David Farnor | On 10, Feb 2017

Creative Galaxy has returned this week for a Valentine’s Day Special, leading a new wave of Amazon original kids’ series.

The Amazon show, from Out of the Blue Enterprises, is created by Angela C. Santomero (Blue’s Clues) and is a make-along, create-along art adventure series for preschool-aged children. The series, animated by 9 Story Entertainment, features Arty, an alien artist, and Epiphany, his inspirational side-kick, on their adventures through the Creative Galaxy solving problems through art.

After two seasons, Amazon has released a one-off Valentine’s Day-themed episode this week, which sees Epiphany ready to show her love with a special performance on Groovopolis, until she accidently ruins her costume before the show. She and Arty fly into the Creative Galaxy for a solution and help all their friends along the way, learning how everyone has their own special way of saying “I heart you!”

Amazon is certainly keeping its commitment to younger viewers close to its heart, with a heap of returning originals and new commissions lined up for the coming months.

Earlier this month, Amazon announced that Season 4 of Annedroids would return in March, while January saw Amazon release Studio Ghibli’s first TV series, Ronja the Robber’s Daughter for family streaming.

March and April will also see Tumble Leaf get its own Spring-themed Special, a further special in its An American Girl Story series and the return of the new Thunderbirds Are Go reboot, plus Danger & Eggs.

Here’s the full Amazon kids’ slate for the first half of the year:

An American Girl Story – Ivy & Julie 1976: A Happy Balance – 24th March

Based in 1976 San Francisco, Ivy Ling is a 10-year-old Chinese-American girl who struggles with finding a balance between her two cultural identities: Chinese and American. With the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the Vietnam War so recent, embracing her heritage doesn’t feel appealing to young Ivy. All she wishes is to be like her all-American best friend, Julie Albright. But, when Ivy’s All-City Gymnastics Tournament and her family’s big Chinese New Year dinner land on the same day, she must decide between the two.

Tumble Leaf Spring Special: Spring-a-ling Surprise – 4th April

Emmy, Annecy International Festival and Annie award-winning series Tumble Leaf was created by Drew Hodges (Saturday Night Live, Community) and executive produced by Hodges and Kelli Bixler (Saturday Night Live, The Roadents) of award-winning studio Bix Pix Entertainment. Created for preschool-aged children, each episode of the stop-motion world of Tumble Leaf follows Fig, a delightfully curious blue fox, and his best friend Stick, a quirky caterpillar, as they embark on a fun and nature-filled adventure, learning science through their natural play.

In this special, everyone helps Bloom the bunny hunt for his lost eggs, which he plans to plant for a spectacular spring surprise, and Fig uncovers many other signs of spring along the way.

Thunderbirds Are Go: Season 3 – 21st April

Produced by ITV in collaboration with Weta Workshop, the new incarnation of the Tracy brothers’ adventures returns for a third season.

From their hidden island base in the South Pacific, International Rescue still pilot remarkable, cutting-edge Thunderbird vehicles from the depths of the oceans to the highest reaches of space – all for one purpose: to help others in need. They’re supported, as ever, by mechanical genius Brains, stealthy operative Kayo, their jet-setting London agent Lady Penelope and her loyal driver, Parker.

Season 3 sees them face their toughest challenge yet: The Mechanic, who uses his mecha-machines to create chaos.

Danger & Eggs – 30th June

Danger & Eggs follows the endless adventures of fearless D.D. Danger and her ever-cautious best friend, a giant, talking egg named Phillip. D.D., an energetic future stuntwoman, is always chasing her next big thrill. Lucky for her, Phillip is always there with jerry-rigged safety mechanisms to more responsibly – and sometimes absurdly – make her thrill-seeking dreams come true.

Danger & Eggs is created by Mike Owens (Yo Gabba Gabba!) and Shadi Petosky (Mad), produced by Petosky and Chris Hardwick’s Puny Entertainment (Yo Gabba Gabba!), and features the voice talents of comedians Aidy Bryant and Eric Knobel (Saturday Night Live).

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