Get Jazzy with Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band!

Get ready to groove! Based on the beloved children’s book Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band by Emmy® Award-winning, Newbery Medalist, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Kwame Alexander, the world of Acoustic Rooster is coming to PBS KIDS with a special and a short-form series produced by GBH. The lineup includes "Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band", a one-hour special, and "Acoustic Rooster: Jazzy Jams", an upbeat animated series of 20 shorts that will introduce kids ages 3-5 to the vibrant world of jazz music while highlighting the power of creativity, collaboration, and self-expression.

Join Acoustic Rooster, the guitar-strumming rooster, as he teams up with the Barnyard Band of Jazz Greats for a musical adventure! The series features 24 original jazz tracks by Juno Award-winning Mark McLean and special guests like jazz legends Herbie Hancock and Amy Shook. "Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band" premieres on May 1, with "Acoustic Rooster: Jazzy Jams" kicking off on April 11. New episodes premiere every week starting May 9. Plus, kids can play along with the interactive game Groovin’ with Acoustic Rooster to create their own music!

“When my daughter was a baby, I was having a really hard time soothing her so I put on Ella Fitzgerald’s record ‘A Tisket-A Tasket,’ then I played Wynton's Stardust, and she was captivated. Immediately stopped crying," said Alexander. “Playing jazz for her inspired me to write Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band to share the history and the power of the music and the musicians with the world through a fictional barnyard band.”  

The one-hour special "Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band" introduces kids to the basics of music and the power of teamwork while sparking their creativity and love for jazz. Join young Acoustic Rooster and his talented friends—like Mules Davis, Lil’ Herdin, and Ella Finchgerald—on a fun, toe-tapping adventure full of musical joy and self-expression!

Each 3-minute episode of "Acoustic Rooster: Jazzy Jams" follows Rooster and his friends on fun musical adventures filled with jazz, friendship, and everyday moments. With catchy original songs, they teach kids how music helps express emotions, whether it's lifting a friend’s spirits with a blues tune or starting the day with a snazzy beat!

The "Acoustic Rooster" library also explores universal themes for young children and their families, like bedtime routines, celebrating birthdays, and more through a jazz-infused lens. In addition, the series and special are designed to help kids grasp key jazz skills such as following the beat, call and response, and improvisation, as well as introducing them to various instruments and jazz styles (like ragtime), and more. 

Catch a sneak peek of the first short, “Rooster’s Old MacDonald Song”, here.

Read about the show's curriculum here: