A new episode of the Emmy Award-winning Netflix preschool series Ada Twist, Scientist guest stars George Takei and Guillermo Diaz as a couple at their wedding. And a brand-new book from the series behind the show includes even more queer representation—with a timely message about censorship and the power of stories!
The Episode
In the episode “Blue River Wedding,” friends Ada Twist, Rosie Revere, Iggy Peck, and Benny B are helping Sensei Dave and mixed-martial arts champion Jiu Jitsu Joe (voiced by Takei and Diaz, respectively) get ready for their wedding. A tornado blows into town, however, so Ada and friends use their STEM skills to try and divert it. When that fails, they have to get even more creative to make sure all the guests can attend….
Sensei Dave and Jiu Jitsu Joe are perhaps the most romantic same-sex couple I’ve seen in a preschool show. When a reporter at the wedding introduces the two characters, Takei tells her, “He’s the undisputed champion of my heart.” Aww. They’re also physically affectionate, notably when they kiss after being declared “husband and husband.” Joe gives Dave a brief kiss on the head at another point, and they link arms or put their arms around each other at several moments. Their love is obvious. Let’s be clear: Everything they do is perfectly appropriate public behavior, even in front of kids, just as it would be for a couple of any genders. I just can’t recall any similar level of romance and physical affection between a same-sex couple in a preschool show. (Animated shows for older kids, yes—notably Steven Universe—but not for this youngest age group.)
Contrast this with the 2019 episode of PBS Kids preschool show Arthur, when Arthur’s teacher Mr. Ratburn got married. The episode was groundbreaking in being the first wedding of two male characters in children’s television, and the first time a network children’s show showed any same-sex wedding. But the fact that Mr. Ratburn was marrying another man was a surprise reveal at the end. In the Ada Twist episode, the same-sex relationship isn’t a surprise; the children already know Joe and Dave are together, which perhaps speaks to the increasing likelihood of children today knowing a same-sex couple.
Also, while we see Mr. Ratburn and his fiancé walking down the aisle, we don’t see their ceremony or any kiss. They don’t even touch while dancing at the reception. (Not that physical touch is required for a relationship; but I’m guessing that such a point was not the creators’ goal in the episode.) In Ada Twist, it’s simply more obvious that the couple is in love. That’s as vital as showing the wedding itself, if not more so, and feels like an important step in representation.
Not only that, but in Ada Twist, there’s a strong message that the two men are supported by their friends and family. Joe is particularly worried about making sure his mom will arrive on time.
In an extra moment of queer pride, too, we get a brief glimpse of the rainbow-colored inside of the wedding cake. (Watch for it!)
The series, from Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground Productions, won an Emmy for Outstanding Preschool Animated Series last year. It was developed and is executive produced by Chris Nee, an award-winning producer and lesbian mom whose Netflix preschool show Ridley Jones also included several queer characters, but that ended its run in March after quietly dropping its fifth season, which included a nonbinary character coming out to their grandmother.
The Books
If you think Ada Twist may face boycotts and bans from those who oppose any type of LGBTQ representation for kids, however, you may unfortunately be right, although I have not heard of any such actions as of this writing. Happily, though, the book series on which the show is based is taking it upon itself to convey a message opposing censorship and promoting the importance of art and stories to create change—and it’s doing so through a character with two moms.
The Ada Twist, Scientist show is based on the bestselling “The Questioneers” book series by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts. Brand new today as part of the series is the early chapter book Aaron Slater and the Sneaky Snake (Amulet Books). Aaron, a Black boy with two moms who has dyslexia and loves to draw, was introduced in the picture book Aaron Slater, Illustrator. We learn even more about him and his family in this somewhat longer volume, which focuses on a timely message about the perils of censorship, the importance of art, and the power of stories. Beaty avoids being pedantic, however, with an entertaining plotline about an effort by a small group of scared citizens to ban snakes from the zoo. It’s an analogy that works while remaining a fun story—and offering much for young readers and their adults to discuss. Read my full review for more details (including more queer representation in it).
Also, Aaron is the star of Aaron Slater’s Big Project Book for Astonishing Artists, a terrific activity book for kids that came out last fall. It goes beyond many such books by weaving in themes about the power of art to create change in the world and what it means, in the broadest sense, to be an artist. We encounter Aaron’s moms here, too, as well as two queer artists (Cleve Jones and Claude Cahun) whose work and lives are among many real-life examples depicted. Again, I hope you’ll read my full review if you’d like to know more about this creativity- and change-inspiring volume.
Aaron is not (yet?) part of the Netflix show’s universe, but I’m hoping that’s just a matter of time. Thanks to Beaty, Nee, showrunner Kerri Grant, episode writer Ivory Floyd, and everyone involved in bringing the show and the books to our world.
