Wow in the World

Wow in the World is a children's podcast hosted by children's media and audio veterans Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas. which debuted on May 17, 2017 and produced by Tinkercast, LLC, a company established by Thomas and Raz to produce children's audio.,^[1] and distributed by Wondery. Initially, it was distributed by NPR as part of its efforts to invest in podcasts and digital media aimed at wider audiences, including families, as well as Guy Raz's connections to the broadcaster for producing popular shows like the TED Radio Hour and the business podcast How I Built This. Distribution was handed over to Sony Music in April 2021, but the deal with Sony was very short lived. The Amazon-owned podcast network Wondery agreed to distribute the Tinkercast assets in September the same year. The show focuses on science and technology and each episodes is about 25 minutes long. However some episodes, such as the spin-off game show Two Whats?! And a Wow!!! are 15 minutes long and other bonus episodes may run for 5–10 minutes.

Wow in the World
Presentation
Hosted by	Guy Raz Mindy Thomas
Genre	Kids and family, science, technology
Language	English
Length	30-45 minutes
Production
Production	Tinkercast, LLC
Theme music composed by	The Pop Ups
Opening theme	"The Golden Age (Wow In The World Theme Song)
No. of seasons	6
No. of episodes	Over 300
Publication
Original release	May 15, 2017 – present
Provider	Wondery (since September 2021) Previously: NPR (May 2017-April 2021) Sony Music Entertainment (April–September 2021)
Related
Website	Official website Spotify Apple Podcasts

Background

In 2014, Guy Raz and Mindy Thomas had a Twitter exchanged that led to some collaborations.^[2] The show was financed by its hosts and is recorded in Thomas's basement studio in Fairfax, Virginia.^[3] They began producing episodes for Wow in the World together and the podcast debuted on May 15, 2017.^[4] The podcast is the first children's podcast to be distributed by NPR.^[5][6] The show is produced by Tinkercast.^[7] Each episode is about 25 minutes long.^[8] The theme song is by The Pop Ups.^[9] The podcast's intended audience is children between the ages of 5 and 12 years old.^[10] The hosts of the show cite their sources during the program.^[11] The podcast is a science and technology focused program.^[12] On April 6, 2019, the show did a live event at Tampa Theatre.^[13] By 2020, the show had produced four seasons.^[14] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the hosts of the show started a spinoff series called Two Whats?! and a Wow!.^[15][16] Two Whats?! and a Wow! released daily episodes.^[17][18] Tinkercast also started a spinoff called Camp WeWow.^[19] On November 22, 2021, the show did a special episode discussing the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine.^[20]

Reception

Charlotte Hilton Andersen wrote in Reader's Digest that the hosts "have a knack for picking science stories that kids will find fascinating".^[21] ABC News said of the show that "Curious kids will be captivated, and you'll find it hard not to love it too."^[22]

Awards

Award	Date	Category	Result	Ref.
AAAs / Subaru Prize	2022	Excellence in Science Books	Finalist	^[23]
Discover Pods Awards	2020	Best Kids & Family Podcast	Finalist	^[24]
	2021		Runner-up	^[25]
iHeartRadio Podcast Awards	2019		Won	^[26]
	2020		Nominated	^[27]
	2021		Won	^[28]
	2022		Nominated	^[29]

Adaptation

The podcast was adapted into a book series. The first book in the series was titled Wow in the World: The How and Wow of The Human Body and the second was titled Wow in the Wild: The Amazing World of Animals.^[30] The intended audience of the book series is children ages 7–10.^[31] The book was discussed at the 2021 Los Angeles Times Festival of Books as well as the 2021 San Antonio Book Festival.^[32][33] The books are written by Mindy Thomas and Guy Raz with illustrations by Jack Teagle.^[34][35]

References

1. "About Us". Tinkercast. from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
2. "How Mindy Thomas Became Your Kids' Favorite Podcast Star – Washingtonian". March 17, 2019. from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
3. Hess, Amanda (October 3, 2017). "The New Bedtime Story Is a Podcast". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on March 1, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
4. "NPR's first kid-focused podcast is taking some narrative lessons from its adult counterparts". Nieman Lab. from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
5. "'Wow in the World': Why NPR started its first podcast for kids". TODAY.com. September 6, 2017. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
6. Patterson, Lindsay (May 22, 2017). "NPR's first podcast for kids comes at the right time". Current. from the original on January 26, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
7. "'Wow in the World' Is NPR's First Podcast For Kids (And Their Adults, Too)". Bustle. May 12, 2017. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
8. Mallenbaum, Carly. "Podcast pick: NPR debuts first kids' show, 'Wow in the World' with Guy Raz". USA TODAY. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
9. "Wow in the World: a kids' podcast with plenty for parents, too". the Guardian. May 18, 2017. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
10. Hallett, Vicky (May 20, 2017). "How to entice your kid away from a screen — with a podcast". The Washington Post. from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
11. "Wow in the World". Reason.com. July 1, 2019. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
12. Sturges, Fiona (December 1, 2017). "Wow in the World — a science podcast that's a real wow with its young listeners". Financial Times. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
13. Hammond, Amy (March 5, 2019). "Tampa Theatre to host Wow in the World Pop Up Party". 83Degrees. from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
14. Atkin, Katy (October 3, 2020). "Family friendly podcasts for school holiday roadtrips". Stuff. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
15. Weiss, Sabrina Rojas (March 4, 2021). "How 'Wow in the World″s Mindy Thomas Makes Potty Humor into STEM Education". SheKnows. from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
16. "7 podcasts that both kids and adults will enjoy together at home". CBC. November 25, 2019. from the original on June 25, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
17. "These Are The Best Podcasts For Kids". Lifehacker Australia. April 19, 2020. from the original on March 26, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
18. "NPR's Wow In The World Podcast Goes Daily For Kids And Families". Insideradio.com. March 24, 2020. from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
19. Leiber, Sarah Jae. "Tinkercast Announces Launch of Kids Podcast 'Camp WeWow' on June 14". BroadwayWorld.com. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
20. "Exclusive: 'Wow In The World' Podcast Explains The Covid Vaccine Just For Kids". Romper. November 20, 2021. from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
21. Andersen, Charlotte Hilton (February 16, 2022). "16 Best Podcasts for Kids Even Adults Will Love". Reader's Digest. from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
22. "Seven podcasts for any family road trip". ABC News. September 30, 2017. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
23. "Wow In The World: The How and Wow of the Human Body". AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books. from the original on March 4, 2023. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
24. "Announcing the winners of the 2020 Discover Pods Awards". Discover Pods Awards. November 9, 2020. from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
25. "Announcing the winners of the 2021 Discover Pods Awards". Discover Pods Awards. October 19, 2021. from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
26. "2019 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards: Full List of Winners". iHeart. from the original on February 13, 2019. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
27. "2020 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards: Full List of Winners". iHeart. from the original on January 18, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
28. "2021 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards: Full List of Winners". iHeart. from the original on April 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
29. "2022 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards: See The Full List of Winners". iHeart. from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
30. Lodge, Sally (March 17, 2022). "Kids' Books and Podcasts: When the Twain Meet". Publishers Weekly. from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
31. Maughan, Shannon (June 13, 2019). "HMH to Publish Children's Books Based on Popular STEM Podcast". Publishers Weekly. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
32. "Here's the complete list of virtual panels for the 2021 Festival of Books". Los Angeles Times. April 12, 2021. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
33. Frank, Nicholas (April 8, 2021). "200 authors slated to appear online for San Antonio Book Festival". San Antonio Report. from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
34. Knibbs, Kate (June 15, 2021). "WIRED's Ultimate Summer Reading List 2021: Books for Kids and Teens". Wired. from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
35. Gruschow, Kim (February 28, 2021). "Wow in the World by Mindy Thomas & Guy Raz". readings.com.au. from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.

External links

• Official website