Is there a PIC development tool like Texas Instruments's EZ430‑F2013 to help introduce me to PIC?
Consider the PICkit3 Debug Express kit which includes the PICkit3 (a tremendously useful little programmer), MPLAB IDE on a CD and a 44-pin evaluation board with a PIC18F45K20 populated on it.

Once you get comfy with the 8-bit parts, you can move up to an Explorer 16 board and play with PIC24 and dsPIC devices. The board supports add-on cards called PICTail boards, which provide extra functionality (Ethernet, power supplies, etc.)

There's also a standalone PIC32 starter kit that doesn't need a programmer.