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Between the Lions - Puppetry
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Between the Lions

description Between the Lions Overview

Between the Lions is an American children's television series that aired on PBS from 2000 to 2010. Set in a library run by a family of lion puppets, it combines puppetry, live-action segments, animation, songs, and wordplay to teach phonics, vocabulary, and early reading skills. Created with Christopher Cerf among its principal creative figures, the series uses recurring characters, books, and comic sketches to show how written language works and how reading can be practiced.

help Between the Lions FAQ

When did Between the Lions air on PBS?

Between the Lions aired on PBS from 2000 to 2010. The series was created for children's literacy and used a library setting where puppets, animation, songs, and stories supported reading practice. [PBS description](https://www.pbs.org/about/about-pbs/blogs/news/pbs-kids-series-proves-children-can-learn-to-read-from-tv-and-like-it-july-12-2000/)

How did Between the Lions teach phonics?

Episodes connected letter sounds and word patterns with songs, jokes, animated segments, and puppet stories. The program treated phonics as something children could practice through repeated examples rather than as a standalone lesson.

Who are the main puppet characters in Between the Lions?

The central lion family includes Lionel, Leona, Theo, and Cleo. They run a library where books and language activities come alive, giving the 2000 PBS series a recurring setting for literacy instruction.

How is Between the Lions different from Sesame Street?

Between the Lions focused especially on phonics, decoding, and early reading, while Sesame Street covers a broader preschool curriculum. Between the Lions also centered its episodes on a family of puppet lions and a library, and it ran on PBS from 2000 to 2010.

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