Curious World Tops 1 Million Downloads and More Than 1,000 Pieces of Content; Adds Known and Loved IP Like They Might Be Giants, StoryBots®, Super Simple Songs and Kit^n^Kate

BOSTON – Curious World, the ever-expanding subscription service for early learners and their families, has topped 1 million downloads in the U.S. and now offers more than 1,000 pieces of content within its collection of short-form videos, games and books. Launched in 2015 to U.S. audiences by global learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, the mobile platform provides engaging kids’ content tied to key learning areas – all housed within a safe, trusted digital environment.  

Led by CJ Kettler, HMH’s EVP and Chief of Consumer Brands and Strategy, the Curious World team will attend MIPJR and MIPCOM in Cannes, France (Oct. 15 – 20) as part of its ongoing strategy to build a world-class kids’ media company and expand its production relationships as well as increase Curious World’s access to more users globally.

“Unlike traditional TV, Curious World offers families something particularly special – beautiful playful learning content that is created and curated by early learning experts,” said CJ Kettler. “HMH has deep roots both in education and literary storytelling –a winning combination that families can trust to provide a content service for the home that encourages learning and family engagement.”

From iconic HMH characters like Curious George to new friends in A Rhino Named Paul, Curious World curates the best kids’ content, including original IP offerings and licensed programming from leading children’s media production companies, as well as original games and celebrated children’s books that can be accessed by users anytime, anywhere on iPhone, iPad or AppleTV.

“Curious World features work from talented content creators from around the world, focusing on short-form content, a staple of children’s programming in the international markets.” Kettler added. “At MIPCOM, we’re looking to expand our production and coproduction relationships and showcase our work on Curious World, as well as to create partnerships in new markets internationally.

Earlier this year, Curious World debuted six brand new short-form series, both animated and live-action, all of which inspire kids to engage and explore off-screen, from building paper bag cities in Get Crafty to learning Spanish with Jingle Bilingual to hearing about how a baker spends her day in Let’s Go To Work! The team adds to this list next month with the debut of Mac & Izzy, produced in partnership with Blue Zoo and WGBH, two imaginary friends who have adventures with the humans they love.

Curious World’s broad range of licensed content comes from leading and celebrated production companies and distributors including They Might Be Giants (Disney Sound), StoryBots (JibJab Bros. Studios), Super Simple Songs (Skyship Entertainment), Kit^n^Kate (Planet Nemo Animation/Ankama) and more.

Nominated for numerous children’s media and education awards, Curious World recently received a Teacher’s Choice Award for the Family from Learning Magazine, as well as a 2016 Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Tablet-Based App. Its original content has been nominated for prestigious international animation contests, including the Shanghai TV Festival, Annecy International Animated Film Festival and Cartoons on the Bay.

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About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt    

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (NASDAQ:HMHC) is a global learning company dedicated to changing people’s lives by fostering passionate, curious learners. As a leading provider of pre-K–12 education content, services, and cutting-edge technology solutions across a variety of media, HMH enables learning in a changing landscape. HMH is uniquely positioned to create engaging and effective educational content and experiences from early childhood to beyond the classroom.  HMH serves more than 50 million students in over 150 countries worldwide, while its award-winning children's books, novels, non-fiction, and reference titles are enjoyed by readers throughout the world. For more information, visit www.hmhco.com.

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