Parents & Teachers
Parents & Teachers!
Parents & Teachers!
Abracadabra is the only children’s television series that presents health education, nutrition, and science in a fun and entertaining venue, combining these with magic, ventriloquism, and original songs for children ages 4 to 10.
This half-hour PBS series is hosted by physician/magician/ventriloquist Michael Adelman, D.O., D.P.M., J.D.
Teaches and Entertains
Educators, physicians and nutritionists are part of the consulting team that help to develop the appropriate content for each episode. Educational information will be taught through and interspersed with fun, magic, puppets, and original songs.
A primary focus of the series is on health and nutrition. For instance, through multiple games, such as: the Make A Healthy Choice Game, Grocery Shelf Game, the My Plate Game, and the More Or Less Game viewers will see how much sugar and fat there is in various foods, and learn to make healthy choices. In addition, each episode has a segment showing how to make a healthy snack.
The series also has a focus on science, with a segment on simple, safe science experiments that kids can do at home or at school with some supervision. In addition, other important messages are delivered on safety, exercise, friends and family, and working together. Original songs reinforce all of these messages.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Abracadabra about?
Abracadabra is a television series that combines magic, ventriloquism, and original music, to educate children ages 4 to 10 on health, nutrition, science, safety, exercise, and life lessons. It uses comedy and magic to deliver these educational concepts.
Who are the main characters?
The star of the series is Joey, a bright 8 year old boy who sometimes gets into trouble. He’s always curious and likes learning new things. Joey tries to do the right thing, but needs help from Mike. Mike Adelman hosts the series and is a magician and ventriloquist.
Mike and Joey are surrounded with a fantastic supporting cast of characters including Daisy, who owns the garden shop next door; Salty, a tall-telling pirate who lives in a magical urn; DUK the magical duck; Professor Science, who does science experiments; Nastini, and his brother, Nastini-2, the mischievous magicians who like to eat sweets; Mr. Oops and Tim, who own a company that makes magic tricks, but whose magic always seems to disappear; and the Abracadabra kids.
Who are the Abracadabra Kids?
The Abracadabra Kids are incredibly talented children that range in ages from 5 years old to 18. They are friends of Mike and Joey and visit the magic shop to watch magic tricks and participate in the activities happening in the shop. They also sing and dance!
Who is Mike Adelman?
Michael Adelman, D.O., D.P.M., J.D. is the retired President of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. Upon his retirement, he was named President Emeritus, by the College Board. Dr. Adelman practiced family medicine and colorectal surgery prior to assuming his administrative roles. He has been a professional ventriloquist and magician for more than forty years, performing at many private and corporate functions. He has produced, co-written, and hosted four regional children’s television shows in Miami, Florida; Des Moines, Iowa; and Toledo, Ohio. The original Abracadabra series received an award from the Community Broadcaster’s Association. His magic and ventriloquial talent, his experience in television production and performing, coupled with his medical expertise makes him the perfect role-model and host for this show.
How can I contact the show?
We are always happy to hear from you! To contact us, email us at: www.Info@abracadabra.org.
You can also follow us on Facebook by going to http://www.facebook.com/AbracadabraPBS
And You can view abracadabra episodes on our You Tube Page: https://youtube.com/abratv1.
Also, don’t forget to follow us on TIKTOK at: @abracadabrawv
How can I get the songs that are sung on the series?
CDs and individual songs are available on I-tunes, and Amazon.com.
Can I ever see the Abracadabra Cast perform live?
Yes, the Abracadabra Cast make many personal appearances. Keep checking our Facebook page to see where and when they will be performing.
Educational Philosophy
According to the latest nationwide statistics, studies show that there is an epidemic of childhood obesity in this country, and it is just as severe as in our adults. While there are ongoing efforts to reduce adult obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, we must find a way of educating our children so that we can prevent these diseases from occurring as they reach adulthood. Therefore, it is essential that we focus on health and nutritional education in the formative years.
Although there has been a lot of discussion about this subject, it has been difficult to create a program that will work to reduce this nationwide crisis. We believe that the Abracadabra Series is a way of introducing health and nutrition, as well as safety and science to our young children, and that it will be an effective platform for educating our children in a fun and entertaining way—providing, healthy messages, educational materials, and role models from whom our children can learn.
Abracadabra is endorsed by the West Virginia Department of Education.
Goals of the Program
While every episode will focus on a specific theme, the educational goals of Abracadabra are to:
- Provide information in a fun format about good nutrition and safety issues.
- Help children develop skills to cope with and resolve problems and issues commonly experienced by today’s kids.
- Heighten children’s curiosity and desire to explore through the use of magic and science segments, and provide simple examples to do at home.
- Introduce characters that children can identify with and feature these characters working through and resolving issues.
- Enhance children’s sensitivity to others through the interaction of a diverse group of characters from all walks of life.
- Utilize music and magic to introduce children to the arts.
- Encourage interaction and participation with activities children and their parents or siblings can do at home. This hands-on learning will reinforce the message of the show.
- As children watch the program, they will follow through a problem-solving process along with the characters. Through science, magic, nutrition, humor and music, Abracadabra will stimulate children’s creative thoughts
Instructional Guidance
We put together a consulting team of educators, health educators, physicians, nutritionists, and an exercise physiologist to help develop the appropriate content for the series. These include:
- Specific components of the Abracadabra show designed to address health and nutrition
- Every episode has a minute of exercise where one of the characters turns to the camera and asks the viewers to get out of their chairs and exercise along with the kids on the show as they work out to an original song, which talks about the importance of exercising. This interaction gets our children up and moving making exercise fun!
- Episodes show how to make healthy snacks that are easy to put together, fun to eat, and nutritious.
- Through multiple games, such as: the Make A Healthy Choice Game, Grocery Shelf Game, the My Plate Game, and the More Or Less Game viewers will see how much sugar, salt and fat there is in various foods, and learn to make healthy choices.
- Every episode has a “commercial” that focuses on a fruit or vegetable, exploring their nutrition and some fun facts about them.
- Every episode has a simple, safe science experiment that kids can do at home or at school with a little supervision. Through these experiments, children can explore the world of science in a fun and interesting manner. This helps develop analytic skills and increases curiosity.
- Learning about friends, family, communication, safety, and other social/emotional concepts important to the intellectual growth and development of our children ages 4 to 10.
- Each episode has an underlying theme. Through the interactions with the characters and the events that occur during the show, children learn valuable lessons such as: “the best person they can be is themselves!”, or that “the best treasure they can have is their family and friends”, and that, “in order to make a friend, you have to be a friend.” Viewers also learn about how to handle bullies, and how to protect against cyber bullying.
- At the end of every episode, Joey talks to Mike about what he learned that day. This reinforces the important lessons and messages that were delivered during the episode.
- As the episode closes, Mike reminds everyone that the “Real magic is in you!” This gives children the message that they become whatever they want. The ability is there, they just have to recognize it and use it!
Viewing Tips
- Encourage them to get up and exercise when one of the cast tells them to do so and join in with your child!
- During the Professor Science experiments ask your child about what Professor Science is doing and, after the show, talk to them about helping them to try the experiments.
- Each episode has a Quick Trick – a magic trick that Mike shows viewers how to make and perform at home. Encourage them to make the trick and show it to the family and their friends.
- During the Quick Trick segment, there is a “commercial” for a fruit or vegetable. Talk about the item and offer to use the fruit or vegetable with a meal.
- Play the Nutrition Games along with your child. Talk to your child about making healthy food choices.
- Talk about the healthy snacks that are shown on the series and plan on trying the snacks as after school treats!
- Finally, spend some time after the show talking about what Joey learned on that episode and review the positive messages that were presented. In the long run, you and your child will get more out of the show and have fun together!
Energy Savings
- Turn the lights out when you leave the room.
- Install weather-stripping around windows and doors to prevent drafts. Many experts agree that caulking and weather-stripping gaps can pay for itself within one year with energy savings!
- For errands close to home, walk or ride a bike instead of driving.
- Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs.
- Shut down your computer when not in use.
- Unplug electronics such as cell phone chargers, video games and appliances when not in use. If a plug is in an outlet, electricity is being consumed.
- Do not hold the refrigerator open for long periods of time.
- When it is sunny outside, open the curtains and use sunlight to brighten a room instead of turning on the lights.
Bike Safety
Joey loves to ride his bicycle! But he knows it is important to be safe at all times. Below are important safety tips which parents, guardians and kids should know.
- Wear a helmet – helmets are proven to be 85-88 percent effective in preventing traumatic brain injury, the primary cause of death and disabling injuries resulting from cycling crashes. Everyone takes a spill now and then, but having a properly fitted helmet could save a life.
- Adjust the bicycle seat for each rider’s height – There should be one-to-two inches between the rider and the top bar of the bicycle on a road bike and three-to-five inches if using a mountain bike. The seat should be level front-to-back, and the height should be adjusted to allow a slight bend at the knee when the leg is fully extended on the pedal. The handlebar height should be even with the seat.
- Check equipment before pedaling – don’t forget to check that tires are inflated properly and brakes are working correctly before you take off. Ensure handlebars are firmly attached and turn easily.
- Be seen – no matter what time of day you are riding, it’s wise to wear neon, fluorescent or other bright colors so you can be seen by motorists. You can also have reflective tape or flashing lights on your clothing, helmet or bicycle to be more visible.
Rules of the Road
- Go with the traffic flow – ride on the right side of the street, in the same direction as other vehicles.
- Obey traffic laws – if you see a stop sign, stop. Cyclists need to obey the same traffic signs, signals and lane markings that an automobile would.
- Yield to traffic – slow down to see if the way is clear before proceeding. Yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk and yield to drivers on major roads.
- Signal – use hand signals to let others know when you are going to make a turn or cross a lane of traffic. Check behind you for a break in traffic before making a turn. Otherwise, ride in a straight line and do not zigzag.
- Be alert – watch out for potholes, cracks, wet areas, storm grates, railroad tracks or anything that might cause you to lose control of your bike. Listen for oncoming traffic and avoid dangerous situations. Do not use phones, headsets, or other electronic devices when you ride.
- Avoid parked cars – keep plenty of distance between you and a parked vehicle. You never know when a driver may be opening his door or pulling out into traffic.
Why it matters!
Many people grew up riding bicycles at a time when there may have been fewer vehicles on the road and less opportunity for injury. Today, more children go to hospital emergency rooms for bicycle-related injuries than for any other sport injury.
- More than one-fifth of all bicyclist deaths occur among school age youth ages 5 to 15.
- Head injuries are the most serious type of injury and the most common cause of death for bicyclists.
- Young people are less adept at using their peripheral vision than older children and adults. This can result in delayed responses to oncoming traffic.
Cyber Security
They look for children who have an area of emotional vulnerability that provides an entryway for building trust. Using information like where a child attends school, what sport s/he plays or a jersey number, the predator can easily locate his or her intended victim.
If your children use the Internet to chat with friends, to play games or to social network with others who may share particular interests or hobbies, please consider the following guidelines to keep your child safe.
- Keep channels of communication open. Talk to your kids. Let children know you can be trusted to listen to them openly and honestly.
- Inform your children that if they encounter anything online that makes them feel uncomfortable or threatened, it is probably a red flag that something is not quite right and to talk to you about it.
- Parents, set parental controls on your computer at the age appropriate level for your child and monitor his/her Internet activity.
- Consider placing your family’s computer in a public, heavily trafficked area of the home.
Every child needs to know these three Cyber Safety Rules
- Rule #1: If you do not know who someone is, do not chat with that person. Do not send them emails. If you receive emails from a stranger, tell a parent, a teacher or another adult you trust.
- Rule #2: Never give a stranger personal information such as your name, address, the school you attend or where you and your friends play.
- Rule #3: Never arrange to meet with a stranger alone. Make sure a parent or another trusted adult is present.
Bullying
Bullying is acting in ways that scare or harm another person. Kids who bully usually pick on someone who is weaker or more alone, and they repeat the actions over and over. Bullying starts in elementary school and becomes most common in middle school. By high school, it is less common but still occurs.
Bullying can take many forms, including:
- Physical harm – such as hitting, shoving, or tripping.
- Emotional harm – such as making fun of the way a child acts, looks, or talks. Writing mean things about someone in emails or online journals (blogs) is also bullying.
What can be done?
Be more than a bystander! That means that we all need to be involved and not just watch what happens!
Don’t give bullying an audience! That means don’t laugh when someone else is being bullied!
Help your friends stay safe! Tell the Bully to stop! Help your friend get away from the bully and tell a trusted adult right away!
Set a good example and never bully someone else!
Who are bullies?
Bullies come in all sizes and shapes, other kids, and adults. People who are bullies may lack self-confidence and want to try to shift the focus on to someone else.
And don’t forget there are cyber bullies on the internet too!
Show Credits
Series Cast
Mike: Mike Adelman, D.O., D.P.M., J.D.
Joey: Himself
DUK: Itself
Daisy: Desiree Christian
Salty: James Caplinger, Ph.D.
Nastini: Brook Bibb
Nastini-2: Will Davis
Professor Science: James Nemitz, Ph.D.
Mr. Oops: Robert Fisk, Ph.D.
Tim: Tim Walker
AbraKids
Amelia Anthony
Audrey Atkinson
Matthew Ayoob
Breanna Boggs
Jon Brennan
Adyn Daniels
Bella Davis
Emma Del Torto
Abby Dolan
Cameron Edwards
Allison England
Claire Goggins
Grace Goggins
Max Goins
Katie Haga
Claire Howard
Sheridan Hughes
Cate Kinder-Schuyler
Hannah Kinder-Schuyler
Joe Kinder-Schuyler
Charlie Long
Grace Long
Ashley Meadows
Aedan O’Quinn
Abigail Pauley
Megan Posey
Alaina Potters
Jenna Raupp
Spencer Rheinlander
Malia Saar
Daniel Patrick Seams
Julian “Finn” Smith
Ashley VanBrocklin
Morgan Williams
The Abracadabra Production Team
Show Created by –Mike Adelman
Executive producers: Cheryl and Michael Adelman
Producers—Deb Warmuth, The Walkabout Company, LLC; Mike Adelman; Marilea Butcher
Associate producers—Aaron Shackelford; Rich McMahan; Marietta Harvey; Tim Walker, Amanda Hughes
Directors — Larry Dowling; Rob Hoffman; Michael Adelman; James Caplinger
Edited by – Aaron Shackelford; Rich McMahan; Mike Adelman
Cameras- Chuck Frostick, Kevin McGovern; John Hale, Caleb Zopp, Austin Harmon,
Sam Cutlip, Layla Gilpin, Riley Griffith, Ian Jewell
Sound—Chuck Klein, Chip Hitchcock, Brandon Hussion
Technical Directors: Brady Meadows, Brandon Hussion
Lighting: Larry Dowling, William Bailey
Graphics: John Hale; Chuck Rosenecker
Additional production Assistants: Bob Watson, Janet Kuniki, Mike Fizer, Cameron White; Christopher “Gabe” Dunn
Closed Captioning: Tina Ballard; Caption Labs
Writers: Mike Adelman, Desiree Christian, James Caplinger, Jon Brennan,
Charlie Long, Arthur Frawley
Additional Material written by Deb Warmuth, Kate Argow, Marilea butcher
Musical Director – Jeff Kerscher
Musical Editor: Travis Riddle
Songs and music written and performed by Jeff Kerscher
Additional music written and performed by Travis Riddle
Illusion music by Debi Brennan
Choreography – Jim Caplinger, Amanda Hughes, Desiree Christian
Exercise choreographed by : Jessie Messmer, and Jim Caplinger, Desiree Christian
Puppeteers — Leslie Bicksler, Marilea Butcher, Amanda Hughes, LeeAnne Rheinlander; Spencer Rheinlander, Megan Perdue, Xander Alvarez
Illusion Assistants –Joshua Eason; Ryan Kahl; Tyler Pittman
Set design –Bob Watson, Michaela Sulka, Jason Hively
Set construction – Foggy Entertainment, Inc., Michaela Sulka, Jason Hively; Larry Dowling
Set Decoration: Michaela Sulka, Jason Hively, Cheryl Adelman, Desiree Christian
Flower Décor provided by Gillespie’s Flowers and Productions
Kitchen Appliances provided by LOWES
Illusions built by : Doug Sams and Jason Thomas
Props and signs:
Erica Bell, Karen Ayers, Denise Getson, Desiree Christian
Tiffany Wright, Sharon Howard, Marilea Butcher, Dru Dalton
Marietta Chaney, Jennifer Spencer, Pat Bauserman ,
Hair/Makeup – Michaela Sulka and Jason Renner, Marilea Butcher, Desiree Christian
Costumes – Penny Fioravante and Cheryl Adelman
Talent Coordinators – Travis Riddle, Amanda Hughes
Continuity—Jason Hively, Marilea Butcher, Tim Walker, Marietta Harvey, Kate Argow
Educational Consultants
Jamie L. Jeffrey, MD
Peg Andrews MA, RD, CSG, LD
Mary McMillion, RD, LD, CDE
Beverly Thornton RN, BA
Wayne Miller, Ph.D.
Joey and DUK built by: Tim Selberg
Fruits and Veggie puppets by Jet
Magic provided by MAK Magic, Collector’s Workshop, Fairchild Magic
Ellie’s Critters created by Ellie Gibeau
Special Thanks to:
Kendra Boggess
Robert C. Byrd Clinic
Greg Patrick
Will Alder
Produced by Mike & Joey Productions, LLC
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