Why is the sky blue? What is a bird’s nest made of? How does electricity work? The world is full of mysteries, but as the Ada Twist, Scientist theme song says, “a mystery, a riddle, a puzzle, or a quest, there are wonders to discover and hypotheses to test!”
Ada Twist, Scientist is an animated series on Netflix that follows 8-year-old scientist Ada Twist and her two best friends, Iggy and Rosie, as they ask big questions and work together to find out how things work. As much as science is based in logic and fact, Ada Twist shows kids that it’s full of wonder and discovery as well.
Inspired by female intellectuals and scientists like Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie, Ada Twist, Scientist made its debut in 2016 as a picture book written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts. The story was well-received, debuting at No. 1 on The New York Times’ Best Sellers list for Children’s Picture Books and spending 47 total weeks on the list. Through their production company Higher Ground Productions, Barack and Michelle Obama teamed up with Doc McStuffins and Vampirina creator Chris Nee to make a TV adaptation of Ada Twist, Scientist for Netflix that launched last fall, followed by a second season that premiered in January.
MODERN REPRESENTATION
Women in general — and especially Black women — are vastly underrepresented in STEM careers. Ada Twist, Scientist celebrates the talent of girls and women in STEM while showcasing a Black main character and modern family dynamics to bring much-needed diversity to picture books, kids’ entertainment, and even the consumer products aisle with a new toy line from Just Play.
“We had a great foundation with the books, but had to create a world beyond the borders of them,” says the series’ showrunner and co-executive producer Kerri Grant. “We had to ask ourselves who these characters were and who they were to each other.”
The TV series expands on the book’s characters by adding more dimension to their friendships and their family lives. Ada is a young Black girl who is fascinated by STEM and comes from a loving, supportive family; Rosie is a rough-and-tumble girl who lives with her single mom; and Iggy is an anxious kid being raised by divorced parents who are working to co-parent him in a healthy way.
“I think it’s especially relevant to today’s kids because of the way these characters are depicted, the diversity, and representation inherent in the world of the show and the characters’ lives,” Grant says. “Ada Twist, Scientist helps create more representation and visibility simply by Ada’s presence. She literally shows little Black girls everywhere what’s possible through her beingness, using storytelling in a medium (TV) that is potent, mesmerizing, and highly influential. Seeing oneself represented is a powerful thing and, hopefully, Ada serves as a bright, curious, and creative trailblazer for Black girls who might never have otherwise seen themselves reflected.”
ASKING BIG QUESTIONS
Whether the characters are trying to tune a piano for a living room recital, revive a wilted garden, or bake a chocolate cake for Ada’s dad when her mom forgets their anniversary, they use scientific methods to solve everyday problems. They dig deep to question the things they don’t know and experiment to find answers, even if they face some failures along the way. The show makes science relatable, encouraging curiosity and perseverance without hiding behind magical tropes.
In addition to the animated storylines, each episode incorporates segments featuring actual scientists and experts, such as a botanist explaining how plants adapt to grow in the desert, a pastry chef discussing the role of baking soda in cooking, and a microbiologist divulging what makes some cheeses so stinky.
“I think most people think of scientists as largely old white men in white lab coats in sterile labs. We wanted to show people in a variety of ‘labs’ to show that a lab can be anywhere — on a boat at sea, in a field of desert plants, in a brush populated by lizards, anywhere,” Grant says. “And we wanted to say with our chests: ‘This is what a scientist looks like,’ featuring a scientist who’s a woman, a woman of color, or a man of color, someone who studies laughter, pastries, or dinosaur fossils.”
PLAY SPARKS CURIOSITY
The Ada Twist, Scientist brand translates seamlessly into hands-on toys that give kids the chance to experiment for themselves. Just Play launched a collection of Ada Twist toys at Walmart last fall that includes a lab set, a doll, plush characters, a dress-up set, and an interactive notebook to help spark kids’ curiosity in the playroom. This year, the toy line will launch at other retailers as well, along with new additions that include customizable Create-A-Lab Playsets, a Singing Ada Plush, role-play items, and more.
“STEM is an important part of kids’ growth and development, and the show and products deliver this in an entertaining and engaging way that both parents and kids really enjoy,” says Just Play Brand Manager Gabby Moyer.
The toys stay authentic to the show by giving kids opportunities to make their own discoveries. For example, the Singing Ada Plush sings “The Scientific Method Song” and comes with an experiment card that kids can follow for a fun family activity. The On-The-Go Lab Set also includes experiment cards, as well as functional tools that kids can use to conduct experiments at home. Kids can use the funnel and test tubes to pour liquids into beakers or use the pencil-shaped ruler and the ladybug scale to measure items. “Ada Twist is all about kids figuring out the whos, whats, wheres, whens, hows, and whys of the scientific method, and this line allows them to explore these questions,” Moyer says.
There is also a range of Black-owned companies creating products inspired by Ada Twist, Scientist, including My What Box, Puzzle Huddle, UNWRP, and FOLKUS. My What Box offers a curated kit full of STEM activities based on episodes from the show. The Ada Twist, Scientist Plant Life Cycle STEM Box takes inspiration from the “Garden Party” episode, in which Ada and her friends use their observation skills and test hypotheses to figure out what kind of conditions plants need to thrive. The kit includes seed packets, planting pots, soil pellets, and other materials that kids can use to grow flowers and perform experiments. Consumers can also look for Ada Twist jigsaw and floor puzzles from Puzzle Huddle, gift wrap and greeting cards from UNWRP, and a notebook gift set from FOLKUS.
In addition, readers can dive into an Ada Twist nonfiction series and activity books from Abrams, with additional nonfiction books and seasonal storybooks planned for this year. Fifth Sun is offering print-on-demand T-shirts with more than a dozen different Ada Twist designs, and West Elm Kids is offering an assortment of science-themed bedding, home decor, and furniture inspired by the series, allowing fans to surround themselves with all things Ada Twist.
Through thought-provoking episodes and engaging consumer products, Ada Twist, Scientist weaves science lessons into kids’ lives like a double helix, emboldening them to ask big questions and teaching them that they should never be afraid to be the smartest one in the room.
This article was originally published in the May 2022 edition of the Toy Book. Click here to read the full issue!
