VeggieTales Creator Returns with ‘Dead Sea Squirrels,’ Bringing Bible Lessons to Life
One of the co-creators of VeggieTales is launching a new animated series, blending the same Bible-centered message with a fresh dose of quirky, lighthearted fun. Animator and voice actor Mike Nawrocki is the creator of the new series The Dead Sea Squirrels, which launches on Minno on Feb. 14. The series follows the story of a 10-year-old boy living in modern times who befriends two petrified squirrels who walked with Jesus.
Nawrocki is best known to families as the voice of Larry the Cucumber, the rarely serious vegetable who teams up with Bob the Tomato in VeggieTales to teach children about Jesus. That legendary series spanned more than two decades, 1993-2015.
Nawrocki is hoping his new series, too, is a hit with families. It includes the voices of Matthew West, Phil Vischer, Bart Millard, and Ellie Holcomb, among others.
"It's a really fun show. It's got a lot of humor, a lot of great music, a lot of heart. But more than anything else, it teaches kids about Jesus, His life, His ministry," Nawrocki told Crosswalk Headlines.
The animated series is based on a popular book series by Nawrocki.
"It centers around a 10-year-old boy named Michael who is on a summer break with his dad in Israel. And Michael's brought his best buddy, Justin, with him, and they kind of wander into a cave near the Dead Sea where his dad's on a dig, and they run across these two salt encrusted, dehydrated squirrels."
Wanting a souvenir, Michael takes the two dehydrated squirrels back to his Tennessee home.
"[He] sets them up on a windowsill so they don't stink up his room that night. It rains while he's sleeping, they rehydrate, desalinate and reanimate. They come back to life," Nawrocki explained. "It turns out they're an old Jewish couple, Merle and Pearl Squirrel, who lived during the first century, and they witnessed the life and ministry of Jesus and the disciples."
The series' first season spans 13 episodes, during which Merle and Pearl tell Michael and his friends everything they remember about Jesus. The story also includes intrigue, as a mysterious man -- an artifact collector -- chases after the squirrels.
Each episode spotlights a theme of Scripture as it advances the plot, Nawrocki said. He voices Merle.
Nawrocki conceived the idea for the plot around 2016 after he finished VeggieTales.
"I wanted to have a vehicle for a story that allowed for the telling of more New Testament stories," he said.
It launched as an early readers series published by Tyndale, targeting reluctant readers with a fun, whimsical story.
"I feel God has orchestrated this whole thing to get it to screen and get it to families," Nawrocki said. "So we couldn't be more excited."
Photo Credit: ©Minno
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published February 03, 2025.
