Meet the Characters
Step into the story
Meet our Characters
Your guide through the orchard
In every orchard, there are guides – friendly faces who help you find your way. At Orchard & Hive, our characters were created to be those guides. They turn lessons into experiences, making literacy feel playful, creativity feel brave, and learning feel like an adventure.
Children learn best when they feel welcomed, seen, and invited into a story. Our characters help children step into learning with curiosity and confidence, while giving teachers and parents a simple, playful way to make lessons feel alive. You’ll find them throughout the blog and in our teacher shop, offering gentle ways for children to wonder, explore, and grow.
So let us introduce you to the residents of the orchard. Each one has a distinct voice and purpose, and each one helps children navigate their learning journey with joy and imagination.
a note from mz applebee
Every child carries a little spark of wonder. My job is to help that spark grow bright.
meet the teacher
Mz Applebee
Mz Applebee has been the heart of Orchard & Hive since 2012 – our fictional teacher and the very first resident of the Orchard. With her bright curiosity and gentle humor, she encourages children to imagine boldly, explore bravely, and learn through play. She believes every child is a storyteller, an inventor, and an explorer at heart. Look for her Reader’s Theater scripts, paper crafts, explorer scrapbooks, and Idea Journals in our teacher shop. She’s always ready to help a child wonder, discover, and grow.
mz applebee’s
Classroom Resources
Reader’s theater
Rebus Reading Stories
paper crafts
TEACHER RESOURCES
mz applebee’s
Creative Classroom
meet the librarian
Granny Smith
Granny Smith is the orchard’s librarian and keeper of cozy learning. She loves imaginative stories, book-inspired creativity, and the kind of read‑aloud moments that children will remember. Nothing delights her more than sparking imagination through the pages of a good book. You’ll find her on the blog and in our teacher shop with her Read Aloud programs, Storytimes, Poetry Teas, and literacy activities. She’s always waiting with a story to share.
granny smith’s favorite
Read Alouds
The Little Old Lady WHo Was Not Afraid of Anything
The very hungry caterpillar
The Kissing Hand
Ten Lucky Leprechauns
granny smith’s
Storytime Library
meet our stem guide
Captain Cortland
Meet Captain Cortland, the fearless captain of the Jonagold, our Orchard & Hive STEAM boat. As the orchard’s resident adventurer, he believes learning should feel like exploration, and he invites children to investigate, experiment, and ask big questions about the world around them. It’s Captain Cortland’s job to guide kids through his favorite STEAM experiments using tales of exploration and wonder. He’s always ready for the next discovery. Adventure awaits!
captain cortland’s
STEAM Stories
the invisible ink experiment
the lemon volcano experiment
build a weathervane EXPERIMENT
holiday sink or float experiment
captain cortland’s
STEAM Adventures
Continue the Journey
there’s more to explore
These character‑inspired resources are just the beginning. Our teacher shop holds even more resources to help children wonder, learn, and grow.
