AllMovie

First aired in 2000, Between the Lions is a delightful PBS kid's program designed to encourage independent reading and practice literary skills. The show takes place in a grand library run by the highly literate lion family: mom Cleo, dad Theo, brother Lionel, and sister Leona. The family gets help from technology guru Click the Mouse and reference-section dinosaur Heath the Thesaurus. Phonics instruction is provided by the Motown-style girl group Martha Reader and the Vowelles, while the recurring saga of adventure hero Cliff Hanger helps to build fluency. Meanwhile, the crusty old bust of founder Barnaby B. Busterfield III sits atop the library's dome complaining to the adorable old city bird couple Walter and Clay Pigeon. Between the Lions is recommended for kids aged four to seven.