TV & Moviesbreaking news
PBS KIDS premieres 'Carnival of the Animals', a half-hour animated special with no dialogue, on November 16
Gustavo Dudamel and the LA Phil supply the music for a watercolor-styled cartoon that tells one continuous story for children ages two to eight, and it streams free on pbskids.org.
A cartoon with no dialogue
The only words in PBS KIDS' new animated special are a short introduction narrated by a 15-year-old, Martín Dudamel, the conductor's son. [1] After that, the film has no dialogue, and the music itself guides young viewers through stylized landscapes, shapes and patterns. [1] The special is aimed at children ages two to eight, so it speaks to the parents and caregivers who watch with them. [2]
Carnival of the Animals is a half-hour 2D animated special set to Camille Saint-Saëns' orchestral suite as performed by Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. [2] It premieres at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, November 16, 2026. [1] Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager of PBS KIDS and Education, said the premiere comes just in time for the holiday season. [2]
The story on screen
The film is set in a colorful town of animals, including chickens, penguins, swans, donkeys, turtles and elephants. [2] Everyone in town is getting ready for a carnival parade. [1] Then Big Lion's crown is stolen, and a young hero sets off on a quest. [1]
Along the way the story includes breakneck chases, dancing tortoises, a prancing elephant and hapless penguin pianists. [2] Melody, rhythm and instrument serve as the voices of the characters, with physical and visual comedy taking center stage. [2] The 2D animation plays over hand-painted watercolor backgrounds and tactile textures. [2]
How the music became a plot
Each of the suite's 14 sections focuses on a different animal or environment. [2] The special weaves those sections together into one continuous narrative, which the documents describe as happening for the first time. [2]
Dudamel and the LA Phil recorded the music live at the Hollywood Bowl. [2] Dudamel's tenure as the LA Phil's music and artistic director ran through August 2026. [2] He said sharing the project with his son Martín gave it deeper meaning for him. [2]
Dudamel also said music has a beautiful way of opening the imagination and helping people see the world with fresh eyes. [2]
The team behind it
Silver Creek Falls Entertainment produces the special, and Passion Pictures Animation animates it, in association with the LA Phil. [2] Siri Melchior directs. [2] Dete Meserve and Debbie Crosscup produce, and Gustavo Dudamel executive produces. [2]
Silver Creek Falls has produced more than 125 half hours of animated television, including Ready Jet Go! for PBS KIDS. [2]
Companion shorts and the learning angle
Five live-action companion digital shorts, one of which features Gustavo Dudamel, amplify the special's music education curriculum. [2] The shorts feature musicians from the LA Phil and the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), showing the instruments behind the sounds of several of the animals. [2]
The special is aligned with the PBS KIDS Arts Learning Framework for Music. [1] It gives kids ages 2 to 8 a chance to experience and respond to orchestral music regardless of prior experience. [1]
What it means for you
If you have a child between two and eight, the special premieres Monday, November 16, on PBS KIDS and PBS stations nationwide. [2] The start time is 8:30 a.m. [1]
You can also stream it free, with no subscription required, on the PBS KIDS Video app, connected TV devices and pbskids.org. [2] DeWitt said parents are looking for intentional, thoughtful content for their children, as well as specials the family can watch together. [2]
Because the film has no dialogue after the short introduction, children do not need prior experience with orchestral music to follow it. [1]
Sources
Written from the sources above and checked twice before publishing. How we work · Report an error
.jpg){kind=link}