997 | Highlights the value of true friendship. Includes "Waukewa's Eagle", "Damon and Pythias", and "Why Frog-child and Snake-child Never Play Together". |
| 8 | Loyalty | February 9, 1997 | Explains what it means to be loyal. Features "Yudisthira at Heaven's Gate", "The Cap That Mother Made", and "Persian Queen Esther". |
| 9 | Respect | February 16, 1997 | Emphasizes treating others with respect. Stories are "Please", "Diamonds and Toads", and "The Bell of Atri". |
| 10 | Faith | February 16, 1997 | Discusses having faith. Includes "Daniel in the lions' den" and "Harriet Tubman's determination". |
| 11 | Humility | February 23, 1997 | Teaches being humble. Features "The Emperor's New Clothes", "King Canute at the Seashore", and "Phaeton". |
| 12 | Generosity | February 23, 1997 | Explores the joy of giving. Stories are "Rocking-Horse Land", "Old Man Rabbit's Thanksgiving Dinner", and "The Gift of the Magi". |
| 13 | Perseverance | March 2, 1997 | Focuses on not giving up. Includes "Scarface", "The Stars in the Sky", and "Odysseus and the Cyclops". |
Season 2: 1998
| # | Title | Aired | Virtue & Stories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Trustworthiness | February 15, 1998 | Shows the importance of keeping your word. Stories are "The Bear and the Travellers" and "Knights of the Silver Shield". |
| 15 | Determination | February 22, 1998 | Teaches about being determined to reach goals. Features "Proteus and Menelaus" and "Jinkyswoitmaya". |
| 16 | Integrity | March 1, 1998 | Explores doing the right thing, even when it's hard. Includes "For Want of a Horseshoe Nail" and "Charlemagne and the Robber Knight". |
| 17 | Gratitude | March 8, 1998 | Focuses on being thankful. Stories are "The Discontented Stonecutter" and "Cornelia's Jewels". |
| 18 | Selflessness | March 15, 1998 | Discusses putting others before yourself. Features "The Line of Golden Light" and "Saint George and the Dragon". |
| 19 | Honor | March 22, 1998 | Teaches about having honor and honesty. Includes "The Honest Woodsman" and a story about President Abraham Lincoln. |
| 20 | Patience | March 29, 1998 | Explores the value of patience. Stories are "Anne Sullivan & Helen Keller" and "How the Brazilian Beetles Got Their Coats". |
| 21 | Charity | April 5, 1998 | Focuses on giving to those in need. Features "The Emerald Lizard" and "Mr. Straw". |
| 22 | Leadership | April 12, 1998 | Discusses what makes a good leader. Includes "The Tower to the Moon" and "The Gordian Knot". |
| 23 | Citizenship | April 19, 1998 | Teaches about being a good citizen. Stories are "The Stone in the Road" and "Cincinnatus". |
| 24 | Diligence | April 26, 1998 | Emphasizes working hard and carefully. |
| 25 | Moderation | May 3, 1998 | Explores the importance of balance. Stories are "The Spider's Two Feasts" and "The Goose That Laid the Golden Egg". |
| 26 | Wisdom | May 10, 1998 | Focuses on gaining wisdom and learning from experiences. |
Season 3: 2000
| # | Title | Aired | Virtue & Stories |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Integrity | September 24, 2000 | Teaches about being honest and true. Features "The Boy Who Cried Wolf". |
| 28 | Work | October 1, 2000 | Highlights the effort needed for success. Includes a story about "The Wright Brothers". |
| 29 | Friendship | October 8, 2000 | Explores how friends can come from unexpected places. Features "Robin Hood and Little John". |
| 30 | Courage | October 15, 2000 | Discusses facing challenges bravely. Includes a version of "Zach and the Beanstalk". |
| 31 | Perseverance | October 22, 2000 | Focuses on sticking with it, even when things are tough. Features "The Tortoise and the Hare". |
| 32 | Honesty | October 29, 2000 | Reminds us to keep our promises. Includes "The Pied Piper". |
| 33 | Responsibility | November 5, 2000 | Shows what happens when duties are neglected. Features the poem "The Pupil in Magic". |
| 34 | Self-Discipline | November 12, 2000 | Teaches about controlling desires. Includes "The Dancing Horses of Sybaris". |
| 35 | Moderation | November 19, 2000 | Explores the benefits of not overdoing things. Features "The Cat and The Parrot". |
| 36 | Humility | November 26, 2000 | Discusses being humble and avoiding foolish risks. Includes "Pecos Bill and Slue-Foot Sue". |
| 37 | Gratitude | December 3, 2000 | Focuses on appreciating what you have. Features "The Country Mouse and the City Mouse". |
| 38–39 | A Christmas Carol | December 10, 2000 | This two-part finale teaches about generosity and the true meaning of giving, especially during Christmas. It retells Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol with the show's characters. |
| December 17, 2000 | |||
| 40 | Plato's Guide for Parents and Kids | June 3, 2001 | This special episode offers advice for parents and kids on building good character. It uses stories from the series to help families with everyday challenges. |
Home Releases
The show was released on video tapes by CBS/Fox Video and PBS Home Video in the late 1990s. Later, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment re-released them. From 2008 to 2010, PorchLight Entertainment released the series on DVDs. Since December 2019, you can stream the show on Yippee.
