Can a cartoon teach history by turning famous figures into ordinary children?
In short: Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum transports young viewers through time to meet historical icons as children. By observing figures like Rosa Parks or Leonardo da Vinci during their formative years, the show aims to teach kids that they possess the same potential to change the world as their heroes.
Based on the Ordinary People Change the World book series by Brad Meltzer and Chris Eliopoulos, the animated show premiered on PBS Kids on November 11, 2019. The narrative follows Xavier Riddle, his sister Yadina, and their friend Brad—a character inspired by the author himself—as they use a robotic companion named Berby to travel back in time. By witnessing historical figures facing childhood challenges, the trio learns values like perseverance and kindness, which they then apply to their own modern-day problems.
The production process was a collaborative effort involving literary agent Rob Weisbach, producer Fonda Snyder, and 9 Story Media Group. Angela Santomero, Chief Creative Officer at 9 Story, emphasizes that the series encourages children to recognize their own adventurous spirit. Meltzer, who has also written for The Justice League, notes that the show aims to help children discover the extraordinary potential hidden within the ordinary. Following its initial success, a second season was released on January 15, 2024.
However, the show’s approach to history has faced criticism regarding its factual accuracy. Reviewer Joyce Slaton of Common Sense Media has argued that the series often plays too fast and loose with historical reality. For example, while George Washington Carver did maintain a garden as a child, the show depicts him defending plants from soccer players in 19th-century Missouri, a scenario Slaton describes as a significant stretch. Similarly, the series portrays Amelia Earhart as a grade-school student who completed a solo Atlantic flight, despite her actual disappearance in 1937. Critics suggest that by oversimplifying these lives, the show risks obscuring the deeper, more complex contributions these figures made to history, such as Carver’s work as an activist for sustainable agriculture.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
- Also: Wikidata — Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum, season 2 · CC0
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