Wonder Pets!

**Wonder Pets!** is an American children's musical animated preschool television series created by **Josh Selig** and produced by **Little Airplane Productions** and **Nickelodeon Animation Studio**. It premiered on the **Nick Jr**. block on March 3, 2006 and ended on March 6, 2016.

**Premise**

The series centers around on a trio of classroom pets, **Linny the Guinea Pig**, **Tuck the Turtle** and **Ming-Ming the Duckling**, who use teamwork to rescue animals in need. Most of the characters' dialogue are sung in the style of an **operetta**. Each episode is set to original music by a 10-member live orchestra.

Selig developed the idea for **Wonder Pets!** in between the production cycles of his previous Nickelodeon series, **Oobi**. The series began with two animated shorts named "**Linny The Guinea Pig**" which acted as a test pilot. It featured Linny going on various adventures set to classical music. Selig first screened the shorts at the wrap party for the first season of **Oobi**. The crew of Oobi was impressed with them and urged Selig to pitch the series to a television channel. He eventually decided to send the shorts to Nickelodeon executives. Selig called Nickelodeon "**a great partner**," saying "**They're really the company that first believed in us when we pitched Oobi, and then they believed in us again on Wonder Pets!**."

The two original shorts were completed and aired in 2004. The characters of Tuck and Ming-Ming were created to form a team of hero pets for the full-length series. The first long-form episode debuted on March 3, 2006, as part of the **Nick Jr.** block on **Nickelodeon**. On December 27, 2006, the series started airing on Nickelodeon's sister channel, **Noggin**. It ran for three seasons and 62 episodes. The first two seasons aired on **Nickelodeon**, while the majority of season three aired exclusively on the **Nick Jr. channel**. The series aired its final episode on March 6, 2016.

The series currently airs on the Nick Jr. channel on **Pluto TV.**

## Format

Each episode follows a similar structure, with many hallmarks and repeated elements. As each episode begins, schoolchildren are heard from off-screen, leaving school at the end of the day. They say goodbye to the classroom pets. The classroom is always decorated with student artwork and other items related to a given episode's particular storyline, featured animal, or geographic location. Once the classroom is empty, a pencil holder rattles to create the ringing of a telephone.

One by one, the classroom pets notice the ringing phone. As the phone rings, they put on their accessories (a cap for Linny, shoes and sailor's hat for Tuck, and aviator goggles for Ming-Ming) and make their way towards the phone while singing their opening verses. The Wonder Pets answer the phone and find that an animal is in trouble somewhere. Linny, the Guinea Pig, explains the situation to the other two: Tuck the Turtle and Ming-Ming the Duckling. They all jump into a box filled with fabric scraps and jump back out wearing different outfits, often alluding to the area of the world they will be visiting. They make a quick joke and jump back into the box, emerging again in superhero capes.

Once dressed, they assemble a flying vehicle called the "**Flyboat**." In some episodes, the Wonder Pets opt for a different mode of transportation by adjusting the Flyboat. Usually, the pets encounter an obstacle before leaving the classroom. The solution is invariably similar to the action they will need to take to save the animal in trouble.

When saving the animal, the Wonder Pets always fail on the first few attempts. The danger escalates, prompting Ming-Ming to sing, "**This is sewious!**" Suddenly, the Wonder Pets remember how they solved the problem in the classroom and realize that the rescue has a similar solution. They have to work together to achieve the rescue. Once the animal is saved, its parent or other relative appears to give grateful thanks to the Wonder Pets. The pets celebrate with a celery snack. The rescued animal's parent sometimes adds a bit of regional food or insists on a regional preparation. The pets fly back to the classroom and wordlessly return to their cages as their hats and capes come off. The Flyboat automatically disassembles upon landing. Ming-Ming is always the first one to get back in her cage, Tuck is the second, and Linny is the last. A musical riff relating to the episode's rescue is played as Linny takes a bite out of the celery in her cage and winks at the camera. Other pets have winked at the camera including Tuck in "**Save the Rhino**", Ming-Ming in "**Back to Kalamazoo"** and In "**The Land Of Oz"** and Ollie in "**Ollie to the Rescue"** and "**The Amazing Ollie"**. Another episode or the end credits then begin.

## Characters

**Main**

* **Linny -** A guinea pig and the leader of the Wonder Pets, as well being the oldest of the three. As a superhero, she wears an orange cap and a blue cape. Linny is the most educated of the group, often providing information about the different animals and environments that the pets encounter. Linny is usually the one to remind the group about teamwork and offer praise. She has the responsibility of starting and driving the Flyboat. Linny's catchphrase is "**This calls for some celery!**", said at the end of each adventure. She always carries some celery with her and brings it out to celebrate after every successful mission.
* **Tuck -** A red-eared slider turtle and the second oldest of the Wonder Pets. He is sensitive with an emotional connection to living things and the heart of the group. As a superhero, he wears a white sailor's cap, blue aqua socks, and a red cape. Tuck is empathetic, often wanting to give the rescued animals a hug or keeping them company while Linny and Ming-Ming put their rescue plan into action. He has keen observational skills and can spot things from long distances, which Linny compliments him, "**Good eye, Tuck!**". He has an older cousin named Buck, whose cool demeanor and many skills make Tuck jealous.
* **Ming-Ming -** An overconfident duckling and the youngest of the three. As a superhero, she wears a leather pilot's helmet with goggles and a green cape. Unlike the other Wonder Pets, she can fly and speak "**bird**," allowing her to connect with other birds that the Wonder Pets encounter. Ming-Ming often provides comic relief in the show and is the Wonder Pet mostly likely to use irony and mild sarcasm. Her family comes from a petting zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and she visits them on occasion. She speaks with a prominent rhotacism, pronouncing "r" sounds as "w". She is known for saying "**This is sewious!**" whenever there is trouble. In the episode, "**Help the Monster!**", when the Baby Monster grabs their Flyboat, not just Ming-Ming, but all three of them sing, "**This is serious!**"

**Recurring**

* **Ollie -** A gray rabbit who considers himself the fourth Wonder Pet. He is self-centered and often unintentionally annoys the Wonder Pets when he visits their classroom. He has his own superhero team, the "**Thunder Pets**," consisting of himself and his toys. He is a somewhat a terrible rescuer and invariably needs help from the Wonder Pets whenever he tries to save something and he lives in a burrow outside of the Wonder Pets' schoolhouse with his mother, sister, and baby brother.
* **Ginny -** Linny's grandmother. She lives in a nursing home with a white mouse named Bernie. Like Linny, she is self-confident, a natural leader, and loves celery.
* **The Visitor -** An extraterrestrial being who lives on a far-away planet. He resembles a purple frog-like creature with two antennae and one foot. He knows a few English phrases but can only speak in short fragments. He crash-lands on Earth in "**Save the Visitor**" and needs the Wonder Pets' help to fly back to space. He becomes a good friend of theirs and invites them to his party in "**Save the Visitor's Birthday Party**".
* **Little Bee And Slug -** A pair of bug friends. Little Bee is a young bumblebee who is just learning how to make honey for her hive. Slug is a green garden slug who wears the top of an acorn as a hat. Little Bee first appears in "**Save the Bee**" and "**Save the Glowworm**". She and Slug appear as the main characters of "**The Adventures of Bee & Slug!**" and "**Bee & Slug Underground!**"
* **Baby Dragon And Uni -** Two mythical, magical creatures who live in a storybook in the Wonder Pets' classroom. Baby Dragon is a wingless dragon, and Uni is his best friend, a unicorn. They first appear in "**Save the Unicorn**," in which the Wonder Pets try to help Uni when her horn is stuck in a tree. After freeing Uni, the Wonder Pets try to flee from Baby Dragon, but they discover that he is Uni's best friend. They make a second appearance in "**Save the Dragon**," in which the Wonder Pets return to the storybook land to save Baby Dragon after he becomes stuck on a cloud.

## Production And History

**Wonder Pets!** was created by **Josh Selig** at his New York studio, Little Airplane Productions. Before Wonder Pets! started, he had only produced live-action works: Oobi and a short film titled **The Time-Out Chair**. After Oobi became a breakout success for his company, he expressed interest in producing another television show at Little Airplane. He produced two animated shorts called "**Linny the Guinea Pig**." At the time, he wanted the cartoon to focus on a silent guinea pig who leaves her classroom to go on fantastic adventures, each set to classical music. **Jennifer Oxley**, who had joined **Little Airplane Productions** as an animator, signed on as the director of the two shorts.

Josh Selig first screened the shorts at the wrap party for Oobi's first season. The crew of Oobi was impressed with them and encouraged Selig to pitch them to a television channel. Selig waited until Oobi finished production to start focusing on the shorts. He eventually decided to send the shorts to Nickelodeon executives. Later, the shorts were greenlit for a full-length series.

Nickelodeon picked up **Wonder Pets!** for a season of 20 episodes in 2005. Tuck and Ming-Ming were added to the cast to form a team of superhero pets, and the characters were given voices; the dialogue-free nature of the original shorts did not translate well to half-hour episodes. At the time, Selig wanted the show to be titled "**The Super Singing Power Pets!"**, but it was renamed "**Wonder Pets!"** because the former name was too long. Selig turned to various former crew members of Oobi to help him develop the show, including writers **Chris Nee** and **Sascha Paladino** and composers **Larry Hochman** and **Jeffrey Lesser**.

The animation style used to create Wonder Pets! is called "**photo-puppetry**," and was created for the series to allow animators to manipulate photographs of real animals. It also uses drawn objects (not characters), so the total presentation could be considered animated mixed-media. **Jennifer Oxley** considers this technique her own invention and first used it to create lifelike transitions for Little Airplane's previous works.

A good deal of the dialog is sung, so the show has been likened to operetta or singspiel. A 10-member live orchestra performs each episode, sometimes including other instrumentalists skilled in music from the region to which the pets are traveling during the episode. Completing each episode took thirty-three weeks from script to final delivery.

## Episodes

**Wonder Pets!** - **Little Airplane Productions** & **Nickelodeon Animation Studio.**

**Season 1 (2006 - 2007)**

1. **Save The Dolphin!** / **Save The Chimp!**
2. **Save The Unicorn!** / **Save The Penguin!**
3. **Save The Sea Lions!** / **Save The Kangaroo!**
4. **Save The Caterpillar!** / **Save The Crane!**
5. **Save The Duckling!** / **Save The Kitten!**
6. **Save The Pigeon!** / **Save The Dinosaur!**
7. **Save The Cow!** / **Save The Skunk!**
8. **Save The Swan!** / **Save The Puppy!**
9. **Save The Tree!** / **Save The Elephant!**
10. **Save The Giant Panda!** / **Save The Mouse!**
11. **Save The Camel!** / **Save The Ants!**
12. **Save The Hedgehog!** / **Save The Crocodile!**
13. **Save The Bullfrog!** / **Save The Poodle!**
14. **Save The Sheep!** / **Save The Hermit Crab**
15. **Save The Black Kitten!** / **Save The Yak, The Pig And The Dancing Bear**
16. **Save The Reindeer!**
17. **Save The Three Little Pigs!** / **Save The Owl!**
18. **Save The Wonder Pets!**
19. **Save The Goldfish!** / **Save The Baby Birds!**
20. **Save The Egg!** / **Save The Flamingo!**

**Season 2 (2007 - 2009)**

1. **Save Little Red Riding Hood!** / **Save The Turtle**
2. **Save The Bee!** / **Save The Squirrel!**
3. **Save The Chameleon!** / **Save The Platypus!**
4. **Save The Dragon!** / **Save The Beaver!**
5. **Save The Goslings!** / **Ollie To The Rescue!**
6. **Kalamazoo!** / **Help The Cow Jump Over The Moon!**
7. **Save The Ladybug!** / **Save The Sea Turtle!**
8. **Save The Pangaroo!** / **Save The Cricket!**
9. **Save The Armadillo!** / **Save The Itsy Bitsy Spider!**
10. **Save The Beetles!** / **Three Wonder Pets And A Baby**
11. **Save The Gecko**! / **Save The What?**
12. **Save The Griffin!** / **Save The Rooster!**
13. **Here's Ollie!** / **Save The Visitor!**
14. **Off To School!** / **Save The Pirate Parrot!**
15. **Save The Bengal Tiger!**
16. **Save The Nutcracker!**
17. **Save The Rat Pack!** / **Save The Fiddler Crab!**
18. **Join The Circus**
19. **Save The Old White Mouse!** / **The Adventures Of Bee & Slug!**
20. **Save The Hound Dog!** / **Save The Glowworm!**

**Season 3 (2009 - 2016)**

1. **Save The Raccoon!** / **Save The Loch Ness Monster!**
2. **Save The Cool Cat And The Hip Hippo!** / **Tuck & Buck!**
3. **Save The Mermaid!** / **Save The Pony Express!**
4. **Save The Honey Bears!** / **Save The Stinkbug!**
5. **The Amazing Ollie!** / **Help The Monster!**
6. **A Job Well Done!** / **Save The Rhino!**
7. **Save The Bat!** / **Save The Donkey!**
8. **Save The Lovebugs!** / **Save The Skunk Rocker!**
9. **Help The Easter Bunny!** / **Save The Visitor's Birthday Party!**
10. **How It All Began**
11. **Happy Mother's Day!** / **Save The Sun Bear!**
12. **Save The Vixel!** / **Teach An Old Dog New Tricks!**
13. **Save Humpty Dumpty!** / **Save The Meerkats!**
14. **Save The Rock Lobster!** / **Help The Houseguest!**
15. **Adventures In Wonderland!**
16. **Save The Moose In The Caboose!** / **Climb Everest!**
17. **Save The Dancing Duck!** / **Save The Dalmatian!**
18. **Help The Groundhogs!** / **Help The Lion Cub!**
19. **In The Land Of Oz!**
20. **Back To Kalamazoo!** / **Bee And Slug Underground!**
21. **The Bigger The Better!** / **Help Little Bo Peep!**
22. **Save The Genie!**

## Home Media

Home media releases of **Wonder Pets**.

* **Save The Wonder Pets! DVD**
* **Save The Unicorn! DVD**
* **Save The Reindeer! DVD**
* **Save The Dinosaur! DVD**
* **Save The Beetles! DVD**
* **Save The Nursery Rhyme! DVD**
* **Save The Bengal Tiger! DVD**
* **Save The Nutcracker! DVD**
* **Join The Circus! DVD**
* **Ollie's Slumber Party! DVD**
* **The First Rescue! DVD**
* **Wonder Pets: The Complete First Season - DVD**

Wonder Pets! Save The Wonder Pets! DVD (April 2007)Wonder Pets! Save The Unicorn! DVD (September 2007)Wonder Pets! Save The Reindeer! DVD (October 2007)Wonder Pets! Save The Dinosaur! DVD (February 2008)Wonder Pets! Save The Beetles! DVD (April 2008)Wonder Pets! Save The Nursery Rhyme! (June 2008)Wonder Pets! Save The Bengal Tiger! DVD (September 2008)Wonder Pets! Save The Nutcracker! DVD (October 2008)Wonder Pets! Join The Circus: DVD (February 2009)Wonder Pets! Ollie's Slumber Party! DVD (June 2009)Wonder Pets! The First Rescue! DVD (April 2010)Wonder Pets! The Complete First Season: DVD (October 2015)Wonder Pets! Big Missions, Little Heroes! 3-DVD Collection

## Books

Book releases of **Wonder Pets!...**

* **Teamwork Saves The Day!**
* **Flyboat Adventures**
* **Go, Wonder Pets!**
* **The Wonder Pets Save The Dinosaur!**
* **Let's Count Baby Animals!**
* **Good Night, Wonder Pets!**
* **The Wonder Pets Save The Hedgehog!**
* **Save The Bengal Tiger!**
* **We Can Help!**
* **Save The Reindeer!**
* **Ming-Ming Saves The Day**
* **Let's Find Colors!**
* **The Wonder Pets Love You!**
* **Join The Circus**
* **Save The Tree!**
* **You Can Fly, Bumblebee!**
* **Save The Egg!**
* **ABC Party**
* **My Family Loves Me!**
* **Save The Three Little Pigs!**
* **Off To School!**
* **Save The Visitor!**
* **Baby Beaver Rescue**
* **Save Little Red Riding Hood!**
* **Happy Halloween, Wonder Pets!**
* **Save The Beetles!**
* **The Wonder Pets Save The Nutcracker! A Play-Along Storybook**
* **Ming-Ming's Favorite Things**
* **Let's Play Outside!**
* **Let's Play The Opposites Game**
* **The Baby Bird Rescue!**
* **Floppy's First Sleepover**
* **Flyboat To The Rescue**
* **This Is Serious!: Recycling To The Rescue!**
* **How We Met!**
* **We Are Thankful!**
* **Find Your Way, Baby Sea Turtle!**
* **Let's Discover Shapes!**
* **A Save And A Haircut!**
* **Let's Hop To It!**
* **What's Gonna Work? Teamwork! A First Look-And-Find**
* **Save The Beetles!**
* **Meet The Wonder Pets!**
* **Here Comes The Circus**
* **A Friend In Need**
* **The Bengal Tiger Boo-Boo**
* **Teamwork Time**
* **Unicorn Magic**
* **The Right Stuff**
* **Bee Mine**
* **Little Bunny Bedtime**
* **Best Dressed Pets**
* **Wonder Pets To The Rescue!**
* **Space Adventure**
* **Save The Baby Kitten**
* **Baby Elephant Rescue**
* **Save The Dinosaur**

Wonder Pets! The Wonder Pets Save The Dinosaur! Story Book (July 2008)Wonder Pets! The Wonder Pets Save The Hedgehog! Story Book (July 2008)Wonder Pets! Good Night, Wonder Pets: Story Book (July 2008)Wonder Pets! Baby Beaver Rescue: Story Book (July 2009)Wonder Pets! Save The Bengal Tiger! Story Book (August 2008)Wonder Pets! Off To School! Story Book (June 2009)Wonder Pets! Save The Visitor! Story Book (June 2009)Wonder Pets! The Baby Bird Rescue! Story Book (February 2010)Wonder Pets! Save The Tree! Story Book (January 2009)Wonder Pets! Happy Halloween, Wonder Pets! (August 2009)Wonder Pets! The Wonder Pets Love You! Story Book (December 2008)Wonder Pets! Join The Circus: Story Book (December 2008)Wonder Pets! How We Met! Story Book (August 2010)Wonder Pets! My Family Loves Me! Story Book (March 2009)Wonder Pets! We Are Thankful! Story (September 2010)Wonder Pets! Save The Reindeer! Story Book (October 2008)Wonder Pets! The Wonder Pets Save The Nutcracker! A Play-Along Storybook (October 2009)Wonder Pets! You Can Fly, Bumblebee! Story Book (January 2009)Wonder Pets! Floppy's First Sleepover: Story Book (June 2010)Wonder Pets! Let's Hop To It! Story Book: Nick Jr. Play To LearnWonder Pets! Little Piggy Rescue! Story Book (August 2009)Wonder Pets! This Is Serious! Recycling To The Rescue! Story Book (June 2010)Wonder Pets! A Save And A Haircut! Story Book (January 2008) Nick Jr. Play To LearnWonder Pets! Go, Wonder Pets! Board Book (July 2008)Wonder Pets! ABC Party: Board Book (February 2009)Wonder Pets! Let's Count Baby Animals! Board Book (July 2008)Wonder Pets! Let's Discover Shapes! Board Book (June 2009)Wonder Pets! Let's Find Colors! Board Book (October 2008)Wonder Pets! Let's Play The Opposites Game: Board Book (February 2010)Wonder Pets! Let's Play Outside! Board Book (February 2010)Wonder Pets! Save The Egg! Leveled Reader (January 2009)Wonder Pets! Flyboat To The Rescue! Ready-To-Read (June 2010)Wonder Pets! Find Your Way, Baby Sea Turtle! Ready-To-Read (May 2010)Wonder Pets! Save Little Red Riding Hood! Ready-To-Read (July 2009)Wonder Pets! Save The Three Little Pigs! Ready-To-Read (June 2009)Wonder Pets! We Can Help! Ready-To-Read (August 2008)Wonder Pets! Ming-Ming Saves The Day: Follow The Reader (October 2008)Wonder Pets! Save The Nutcracker! Golden Book (September 2010)Wonder Pets! Teamwork Time! Golden Book (August 2008)Wonder Pets! Best-Dressed Pets: Paper Doll Book (May 2009)Wonder Pets! Meet The Wonder Pets! Golden Books (January 2008)Wonder Pets! A Friend In Need: Golden Books (August 2008)Wonder Pets! Unicorn Magic: Golden Books (January 2008)Wonder Pets! Here Comes The Circus: Golden Books (January 2009)Wonder Pets! The Bengal Tiger Boo-Boo: Golden Books (August 2008)Wonder Pets: Little Bunny Bedtime: Golden Books (January 2010)Wonder Pets! Bee Mine! Golden Books (December 2010)Wonder Pets! The Right Stuff! Golden Books (2009)Wonder Pets! Over The Moon: A Little Golden Book (February 2011)Wonder Pets! Wonder Pets To The Rescue! Golden Books (May 2008)Wonder Pets! What's Gonna Work? Teamwork! First Look-And-Find (July 2008)Wonder Pets! Flyboat Adventures: Board Book (July 2008)Wonder Pets! Ming-Ming's Favorite Things: Board Book (January 2010)Wonder Pets! Save The Beetles: Board Book (September 2009)Wonder Pets! Save The Dinosaur! Lift-a-Flap Sound BookWonder Pets! Space Adventure: Steering Wheel Play-a-Sound Book (May 2009)Wonder Pets! Save The Baby Kitten: Little Pop-Up Songbook (2008)Wonder Pets! Baby Elephant Rescue: Play-a-Sound Book (January 2009)

## Games

Game releases of **Wonder Pets!...**

**Wonder Pets: Save The Animals!** is an interactive educational video game developed by **2K Play** for the **Nintendo DS**. The game was released on October 27, 2008.

In the game, the player's objective is to rescue three animals; a baby panda in China; the Bengal tiger in India, and a chimpanzee in outer space. The player can also dress the Wonder Pets in various costumes and build the Flyboat using the stylus. The game includes interactive activities; tapping, blowing, speaking and dragging.

**Wonder Pets: Save The Puppy!** is an educational video game developed by **Microsoft** for the PC. It was released in 2010.

In the game, the player can choose from three activities with the Wonder Pets; matching dog biscuits to lead the puppy outside, decorating the puppy's doghouse for a party and bouncing the ball on the catapult to play fetch.

**Flash Games**

* **Phone Game**
* **Save A Baby Dinosaur!**
* **Wonder Pets: Music Blocks**
* **The Bengal Tiger's Bash**
* **Adventures In Wonderland**
* **Wonder Pets Join The Circus**
* **Holiday Treats For The Mouse King**
* **Wonder Pets Save The Day**
* **Save The Sea Creatures**

## Soundtrack

In addition to the DVDs and books, the series' self-titled soundtrack album, **Wonder Pets!**, was released on April 10, 2007. The soundtrack features 16 songs from the show itself, including the main self-titled theme song.

**Tracklist**

1. **"The Wonder Pets!"**
2. **"Poor Baby Squirrel"**
3. **"The Caterpillar's Song"**
4. **"Oh, Sheep-eee-hooo!"**
5. **"Tickle the Whale"**
6. **"To Be Free!"**
7. **"Hold On, Pigeon!"**
8. **"Fruit Salad"**
9. **"City Garden Rap"**
10. **"Hug a Hedgy"**
11. **"The Oasis"**
12. **"Hola, Hermit Crab!"**
13. **"Wee-Wee, Pee-Pee, Tinkle!"**
14. **"Brown Cow Down"**
15. **"Wonder Pets, We Love You!"**
16. **"The Wonder Pets!" (Instrumental) (Wonder Pets Orchestra)**

## Mobile Streaming

On July 6, 2016, the first 20 episodes were made available for streaming on the **Noggin** video service. The remaining two seasons (42 episodes) were released on the app on February 7, 2018. All three seasons of the series (62 episodes in total) are also available to buy on **Amazon Video**. In March 2021, the series was added to **Paramount+**.

## Toys And Merchandising

In March 2008, **Fisher-Price** began distributing a line of official **Wonder Pets!** toys in the United States. Toys include the Flyboat, figurine playsets, and plush animals. These figurine playsets have each Wonder Pet saving a different baby animal. These sets include Linny saving a baby penguin, Tuck saving a baby bluebird, and Ming-Ming rescuing a kitten. In addition, there is a whale playset for the tub.

## Trivia

* The episode "**Save The Beetles**", features some references to **The Beatles**.

## Gallery

Wonder Pets! LogoWonder Pets! Opening Title