Curiosity Creek

THE CHARACTERS OF CURIOSITY CREEK

Children will enjoy the ensemble of characters who live around Curiosity Creek. They will discover characters' favorite things to explore, favorite foods and colors, and can connect to special Web pages that characters host.

Mimi, manages the Curiosity Creek Clubhouse and hosts the Homepage Videos. She is a nature-lover, an environmental educator, and the information expert on the Curiosity Creek area. She uses her videocamera and smartphone to collect information and capture the beauty of nature. The Curious Kids and local characters love her warm personality and enthusiasm while visitors enjoy walking tours and discovering little known facts about Curiosity Creek.

Teenie Genie is a lovable character who enjoys reading, listening to stories and making up his own. He is always around to help Mimi with just about everything. He is not sure how old he is but thinks he's over 200 which is young for a genie. Because of his love for reading and creating stories, he hosts the Stories page. Scroll down for more characters!

Mac, Information Detective, works out of an office inside an old tall tree in Curiosity Creek. He is a slightly bungling but well-intentioned character, who tries to help the Curious Kids with clues and tips for information seeking. He envisions himself as a sort of superhero in a world of information where having the right skills will unlock mysteries.

The Curious Kids (Tanisha, Timmy, Chen and Hector) are always asking "Why . . .?" and "How . . .?" Their natural curiosity leads them to explore for answers to their many questions. They consider themselves to be junior information detectives. That's not to say, however, that they do not meet challenges or become susceptible to information overload or confusion along the way. That's often part of the process of inquiry. However, with a little guidance, and using their skills, they get back on track! They act as a team, working collaboratively on most adventures. They are good friends and generally play fair but like other kids, nobody is always perfect.

Tanisha is an artist. She is also the skeptic of the bunch. She is somewhat analytical for her young age, and doesn't always buy into Mac's zany ideas. Sometimes, she can be a little bit bossy, but luckily she has a good sense of humor, too. She is excellent at taking notes and uses this skill often.

Timmy is a little shy but he blossoms when he takes on being an info sleuth in a new adventure. He uses his drawing ability to record his observations. One time, he used his drawings to create an original book to share what he learned with friends and family at a backyard fair. Whenever he gets really nervous, his friends are there to encourage him. He has a cousin, Sandy, who lives about 20 miles away; she loves to visit Curiosity Creek and join in the adventures of the Curious Kids.

Chen is an active kid who loves feeling like an "explorer" and taking pictures to record his discoveries. One time, while digging in Mac's garden, he discovered (with Digger's help) what they thought was a real "fossil!" That was the beginning of another adventure. Chen's mom often helps by driving the kids around on their missions.

Hector sees himself as a cool "inventor in the making." He is always trying to find solutions to things he thinks are problems (the Curious Kids are not always sure they really ARE problems and while they like Hector, he is sometimes a bit annoying with his over-the-top enthusiasm and "coolness.") Sometimes, his inventions work and sometimes they don't but he never gives up. He needs to wear glasses but naturally they reflect his own style. Hector calls his bedroom the Invention Dimension..

Digger is Chen's rather ambitious dog, that is, when it comes to bones. He always looking for them and tags along on every adventure hoping he will find a juicy bone along the way.

Ms. Cortez, the beloved teacher-librarian at Curiosity Creek Elementary School, is warm and supportive and helps the Curious Kids whenever they visit her library media center. It doesn't have to be a school assignment either. In one story, Tanisha visited Ms. Cortez for help finding information about local fossils to solve her out of school information quest.

Muff and Scruff live in the Marshlands, speak in gobbledigook, love games, and are born pranksters. Interestingly, everyone in Curiosity Creek can understand them and speak their language. In fact, by listening carefully, many kids may eventually crack the code allowing them to understand the language and with practice, even speak it!

Itty Bitty Kitty is soft spoken and enjoys curling up in cozy place with the sun beaming down on her. She also loves music so you'll find her tinkering on her piano or playing the uke. She thinks music is a great way to share what is learned in an information adventure. Sometimes, Itty Bitty Kitty will even use music to calm down a stressful situation.

Squiggly is the star in the storybook "The Curious Kids and the Squiggly Question." In the book, he becomes a butterfly but on the Web site he is forever a caterpillar!

Figgy the Flying Fish is among the many creatures that live in the Creek. She loves to jump and play in the water, especially when the Curious Kids join her in the fun.