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 Cover ofDr Xargle's Book of Earthlets, the first in the series (1988), art byTony Ross | |
| Author | Jeanne Willis |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Tony Ross |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | E. P. Dutton |
| Published | 1988-2004 |
Dr. Xargle/ˈzɑːrɡəl/ is a series ofchildren'spicture books written byJeanne Willis and illustrated byTony Ross; the original six books were published byAndersen Press from 1988 to 1993. It features analien perspective on human civilization, especially the life of British children and their families. Alternatively, Dr. Xargle is the main character, an alien who studies Earth and teaches schoolchildren about it. Sometimes he takes them onfield trips to Earth in human disguises. Finally,Dr. Xargle is a 1997 British television series based on the original books.
For the third book in the series,Dr. Xargle's Book of Earth Tiggers (1990), Ross was highly commended runner up for the annualKate Greenaway Medal from theLibrary Association, recognising the year's best children's book illustration by aBritish subject.[1][a]
All seven books were published in hardcover editions byAndersen Press. The original series was published in British paperback editions by Red Fox (Random House) within a few years. In the United States, the books have titles such asEarthlets, as explained by Professor Xargle—the first book, published byE. P. Dutton in 1989.
A 13-episode television series was produced byCINAR Films andKing Rollo Films, and broadcast in 1997: Dr. Xargle and his students areanimatronicpuppets, while the students' lessons about Earth are animated.
Unnamed in the books, the planet was identified as Planet Queeg, and the children were called Queegles. It is unclear whether their species is named Queegle, or this is the name for their infants (the adults being called Queegs).
Each of the 13 episodes had a duration of approximately 30 minutes.Several episode broadcast dates, as well as the episode order, are currently unknown.
There was also a break in broadcasting that has not yet been accounted for.
| Episode number | Episode name | Topic | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Earthlets | Infants | 26 February 1997 |
| 2 | Earth Hounds | Dogs | 5 March 1997 |
| 3 | Earth Mobility | Transport | 12 March 1997 |
| 4 | Earth Weather | Weather | 28 July 1997 |
| 5 | Earth Thingummies | Gadgets | 4 August 1997 |
| 6 | Earth Jobbery | Careers | 11 August 1997 |
| 7 | Earth Nicety | Manners | 18 August 1997 |
| 8 | Earth Relativity | Family | Unknown |
| 9 | Earth Snacky | Food | Unknown |
| 10 | Earth Trendy | Fashion | Unknown |
| 11 | Earth Furnishy | Furniture | Unknown |
| 12 | Earth Sport | Sport &Fitness | Unknown |
| 13 | Earth Tiggers | Cats | Unknown |
