Maya the Bee
Gentle animated show has lessons about nature, friendship.
Maya the Bee
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Maya the Bee is an animated show about a talking bee and her insect friends. Aimed at toddlers and preschoolers, it contains gentle scenarios that cover moral lessons such as "be a loyal friend" and "be true to yourself." Conflicts are mild, and the show is slow and easygoing enough for its target audience. Viewers also will learn facts about nature in general and bees in particular, such as where they live and how they make honey.
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What's the Story?
Somewhere in a beautiful meadow lives MAYA THE BEE, a young, brave bee (voiced by Andrea Libman) who chooses to live away from the hive and have adventures with her friends, such as clumsy fellow bee Willi (Gerd Meyer), Flip the grasshopper (Hans-Jürgen Dittberner), loving teacher-bee Miss Cassandra (Kira Tozer), and a host of other insects. Sometimes Maya and her friends make mistakes or experience problems, such as when a strict judge bee tries to order Maya to live in the hive and obey the rules like all the other bees. But when they all work together, there's nothing they can't do.
Is It Any Good?
This sweet show works nature knowledge and moral lessons into charming and simple scenarios that toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy and learn from. Maya is good, fair, kind, loving, and willing to help everyone. When a problem threatens the hive or any one of Maya's friends, she's ready to work hard to make things right. But sometimes she needs a couple of chances to do just that. When her snail friend Shelby develops a crack on his shell, Maya at first tries to tie his shell together, which winds up making the crack even bigger. But Maya remembers that bees visit flowers for three reasons: nectar, pollen, and propolis, a sticky, resinous natural substance that bees often use on their hives. The propolis turns out to be just the thing to repair Shelby's cracked shell; problems like this are solved and everything wrapped up in each 15-minute installment of Maya the Bee. Preschoolers and toddlers will find the show enthralling; parents will find it non-annoying.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why so many kids' shows like Maya the Bee feature talking animals. What about animals makes them easy to relate to?
What are Maya's best qualities? What do you like about her and her friends?
How would this show change if it were about a bear? A cat? A shark? Could this be the same show set under the sea or in space?
How do the characters in Maya the Bee demonstrate empathy and compassion? Why are these important character strengths?
TV Details
- Premiere date: May 12, 2012
- Cast: Andrea Libman, Brian Drummond, Zalina Sanchez
- Network: Universal Kids
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Empathy
- TV rating: TV-Y
- Last updated: March 31, 2022
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