"What kind of animals are these?" asked my mom after her first in-depth experience with The Backyardigans, when Everett spent the weekend recently. I rattled them off; Tyrone is a moose; Pablo, a penguin; Tasha is a hippo and Austin is a kangaroo (I just had to doublecheck with my son on Austin…). My best guess for Uniqua? A giraffe. (The spots…the antenna… ok, give me a break. I've read too much Sandra Boynton.)

But she's … nothing. According to creator Janice Burgess, Uniqua is just her. "Uniqua is her name, and also her species – with her purple skin, pink spots, and dainty antennae, she doesn't look like any other creature on the planet." My theory? Uniqua is Janice's manifestation of herself as a child - she's just too, well, unique. She's probably my current favorite girl character on TV, with Dora as a close second. Burgess goes on to describe her pink creation as "One of a kind. She's funny – she loves to tell silly jokes and to tickle her friends. She's a little mischievous — she'd be the kid most likely to ring the doorbell and run away. But she's sweet —she'll notice if you're happy or sad and say something about it because she cares about you. Graceful, agile and light on her feet, Uniqua is not afraid of anything and can be quite the daredevil. She loves to run and climb and ride her bike faster than anyone."